Since Jan. 20, the Native Americans of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota have been stranded with little to no electricity, heat or food after an ice storm enveloped the area.
In Athens, Ohio University student Anna Smith is organizing a clothing and food drive for those stranded and paying for the shipping out of her own pocket.
Because everyone's focused on Haiti (earthquake relief)
including the Red Cross the (Cheyenne River Sioux) are not getting much help or supplies said Smith, a senior studying anthropology and the president of the OU Native Peoples Awareness Coalition.
Smith is accepting food, warm clothing or any kind of non-electric heating aid, such as blankets.
Supplies are first
I'd rather have supplies
but if you don't have any ... any (monetary) contribution is a great help
Smith said. My wallet would appreciate it.
The reservation's Tribal Chairman, Joseph Brings Plenty, told The Associated Press he expects it to take more than three weeks to get the reservation running again. According to the AP, the storm affected the entirety of the storm's 8,000 person population.
Smith's clothing drive will last throughout March, but most of the supplies donated in the final month will be used as prevention gear throughout the rest of the winter and for future seasons.
Temperatures can drop to about 30 to 40 degrees below zero in the winter and storms hit these flat areas every year, said Debora Love, an Athens resident who often visits reservations in South Dakota near the River Sioux.
Whenever there's a large tragedy like Haiti
people are ... very concentrated on that and other places aren't reported a lot
said Love, who is also a member of the Native Peoples Awareness Coalition. Everybody needs help
but it's nice to help people here that need (it)
too.
Other organizations across the country are organizing similar efforts, but Smith said she wonders if most people know about the disaster.
It seems like people are always willing to help people
Smith said. It's a natural disaster
