Sisseton Agency

Overview

The Sisseton Agency serves 108,589 acres of trust land for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. The Tribal membership is numbered at 12,389 as of July, 2008. The Sisseton- Wahpeton Oyate is the tenth largest employer in the state of South Dakota. The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate operate three casinos; one in North Dakota and two in South Dakota.

Accomplishments:

The Sisseton Agency was the first Agency in the Great Plains Region to collect $1,000,000.00 under TAAMS. The Sisseton Agency was the first agency in the nation to have 100% match in the lock box in quarterly reporting (announced by Ross Swimmer at National Realty Conference in Albuquerque). This year the Sisseton Agency finished second in the nation with the highest percent of match in the lock box, and third highest in the nation in terms of lease dollars (announced by Jim James, National Realty Conference in Denver, Colorado). In 2008 I received recognition by OST, Steve Graham in Rapid City, South Dakota for personally encoding 1,064 leases.

Superintendent Hawkins received the Bureau Of Indian Affairs " Director's Award" for the effort in obtaining, posthumously the Congressional Medal of Honor for M/Sgt. Woodrow Keeble. Keeble, a WW2 and Korean combat veteran, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, a former BIA Employee, went far above and beyond the call of duty in the Korean War and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for single-handedly eliminating three four man pill boxes, each with a machine gun and two enemy trenches that were defending the pill boxes. The award came 57 years after M/Sgt. Keeble's heroic action and 26 years after his death.

Strengths

The Sisseton Agency has a highly motivated, skilled and dedicated Realty and Probate staff. We also have a very good Social Service staff.

Opportunities

We have some opportunity to recruit and hire staff that will take over the duties of the experienced staff as they approach retirement age.

Challenges

One of our biggest challenges is our Road Maintenance Department. We are under funded and with the increased price of diesel fuel and gravel we will have a greater challenge performing our duties on a shrinking budget.

Russell Hawkins, Superintendent	Sisseton Agency
Mailing Address: Bureau of Indian Affairs P.O. Box 688 Agency Village, South Dakota 57262 Physical Address: 12554 BIA Highway 711 Agency Village, South Dakota 57262 Telephone: (605) 698-3001 Telefax: (605) 698-7784
Tribe Served: Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Delbert Hopkins, Jr., Chairman Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate P.O. Box 509 100 Veterans’ Memorial Dr. Agency Village, South Dakota 57262 Telephone: (605) 698-3911 Telefax: (605) 698-7907 Trust Land Base: 108,589 acres Estimated Tribal Enrollment: 12,389 members