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Tribal relations office emphasizes partnerships, STOMP anti‑drug work and Indian education training
Summary
The South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations presented its budget and highlighted ongoing work on government‑to‑government communications, mutual aid agreements, suicide prevention, the STOMP opioid‑meth initiative and a Bush Foundation‑funded teacher training program for Oceti Sakowin essential understandings.
Department of Tribal Relations Cabinet Secretary David Flute told the Joint Committee on Appropriations that the office is focused on strengthening government‑to‑government relationships with the state's nine tribes and on delivering programs aimed at prevention, education and coordination.
Flute opened by describing outreach and the governor's recent invitations to tribal leaders, saying those efforts are intended to "reset and rebuild" government‑to‑government relationships. He said the department facilitates intergovernmental communications, organizes summits and provides cultural awareness training to state agencies and first responders.
Programs and outcomes: The department highlighted STOMP (the state tribal opioid and meth prevention initiative), mutual aid agreement outreach and the Office of Indian Education's Wokea project. Fred Osborne, director of the Office of Indian Education, said a Bush Foundation grant totaled $600,000 (four years at $150,000, later extended a fifth year) and funded stipends, monthly teacher meetings and development of an online three‑part training course for teachers. "We were able to extend that for a 5th year, in order to spend the monies," Osborne said. He told the committee that 229 teachers registered during the first six months and that 55 completed the course in that initial period; the program measured teacher confidence and incorporation of Oceti Sakowin essential understandings and reported strong positive results.
Mutual aid and public safety: Elgin Young, who described his background as a tribal police chief, told lawmakers mutual aid agreements with county and municipal agencies act as a force multiplier for tribal public safety and can provide access to specialized resources such as search and rescue or tactical teams. He said agreements are tailored to each tribe and typically include a commitment by county partners to respond when requested and to withdraw when asked.
Legislators and tribal leaders raised concerns about longstanding issues, including theft of livestock on reservations and insufficient tribal law enforcement resources. Several lawmakers urged stronger MOUs, more coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and funding for tribal public safety. Flute and staff said the department is actively encouraging MOUs and joint powers agreements and will continue outreach.
Other items: The department reported roughly seven staff in the agency, described a communications push that has generated more than one million website visits, and said it offers suicide‑prevention outreach in partnership with Department of Social Services and local providers. The committee heard requests for more detail on program results and an offer from the department to provide supplemental information, including grant wrap‑up reports and course‑completion data.
No formal committee action was taken on the department's budget during the presentation; the hearing closed after questions and follow‑up commitments from staff.
