Tribal Affairs
More on Tribal Affairs
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ), Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), and Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) introduced the Connect Unserved Americans Act, a bipartisan bill to ensure funding allocated to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for broadband is targeted to rural areas most in need of reliable service.
This guest column is written by Shawnee Red Bear, who works in Congressman Johnson's Washington DC office
This Monday, October 11th, marks the 31st year South Dakota will celebrate "Native American Day". South Dakota is one of just 14 states that observes Native American Day instead of Columbus Day.
If you turned on the news this week or scrolled through social media, it is likely that you came across the tragic story of 22-year-old Gabby Petito whose body was found in Wyoming this week. A little less than two weeks ago, Petito's family filed a missing person's report when her fiancé returned home to Florida from a cross-country road trip without her.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Representative Dusty Johnson visited the newly designated Ben Reifel Post Office in Rosebud on Wednesday.
Rep. Johnson introduced the legislation in May 2019 as a way to honor Ben Reifel's legacy in the state. The legislation was signed by former President Trump in 2020.
Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S. House passed legislation led by U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) that connects Native veterans to VA services and vocational training by extending the VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) program to Tribal Colleges and Universities in South Dakota. The Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act also provides high-tech field training for veterans to ensure they are placed in well-paying, long-term jobs.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Tom O'Halleran (R-AZ-01), and Tom Cole (R-OK-04) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral, Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Indian Health Services officials said Tuesday that a former pediatrician sentenced for sexually abusing boys on two reservations has been stripped of his estimated $100,000-a-year pension.
Stanley Weber was convicted in Montana and South Dakota on numerous charges, including aggravated sexual abuse, for incidents that happened three decades ago on the Blackfeet and Pine Ridge reservations. He is serving life without parole at a federal prison.
Washington, D.C. – The Indian Health Service (IHS) announced they will be stripping former Capt. (ret.) Stanley Patrick Weber of his federal pension and benefits. This announcement comes after a U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Board of Inquiry completed its review of Mr. Weber, who was convicted of multiple felony charges of aggravated sexual assault of minors while he was on active duty as an officer of the U.S. Public Health Service and assigned to IHS.