It was around 4:30 p.m. a week ago Tuesday that Cyndi Allen-Weddell got the call.
Due to travel delays, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal President Tony Reider would not be able to make it back in time to deliver this year’s State of the Tribes address in Pierre.
Reider had been scheduled, at the Governor’s request, to deliver this year’s address as well as present the first of the Tribal flags to fly in the Capitol Rotunda.
Weddell hustled and along with the help of a few colleagues, drafted her own speech, selected an outfit she hoped would be appropriate and set out for Pierre as quickly as she could.
The roads Wednesday morning were still a mess after the snowstorm the two days before. She and Attorney General for the FSST Seth Pearman arrived with just enough time to almost settle her nerves before taking to the podium.
“It was crazy because I was so nervous,” said Weddell.
She took a deep breath and immersed herself in the experience.
Weddell acknowledged the work of the State Tribal Relations Committee to visit the state’s nine reservations and better understand the challenges and concerns Tribes have for their people and any work with the state.
She welcomed more opportunities to collaborate and then outlined what Tribal leaders locally are doing as a result of new partnerships, initiatives, and the financial freedom to do so given the industries they have immersed themselves in.
The full context of her speech can be found on page 9 of this week’s Moody County Enterprise.
Quite a few legislators, she said, other tribal leaders and several others visited with her afterwards, thanked her for a job well done, and commended her for the positive tone of her speech.
They asked if they might come tour the opportunities FSST has created locally.
She was also congratulated, at least from what she was told that day, for being the first woman to ever give the State of the Tribes address.
Reflecting on that moment, she’s honored to have had the chance to fill that role.

“I felt very proud. As a mother and a grandmother, I’m proud of our community and all that the tribe’s developed here, the opportunities we’ve had. And I was thinking, after saying all of that, I should have mentioned more about our community as a whole and how we work with the Mayor. I think that’s the biggest thing, is working with the Mayor and Governor, all of us, working together. We’re all going to be here for generations to come.”
FSST does plan to offer its flag to the state to go up alongside the flags of the Standing Rock and Rosebud Sioux, Weddell said. The three would be the first of the state’s nine tribes to respond to an invitation by Governor Kristi Noem to gift their flags to the state as a symbol of unity and in the spirit of growing respect, trust, transparency and collaboration.  

State of the Tribe’s Address

by Vice President
Cynthia J. Allen Weddell,
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
 
Chairmen and Councilmen of the Great Sioux Nation, Governor Noem, Lieutenant Governor Rhoden, Mr. Speaker, members of the House and Senate, Chief Justice Jensen, Supreme Court justices, constitutional officers, and fellow South Dakotans:
Hello Han, everyone, my name is Cynthia Allen-Weddell, and am from the Wakpa Ipaksan known as the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, where I am the Vice President of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. I would like to kindly offer my hand with a good heart. On my mother-side of the family we come from Chief Wakute (shooter) and my father’s side was Chief Iron Elk Hehakamaza.
Although the Tribe’s economic base is on its Reservation in Moody County, South Dakota, it has looked at multiple international business opportunities. President Anthony Reider intended to provide the 2024 “State of the Tribes Address” but was unable to attend due to travel difficulties related to these economic opportunities for the Tribe.
Although this address is titled “The State of the Tribes,” I want to be clear that I am only speaking about my Tribe.  The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is one of nine Tribes in South Dakota, and is a member of the Oceti Sakowin which translates to “Seven Council Fires” the traditional body of our Tribes.  Each of the Tribes in our state are distinct SOVEREIGN governments, with our own issues, customs, and attributes.  I want to acknowledge the work of this summer of the State Tribal Relations Committee who made an active effort to visit the Tribes, and to learn independently about our concerns.  We welcome more opportunities to collaborate with the committee and state, so please do not hesitate to reach out!
The future of our Tribe depends on the Tribe’s ability to be self-sufficient, and to continue to grow the Tribe’s economy through collaboration with tribal, local, state, and federal governments.  I have served as Vice President since 2020, but am no novice to government service as I have worked for the Tribe for decades.  As a lifelong resident of the Wakpa Ipsaksan Reservation, I have witnessed the Tribe expand from a small tribal government with limited economic opportunity and resources, to the strong economic engine that is the largest employer in Moody County.  The economic prosperity of the Tribe started with development of gaming on the Reservation, but has branched into multiple forms of business activity.  
Far before the establishment of the State of South Dakota in 1889, Tribes established trade routes for the exchange of goods.  Tribes from the East Coast traded with Tribes in the Great Plains, and goods eventually made it to the west coast and Alaska.  With the establishment of Reservations, much of the trade between Tribes ceased, to nearly non-existent levels.  It is time to reestablish trade amongst Tribe, and to share expertise developed amongst the 574 federally recognized Tribes.
The Tribe has made efforts to develop trade amongst Tribe, including Tribes within the State, and throughout the United States.  As the audience is aware, the Tribe operates a robust cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensing company on its Reservation called Native Nations Cannabis.  Through this company, the Tribe has assisted other Tribes in the development of their cannabis industries, including Tribes and tribal partners.  The Tribe is also working with the Tulalip Tribe of Washington to exchange agricultural products through an intertribal trade agreement.

