Standing Rock chairwoman urges state-tribal cooperation, seeks economic study and infrastructure funding

Chairwoman Janet Alkire of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe delivered a tribal and state relationship address to the North Dakota House of Representatives, asking lawmakers to work with tribal nations on education, public safety, health care and infrastructure and urging a formal study of the tribes’ economic impact on the state.

Alkire told the chamber she represents five tribal nations — the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, Spirit Lake Nation, and the Turtle Mountain Band — and asked lawmakers to partner with tribes “to ensure the outcomes are in the best interest of all children” and to support shared planning on economic development. “We must work together with our federal delegation to stress what is best for all our citizens, not just a few,” Alkire said.

Why it matters: Alkire framed state-tribal cooperation as central to education, public safety and economic opportunity across North Dakota. She cited existing federal funds used by tribes and highlighted a…