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Marion Schultz, Batesland rancher who was elected chair man of a “concerned citizens’’ group at a mass meeting in Rapid City Thursday, expressed satisfaction that the “problems of jurisdiction and law and order on the state’s Indian reservations are finally getting public atten tion and that we are going to have a coordinated effort toward resolving this situation.” Approximately 200 ranchers and businessmen attended the meeting October 17 where they heard Gov. Richard Kneip and Congressman Jim Abdner say they were ‘‘aware” of the problems and were seeking solutions after listening to a long list of charges that “‘law and order have broken down on the reservations.” Mission Mayor Buzz Bechtold related incidents on the Rosebud Reservation which reflected a lack of law and order, as did R. M. Hafferty, Mission rancher. Air Chairman Bob Burnette responded and outlined his think ing. The meeting culminated in the election of Schultz as chairman; Tom Raymond, Mission, vice chairman, and Roy Heth, Rose bud, secretary-treasurer. It was agreed that delegates should be named to represent each affect ed county, and a meeting will be held at Martin October 29 to formalize the organization, sel ect a name and outline a definite plan of action. Counties represented at the Rapid City meeting included Todd, Shannon, Bennett, Zie bach, Jackson, Washabaugh, Mellette, Gregory, Pennington and Meade. Schultz anticipates that mem bership in the organization will spread throughout southwestern South Dakota and may cross state lines as objectives of the group are defined and the “gravity of these problems is impressed on the general pub lic. Schultz listed a series of criminal incidents in Shannon County and charged ‘‘there has been little or no investigation, no charges filed, no court action, no reports from the FBI or other enforcement agencies--people are being shot at-the governor and all of us are being faced with a big problem.”’ Both Kneip and Abdnor related their efforts to call federal attention to the reservation prob lems and both declared it will require federal agency and Con gressional action to reach the roots of the jurisdictional contro versy. Schultz said, however, that the new organization will press for both state, federal and tribal response to the situation. County meetings have been set up in both Mellette and Todd Counties to precede the Oct. 29 meeting at Martin which will start at 2:00 p.m. MST in the Legion Hall. A meeting will be held Thurs day, October 24 at Norris in the Community Hall. The meeting will start at 8:00 p.m. and topics of discussion will be law enforce ment and jurisdiction. All politi cal candidates are invited to attend, and refreshments will be served. On Friday, October 25, at 8:00 p.m. a meeting will be held in the Mission Fire Hall to name delegates to the Martin meeting. At this meeting the delegates will be given suggestions for a plan of action.
Newspaper Details
Mission Todd County Tribune
Mission, South Dakota, US
Thu, Oct 24, 1974
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Richmond C.
USA 11 Dec 2025
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Mission Todd County Tribune
