I am writing to encourage you to demonstrate dignity, justice and unity by supporting the allocation of $492.5 million to build a water supply system for the people of South Dakota's Lakota Sioux Reservation and fulfill a promise the U.S. government made to them more than 30 years ago. The Lakota Sioux Reservation includes two of the most impoverished counties in the United States with an unemployment rate of 86 percent.

Their water system is outdated and operating at capacity, leaving the tribe no room for economic expansion and preventing its housing authority from building new homes.

This allocation would put a long-term solution in place and give the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe an opportunity to prosper. Without water -- the most basic building block of life and society -- the people of the Lakota Sioux Reservation have little hope of impacting their situation in a way where they may prosper and thrive.

And after this winter, their difficult situation has become almost unbearable. In January, an ice storm toppled more than 3,000 power poles, knocking out electricity to 13,000 people, leaving them without power, heat and water. Pipes burst. Water heaters froze to the core and cracked. People burned wood in their homes or drove around in their cars to stay warm. Many are still coping with cleanup and repair with little money or insurance to help them.

Please be accountable for delivering on the promises made to the Lakota Sioux Reservation pledged to them a generation ago. Please give them the water infrastructure they need to ensure their dignity and the possibility of their future.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR ADRESS IN THE 'COMMENT' FIELD TO VALID! THANKS!

Links