Standing Rock chairwoman urges state support for bridges, public safety and tribal economic study

Janet Alkire, chairwoman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, delivered the tribal and state relationship address to the North Dakota House of Representatives, urging state lawmakers to support infrastructure, public safety, health-care access and a study of tribal economic impact.

Alkire told the chamber that Standing Rock and the four other tribal nations in the state — the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, Spirit Lake Nation, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate — need coordinated support for schools, health care, law enforcement and economic development. "My people are resilient, innovative, vibrant, educated, and persistent," Alkire said.

Why it matters: Alkire framed infrastructure projects and joint planning as foundational to tribal and statewide prosperity. She asked legislators to back work that would better connect reservation communities to services and to press the federal delegation for funding decisions that benefit all residents.

Alkire highlighted three specific areas: - Infrastructure and connectivity: Alkire said Standing Rock seeks improved east–west connectivity across the Missouri River and described a "bridge to the future" as both a…