Northern Cheyenne on building spree

LAME DEER, Mont. – All around the small berg of Lame Deer, Montana, heart of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, new construction is being pursued. On the west end of town, the BIA/.I.H.S. or government side, a long-awaited dialysis clinic is coming to completion, as promised late last summer.

This project organized by the Tribal Board of Health in conjunction with NIH consultants firm will make daily life much easier for the approximately twelve dialysis patients who currently make a long 3-day per week to Billings for treatment. Each year, some of those patients perish due to that hardship.

According to BOH staff, the new program, located right the I.H.S. front lawn, will be run by professional dialysis contractors for about a year, giving opportunity to recruit and train local staff.

Traveling down the road to Highway 212, main highway of the reservation, the new “buffalo” barn, a steel and pole structure is underway. Funded with assistance from the Intertribal Bison Council, it may assist the Tribe marketing bison products on a commercial basis. According to “Donuts” Small, Bison Manager, the Tribe currently runs about 200 bison, but thus far has been limited to harvesting those animals for donation to the community. As he is a busy fellow, usually out on the bison range, it was not possible to contact him for additional details.

Continuing down Cheyenne Avenue, two new building are in process, under tribal contractor Timmy Robinson: Tribal Education Center and new Women’s Health Center. Norma Bixby, Tribal Education Director said that the budget for the million-dollar center came from 638’ and COVID funds. The building will house several offices; a computer lab center for students, staff and community; a conference or meeting room; kitchen/dining room; rest rooms etc.

For the past 17 years the Tribal Education program operated from a dilapidated trailer house, complete with mold, inadequate heating and cooling. “It should have been condemned long ago,” commented staff members. Already framed in, completion for the new Education is scheduled for the spring.

Located immediately behind the Education building a new health building will provide a variety of programs such as WIC. In spite of winter conditions, the foundation has been dug; cranes are busy on site; and tribal workers, clad in winter gear are busy on the project. As of press time, it was not possible to obtain budget or other information related to the project.

Finally, over the past two weeks, the Tribal office was reroofed from insurance related to a summer hail storm. The shiny copper dome is very attractive, but throughout the years has required several new coverings.

Work was completed by the Wagner Firm. “I don’t know where they were from,” commented Colton Small, tribal member engineer who oversees many tribal construction projects. “That was handled by Lafe Haugen, Tribal Facilities manager. It seemed the Wagner workforce was Hispanic.”

When asked if the new projects will provide new job opportunities, Small commented, “Maybe with Dialysis and the Bison project. Yet, the new facilities will provide more comfortable and safe work environments for tribal employees. With that infrastructure in place, new development becomes more possible”.

(Contact Clara Caufield at acheyennereview@gmai.com)

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