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How did the Pick-Sloan plan affect Native American communities along the Missouri River?
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Oceti Sakowin
A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe performing during the Grand Entry at the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Fair Rodeo and Powwow, Eagle Butte, South Dakota, September 4, 2016.
The Pick-Sloan plan, a post-World War II federal development program, had a devastating impact on Oceti Sakowin (Sioux) and other Native American communities along the Missouri River.123
The implementation of this project resulted in significant harm to these communities:
- Land Loss and Flooding: The construction of major dams and reservoirs flooded hundreds of square miles of the tribes' most economically productive land.23
- Forced Relocation: The project necessitated the displacement and relocation of approximately 1,000 extended-family households.23
- Community Isolation: The creation of massive reservoirs made the landscape difficult to bridge, effectively isolating reservation communities that had previously maintained easy social and physical connections.2
- Economic Devastation: By destroying vital agricultural land, the plan left many tribes economically devastated.2
While the U.S. Congress authorized payments for these damages, tribes sought further compensation for decades. Subsequent legislation, such as the Water Resources Development Act of 1999, initiated the return of some areas along the reservoirs to tribal control, though the process of addressing the full extent of the losses remains a complex and ongoing issue.1