The main economic driver beyond gaming has been medical cannabis.  The development of Cannabis is an act of sovereignty, but based on necessity. Without the ability to fund tribal programs, provide housing for tribal members, and to make sure people have food on the table, the Tribe cannot be an independent, self-determined government.  Cannabis has helped my Tribe fund the gap between barebones federal programs and robust tribal programs, and will continue to provide a solid economic base for the Tribe. Currently, Native Nations Cannabis has more than 20,000 square feet of cultivation space, a commercial kitchen, state-of-the-art extraction lab, and dispensary.  All facilities are currently operated under the authority of the Tribe’s Cannabis Control Ordinance and its Cannabis Control Commission, and the Company currently employs over 70 individuals, most of whom are Native American.  Native Nations Cannabis has helped tens of thousands of patients care for their medical needs since it has opened.
There have been many opportunities in which the Tribe and the South Dakota Legislature have worked well together.  One of which was the development of skilled nursing home on the Tribe’s Reservation, by and through, the passage of Senate Bill 160 in 2020.  The bill authorized State of South Dakota to reimburse the Tribe for Medicaid eligible patients.  The Tribe upheld its promises, and built a state-of-the-art facility with 42 beds, 14 of which are for memory care.  The facility was built during the pandemic, and was completed in October 2022, on time, and under budget.  The facility provides a comfortable place for Tribal Members on our Reservation, close to their families.  It also has created an opportunity for new jobs on the Reservation.  
Another opportunity exists in this legislative session for the development of state statues to protect the welfare of Native American Children.  On June 15, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision in Haaland v. Brackeenthat, among other findings, upheld the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.  The Tribe, in addition to other Tribes in South Dakota, supports efforts to have the legislature properly incorporate ICWA into statute.  Having statutory guidance will provide important stakeholders the appropriate mandates to simplify the processes for carrying out ICWA.  Many states have already begun this process, and the Tribe looks forward to working with the Legislature on a bill or bills that work for South Dakota, the Tribes, and tribal children.  Today, there are children with substantial differences in backgrounds and cultures in South Dakota, and the Tribe thinks that all children should be placed in safe, culturally appropriate homes.  
The Tribe is working on substantial energy projects off its Reservation, mainly in the State of West Virginia.  With its development partners, the Tribe intends to utilize state-issued permits to convert natural gas and coal mine methane into ammonia.  This ammonia can then be cracked to generate energy, and contribute to the hydrogen economy, or be further processed into urea for crop fertilizer.  The Tribe has met with Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia on the project, and Senator Joe Manchin, both of whom have voiced their support.  It is a relatively large project, and will cost more than 3 Billion Dollars to develop.  The Tribe intends to use funding in the private sector, as well as federal sources within the Department of Energy, Treasury, and other sources to develop the project.  
The Tribe’s economic development has also prompted it to purchase and develop real estate opportunities off the Reservation.  It further will be finishing up the construction of a housing factory on the North East side of Sioux Falls that can complete a house, start to finish, in weeks versus months from traditional construction.  It plans on building around 800 homes on a 320 acre site of land it purchased for sale to the public, thereby contributing to the bustling Sioux Falls economy.
Agriculture in general continues to be a large part of the Tribe’s economy, and the Tribe echoes Governor Noem’s statements regarding the right to farm and ranch without governmental interference.  Although the Tribe supports best farming practices, and sustaining natural resources for wildlife, preservation of the Tribe’s land is a priority of its leadership.  Preservation does not end with the land itself, but goes further in regards to protecting the water and air quality that we all depend on.  As sovereigns, Tribes have extensive land and water rights, and through cooperation and consultation, the State and Tribes can develop lasting solutions that benefit everyone.
One impediment to growth across South Dakota continues to be the increase in crime, and alcohol and drug addiction.  Currently, there is not a county, city, state or tribal detention facility in Moody County.  The Moody County Sheriff’s Office, Flandreau Police Department, and Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Police Department are forced to arrest individuals, and drive them to neighboring counties or further, to detain arrestees.  This creates a public safety concern, and has resulted in the County, City, and Tribe utilizing joint powers agreements to meet law enforcement needs.  
The Tribe has a multijurisdictional solution to this however, and has been working to develop a Justice Facility in Moody County on its Reservation.  Although the plans have not been finalized yet, the Tribe is anticipating a facility that is between 85,000 and 122,000 square feet, with an anticipated price tag of between $38 Million and $65 Million dollars. The Tribe anticipates this to meet its needs, and the needs of the county, city, and potentially federal government for detention.  There is no doubt that many of the individuals who break the law are repeat offenders, which has prompted the Tribe to develop a restorative justice program with recovery in mind.  If you have $10 or $20 Million remaining after appropriations, please let us know, we are happy to help you spend it!  
Housing Development further plays a massive role in development of new programs, projects, and services that the Tribe offers.  Over the past few years, the Tribe has added nearly 50 new housing opportunities for its community.  The Tribe has welcomed individuals from around the United States to live in, and around the Reservation Community, to work for the Tribe, and has benefit from their experience and diversity.  Recruiting talented individuals into our area is another task we believe we can partner with the State on, and looking forward to seeing new state developments.  
As a Mother and Grandmother, I am proud of the community that the Tribe has developed, and the opportunities that have been presented to our Tribal youth.  I feel personally proud to have been able to contribute to the Tribes progress, and look forward to seeing us continue to succeed.  As a Dakota leader, we make decisions that look seven generations forward based on the wisdom gained from seven generation in the past.  We are all elected to serve the Oyate.  We owe each and everyone one of our constituents the duty to represent their interests, regardless of our own, and to make principled decisions.
The Tribe urges the State to collaborate with it, and the other Tribes in South Dakota, to create a better South Dakota.  I would again like to thank the State for the opportunity to provide the State of the Tribes Address, and I wish you all a very productive legislative session!
Pilamaye.