RAPID CITY, S.D. — Some IHS-reliant Great Plains tribes question whether
the regional office’s withholding of “residual funds” has harmed the
quality of their health care.

The Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association resolved to require a full
accounting of expenditures and asked for monthly financial reports.

IHS’ Great Plains Area Office confirmed that $6 million is in the residual
fund.

Rick Sorenson, at the IHS area office, said the fund was to cover expenses
for duties performed by federal officials. Some duties are federally
inherent functions, he said. Sorenson could not speak on record about how
the residual fund works. He did say the funding was negotiated with the
tribes.

In addition to the $6 million residual fund, there is an additional $6
million which the area office identified as unavailable for distribution.

“In reality, there are not many functions the federal officials have to do
by law,” said Lloyd Miller, attorney with Sonosky, Chambers and Sachse.

Detailed questions e-mailed to the area office were not returned.

The tribal chairmen were not aware of the amount in the fund or how it
worked. Charles Colombe, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, said a
series of meetings should be scheduled to set up a protocol on the funding
issue with the IHS.

The chairmen’s association passed a resolution that would require a
consultative process to identify resources within the area office that
could be released and transferred to direct health services. The tribal
chairmen also want the review of the additional, unavailable funds and that
the IHS disclose to the tribes all area office funds.

Colombe said the chairmen should require the IHS to provide the funding
information on a monthly basis.

The $6 million residual fund held by the Great Plains Area Office is double
the size of the Phoenix Area’s residual fund of approximately $3 million.
The Alaska Area residual is less than $2 million. The argument by the
chairmen is that if the Great Plains Area reduced its residual fund to $2
million, it would have $4 million to spend on direct health care.

The chairmen said they want the IHS to pay attention to what is going on,
that people were suffering and dying; and that bureaucrats in the IHS are
more interested in protecting their position. The accusation went
unanswered by the IHS.

“They don’t hear the cries of our people and they have the money up there.
It makes a person angry,” said Richard Sully, council representative from
the Yankton Sioux Tribe.

“What makes them think they need to hold on to that money when it can be
used for health care?” asked Miller.

The tribes have the option of using the Indian Self-Determination Act as a
basis for a lawsuit against the IHS, Miller told the chairmen. Tribes in
the Billings, Mont. area and in the Southwest have challenged the IHS
concerning funding.

Michael Jandreau, chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, said it might
appear that the tribes don’t need the funding because they don’t work the
system. He said there was money available. The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe has
a new solid waste project that was funded by the IHS, the Department of
Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.

“There are funding sources available, but we need to put a process in place
to make the projects work. If the funds go untapped the funding is flat,
and it will continue that way. The congressional people will say the money
went unspent,” Jandreau said.

“We got money for a detention center, but none for longevity. It takes time
and effort and a lot of beating on people’s doors,” he said.

The construction budget for a proposed hospital on the Cheyenne River
Reservation was cut to 26 percent of what the need is, therefore the
project is on hold, said Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River
Sioux Tribe.

“We don’t have a clue on what is happening at IHS,” Frazier said.

The Great Plains tribes, among the largest in terms of population and land
base, are often not properly represented when hearings on health issues and
budget matters are held at the congressional level. On the suggestion by
Cecilia Fire Thunder, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the Plains
tribes will be more aggressive in getting people on the hearing witness
list.

“We represent a large number of clinics,” Fire Thunder said.