Congressman Dusty Johnson visits Indian Country

It was an interesting and busy week at Native Sun News Today. Congressman Dusty Johnson was in Rapid City on Tuesday and the next day on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for the Add Milk Ceremony. It seemed like the staff at the Native Sun News Today needed track shoes to keep up with him. Our Owner Jackie Giago and General Manager Kirk Dickerson along with Staff Member Christopher Pina finally caught up with him at the new Oyate Health Center, which stands in place of the old Sioux Sanitarium.
They were given tours around the hospital and visited several different offices. When asked about the job capacity of the hospital they were told that there are jobs there are just not enough workers to fill them. Oyate Health Center has the biggest dental clinic in the area. All of the offices have been combined into one main building, Dental, Mental Health and Urgent Care as well for primary care. Dusty Johnson had proceeded to go through the Hospital as well speaking to patients and asking if they were receiving the proper care.
As the tour continued throughout the building Dusty Johnson introduced all of the staff to the media including Sydney Powers his Legislative Assistant along with Aimee Hoyle a case worker and Tribal Relations Coordinator. An Oyate Health Center staffmember had told Dusty that since there was a shortage in staff they are calling patients back the same day to make sure that their voices are being acknowledged. “Our mission is to improve the wellness of our relatives by providing quality healthcare, public health, and advocacy in partnership with the tribal-nations of the Great Plains,” stated Jerilyn Church CEO – Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Health Board.
After the Tour of the Oyate Health Center, there was a Mixer that was being held at the new Elevate building in Rapid City. Elevate Rapid City was formed in 2019 as a merger of the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership, and Economic Development Foundations.
As you know, our writer Chris Pina attended the 70th Award Ceremony for the Western Writers of America Convention. It featured Writers Candy Moulton and Bob Noll who won Best Documentary in “The Battle of Red Buttes.”
Kirk and Jackie attended the Black Hills Press Club which hosted a panel of journalist to include Carson Walker who we miraculously met at the North and South Dakota Newspaper convention last month. Black Hills Press Club now meets on Fridays but on a quarterly basis. It is hosted by a great gentleman named Bill Walsh and super talented Marlene Herman of the Security First Bank. Bill and (Marnie) are always gracious by introducing Native Sun News to the audience with a clap and cheer. Native Sun News attends the meeting always making new friends and contacts.
A busy week for stories as well as our General Manager Kirk grabbed his camera and headed to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to catch up with Dusty Johnson for the RF Buches Food Add Milk Celebration outside Buches Foods. When Congressman Dusty Johnson saw Kirk he said,” didn’t I see you before?” You are everywhere!
It seems like storm season around the region as our Editor Ernestine had her friends flight cancelled out of Chadron, Nebraska due to heavy rains at the Denver International Airport. Locally, in places such as Spearfish, South Dakota some of the first floor residences had to be evacuated out of their apartments due to the flash flooding. Even the fish hatchery was forced to close due to rising waters. Heavy rains with pea sized hail encompassed most of Western South Dakota most of the week.
Doksa Ake’

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