Bridge dedications honor Two Sisseton Wapeton Oyate Soldiers

SISSETON, S.D. — Two tribal members of the Sisseton Wapeton Oyate will be honored this year through the South Dakota Fallen Heroes Bridge Dedication program, a statewide effort that recognizes service members killed in action by naming bridges in their memory. PFC Alvin Richard Spider and Specialist 4 Arden Keith Renville were selected in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Transportation and representatives of the Sisseton Wapeton Oyate.

The dedications are part of a growing initiative launched in 2019 to ensure that the names and stories of South Dakota’s fallen warriors remain visible to future generations. More than 70 bridges across the state now carry the names of service members who died in combat or remain missing in action.

Honoring PFC Alvin Richard Spider

One of this year’s dedications will honor PFC Alvin Richard Spider, a member of the Sisseton Wapeton Oyate whose immediate family resides on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation. At the family’s request, the bridge bearing his name will be located in Buffalo County, near where his relatives now live. The site sits along the Interstate 29 corridor near the Dakota Connection, a location chosen to ensure that Spider’s memory remains close to the people who continue to carry his story.

Spider served with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. He died of wounds received in combat, and his service is remembered by his family as an example of courage, humility, and commitment to his people.

Honoring Specialist 4 Arden Keith Renville

A second dedication will honor Specialist 4 Arden Keith Renville, also a member of the Sisseton Wapeton Oyate. Renville served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country. His bridge will stand as a permanent reminder of his bravery and the generations of family and community members who continue to honor his memory.

Renville’s legacy, like Spider’s, is carried forward by relatives, veterans, and tribal citizens who remember not only the cost of war but the strength of those who answered the call to serve.

A Statewide Effort Rooted in Remembrance

The Fallen Heroes Bridge Dedication program has become one of South Dakota’s most visible public memorial efforts. Each year, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Transportation review nominations and select bridges to be named for service members who died in combat. Ceremonies are held throughout the year, often bringing together tribal leaders, state officials, veterans’ groups, and families.

For tribal nations, these dedications carry added meaning. They acknowledge the long history of Native military service, a tradition deeply rooted in Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota values of bravery, sacrifice, and protection of the people.

A Lasting Tribute

For the Sisseton Wapeton Oyate, the dedications for Spider and Renville ensure that their stories will not fade. Travelers crossing these bridges will see their names and be reminded that the freedom of this country was secured by young men from tribal communities who gave everything.

The ceremonies planned for later this year will offer families and community members a chance to gather, remember, and speak their names aloud, a powerful act of honoring in both Dakota and Lakota tradition.

(Contact Kirk Dickerson at salesmanager@nativesunnews.today)

The post Bridge dedications honor Two Sisseton Wapeton Oyate Soldiers first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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