ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA: COUNTY OF THE MONTH

County Name: Ziebach

Largest City: Dupree

County Seat: Dupree

Population: 2,706

Founded: 1911

About Ziebach County:

Located in Northwest South Dakota, Ziebach County is located within the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, which makes it one of only five counties in our state to be located entirely on an Indian Reservation. Dupree was named the permanent county seat of Ziebach County in November of 1912.

Ziebach County was opened for settlement on February 1, 1911, and was named after Frank M. Ziebach, creator of the state's first newspaper in Yankton, South Dakota, the Weekly Dakotan. Ziebach later served in the territorial legislature and as the commissioner of the United States Land Office. With its reporting about the political wars in the Dakota Territory, the Weekly Dakotan grew significantly.

The county, like much of the Great Plains area, is characterized by its rolling land and numerous buttes. Thunder Butte and Rattlesnake Butte are among the best known buttes in the area. The National Park Service has designated Rattlesnake Butte as a National Natural Landmark. Thunder Butte is located in the Northwest corner of Ziebach County and has historic, religious and cultural significance to the Lakota people.

Although coal mining has never developed as an industry in Ziebach County, large deposits of lignite coal lay unexposed near Glad Valley and other locations in the area. The geological formation of the county also shows that oil may be present. In 1912, oil seepage was found on the Puller Farm near Isabel.

Beyond the discovery of coal and oil, dinosaur bones have been found near the Chase Farm in Isabel. The bones are thought to be that of a Mastodon, an extinct animal that resembles both a mammoth and a modern elephant. The bones of the Mastodon are on display at the Smithsonian Institute. Since the Mastodon was discovered in 1936, no other bones of its kind have been found in the area.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed an interior appropriations bill that funded the Tri-County Water Pipeline to serve portions of Dewey, Ziebach and Meade Counties. After fifteen years and more than twenty million dollars, the Tri-County Rural Water System was completed.

Ziebach County is commonly visited by outdoorsmen. The county is plentiful in grouse, sage hen, wild turkeys, duck, Canadian geese, pheasant and white tail deer, and offers an adventure for those interested in hunting, fishing or camping.

Tim's Work in Ziebach County:

Tim Works to Reduce Suicides in Indian Country
Earlier this year, Tim worked to secure $196,000 in funding to complete the construction of the Cheyenne River Youth Project, which will help improve the quality of life for young Native Americans while reducing truancy and suicide.

Tim Upgrades 911 Service
Earlier this year, Tim secured $183,000 in funding to make upgrades to the 911 emergency system on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The funding will help increase safety and responsiveness in the area.

Tim Funds Local Drug Prevention Programs
Tim secured $383,187 in funding for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Meth Prevention program in 2008. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has seen an increase in the production and use of methamphetamine in recent years. The funding will support intervention, prevention, and education services to combat this epidemic.

Tim Supports Area Head Start
This year, Tim announced that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Head Start would receive $1,255,450 in funding. The grant will be used to help coordinate early childhood educational opportunities for area children. In 2006, Tim also announced that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Head Start would receive $1,230,376 in funding for a full range of Head Start activities, including both full-year and part-day programs.

Tim Secures Funding for Construction of Veterans' Center
Tim secured $396,000 in funding for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Veterans Center, which provides services for Ziebach County citizens. The funding helped the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe build a veterans center to serve veterans living in the area.

Tim Improves Area Housing
In 2007, Tim announced that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Housing Authority would receive an Indian Housing Block Grant Award of $5,037,656. The funding was used for the preservation and refurbishing of tribal members' homes.

Tim Funds Local Road Improvements
Tim secured $2 million in funding for local road improvements. The funding was used to resurface BIA Route 6 from the reservation's western boundary to the community of Red Scaffold. This heavily traveled road will benefit from the bridge improvements, to make the vast network of tribal roads safer.

In 2006, Tim secured $2.5 million to reconstruct Fox Ridge Road on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
Tim also fought for $500,000 in funding that was used to make safety improvements along BIA Route 12, which connects Routes 5 and 6 south of Dupree.

Tim Improves Local Health Care
In 2005, Tim secured $5 million to further to construction of the Indian Health Service health care center in Eagle Butte, which provides services for Ziebach County citizens. The groundbreaking for the project will soon get underway.