Sioux Empire Today

School conditions in Indian country are currently facing significant challenges, with many schools experiencing issues such as leaky roofs, broken heaters, and mold. These problems have been attributed to a lack of adequate funding over the years. There is a call for Congress and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to fulfill their trust and treaty obligations to tribes.

Recently, an oversight hearing was requested by the House Natural Resources Committee to address BIE's shortcomings. "I recently called on the House Natural Resources Committee to hold an oversight hearing on BIE failures and I’m glad they responded by doing so," it was stated. Cecilia Fire Thunder of the Oglala Sioux Tribe provided testimony regarding tribal education during this session.

The committee discussion highlighted that half of the recommendations made to BIE for improving its management of funds and resources remain unimplemented. It was emphasized that "BIE must improve its systems to meet the basic needs of Native American students."

In other news, there is concern about the future of federal road maintenance funding due to projections indicating that the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) could become insolvent by 2028. The rise in electric vehicle (EV) adoption has exacerbated this issue because EVs do not contribute to the HTF through gas taxes like traditional vehicles do.

A proposed solution is the Fair SHARE Act, which aims to ensure EVs contribute fairly to road maintenance. The act would introduce a $1,000 fee on all-electric vehicles at sale and a $550 fee on batteries over 1,000 pounds. "To remedy this and support improvements to our federal roads and bridges, I introduced the Fair SHARE Act," it was announced.

Lastly, Dallas Goedert from South Dakota played a crucial role in helping the Philadelphia Eagles win against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. His journey from Britton-Hecla High School to South Dakota State University highlights his successful career with the Eagles. During this event, President Trump attended as well, marking him as "the first sitting President" at a Super Bowl.