Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Community Resources
Missouri Breaks
Missouri Breaks is a private company that has served the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe with research and public health initiatives for nearly 30 years. In 2018, we had an opportunity to create a resource guide to help our community get connected to the resources available to them. The guide has recently been converted to an interactive website with the addition of a community calendar.
The purpose of this website is to help connect community members with the programs and events available throughout Cheyenne River.
Four Bands Community Fund
Four Bands Community Fund is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2000 as part of a community and economic development movement on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. As a community loan fund (technically known as a community development financial institution, or CDFI) our original objective was to capitalize Native American-owned businesses on the Reservation.
Cheyenne River Telephone Authority
C.R.S.T. Telephone Authority began its formal organizational history in 1958 when the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe purchased a privately owned telephone company.
Chairman Frank Ducheneaux, Sr. led the effort and, $105,000.00 later, the first tribal telephone company in the United States became reality. In the decades since, eight other tribes have started their own telecommunication companies – speaking to the power for C.R.S.T.T.A. as a role model and the importance of the decision.
From founding until the 1970’s, the company struggled with aerial plant and old switching equipment. At that time telephone service was multi-party and always at the mercy of Mother Nature, and most rural folks throughout the reservation did not have phone service. Some farmer/rancher owned switching companies did exist – the Green Grass Telephone Company is an example – and they owned and maintained their own neighborhood system. These privately-owned systems then linked into the main system that was located in Eagle Butte.