ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA: COUNTY OF THE MONTH

County Name: Shannon

Largest City: Pine Ridge

Population: 12,466 (this number is disputed)

Founded: January 11, 1875

Shannon County is named after Peter Shannon, who acted as the Chief Justice of the Dakota Territory Supreme Court from 1873 to 1882. Although Shannon County does not have its own county seat, the city of Hot Springs in adjacent Fall River County acts as the administrative center. A portion of Badlands National Park is located within Shannon County. Geographically, the county is located entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Oglala Sioux, which is the second largest American Indian reservation in the country.

Shannon County has the highest percentage of Native American residents in our nation, with 94% of its population being of American Indian descent, and the land was traditionally known to the Tribe as Pajuta Wa Cha Cha, or ���Indian medicine.��� The reservation has its own government, in the form of a Tribal Council, as well as its own public services infrastructure that includes schools and hospitals. The Tribe also manages the South Unit of Badlands National Park through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.

The small town of Wounded Knee -- home to approximately 300 people today -- was the site of a tragic incident that served as the last bloody conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. Army. On December 29, 1890, 500 U.S. soldiers killed or wounded more than 200 American Indians. Their bodies were buried in the Wounded Knee Cemetery, in a mass grave that is marked by a memorial headstone that contains many of the victim���s names.

Shannon County is home to a rich history of American Indian art, as exemplified by the Heritage Center located in Pine Ridge. The Heritage Center holds one of the nation���s finest collections of art, which includes contemporary work as well as traditional artifacts. The Center is also the sight of the Red Cloud Indian Art Show, held from June to August every year. Each year, the exhibit attracts more than eight thousand visitors from all fifty states and as many as fifteen countries. Prizes and scholarships totaling thousands of dollars are awarded to outstanding artists each year.

Although Shannon County is rich in culture, it is less fortunate in its financial matters. With a per capita income of just $6,286, it���s listed as the second-poorest county in the nation.

Tim���s Work in Shannon County:

Tim Works for Area Colleges:
In 2006, Tim secured $1.2 million in funding for the Oglala Lakota College nursing program for fiscal year 2007. This funding aided student recruitment, curriculum development and program infrastructure expansions to ensure that adequate numbers of nurses will be trained. In 2005, Tim announced that the nursing program would receive a $250,000 grant. Also in 2005, Tim secured $1.5 million in funding for the building of two new residence halls, as well as $277,497 in funding for the TRIO Student Support Services Program at the Oglala Lakota College. The program helps colleges increase student retention and graduation rates by providing special instruction in a number of academic areas, as well as academic advising.

Tim Supports Law Enforcement:
For fiscal year 2006, Tim helped secure $100,000 in funding for law enforcement in Whiteclay, Nebraska. Funds helped law enforcement officers uphold laws on both sides of the Nebraska/South Dakota border. The funding helped maintain security on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Tim Supports Education:
In 2005, Tim announced that the Loneman School, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, would receive a grant of $150,000. The funds were used to provide education to 400 students from kindergarten to ninth grade.

Tim Improves Health Care Services:
In 2005, Tim secured $98,625 in funding for the Porcupine Clinic, which helped the facility provide medical services. In 2003, Tim secured an earmark of $240,625 for the clinic to provide health services, including resources for diabetes and dialysis patients, as well as $250,000 in funding to provide health services to disadvantaged residents of the area.

Tim Promotes Safety:
In 2005, Tim secured a $148,800 appropriations earmark to fund a bike path in Oglala.

Tim Works to Help Foster Children:
In 2004, Tim announced $200,000 in funding for the Wakanyeja Wiospaye O���Tipi, (Children���s village). The funds were used to provide a stable home to abused and neglected children. In 2003, Tim secured a grant of $139,000 for the Children���s Village, which was used to repair plumbing and to buy clothing, bedding, blankets, towels, and other goods for the children. Children���s Village is the only foster home for kids on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and has provided services to more than 4,000 children over the last 20 years.

Tim Works for Veterans:
In 2003, Tim announced that the Oglala Sioux Tribe had received a $503,620 grant to construct a new facility in Pine Ridge that provides housing to homeless veterans.