Author(s)

B. Selzler, L. C. Patton & E. Iron Eyes

Abstract

Partnerships are essential to disaster recovery. U.S. Government and American Indian Nations live on mutual soil and must partner when disasters occur. However, they have a long history of broken promises and lost trust. The government-to-government policy initiated by President Clinton in 1994 was first used in disaster management on a small Sioux reservation in the northern plains of the U.S. The government-to-government policy is demonstrably effective when disaster planning and practices are culturally congruent with Tribal nations’ values and lived realities. This paper explicates cultural congruence of the government-to-government policy with the history of the Sioux Tribe and highlights recent improvements in disaster recovery efforts resulting from use of the 1994 policy. Keywords: American Indian, reservation community and disaster, governmentto- government, policy, Sioux Nation.

Keywords

American Indian, reservation community and disaster, governmentto-government, policy, Sioux Nation