Washington, DC —  Yesterday Senator John Thune introduced three tribal chairmen from South Dakota to speak on behalf of the Tribal Parity Act and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2005. Chairman Mike Jandreau of Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and Chairman Lester Thompson, Jr. from Crow Creek Sioux Tribe spoke in support of the Tribal Parity Act. Senator Thune also introduced Chairman Harold Frazier of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who was a member of a panel on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments bill.

"The Tribal Parity bill addresses the fundamental issue of fairness," said Thune. "The Pick-Sloan project on the Missouri River resulted in the flooding of acres on the Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, and Lower Brule Reservations; they need to be treated equally in their compensation."

The Tribal Parity Act, which Senator Thune recently introduced, would provide additional compensation to the Lower Brule and Crow Creek tribes for damage to tribal land caused by Pick-Sloan projects along the Missouri River. This legislation passed the 108th Congress three times but died at the end of the Congress in the House due to time constraints.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act would permit the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Recovery Trust Fund to be used to provide compensation to members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe that lost land as a result of the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project. It would also permit the capitalization of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Recovery Trust Fund.