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My Economy: How the Pine Ridge reservation regroups after floods

A South Dakota tour business prepares for its busiest season in the wake of Midwestern flooding.

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota.
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota.
Tatanka Rez Tourz

In March, parts of the Midwestern United States were hit hard by extreme flooding. According to Reuters, over a million acres of farmland went underwater, threatening the prosperity of local economies. For many business owners, like Tianna Yellowhair, this was a major setback.

Yellowhair is a Lakota woman who runs Tatanka Rez Tourz with her father, Gus Yellowhair, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

“A lot of people weren’t able to travel anywhere because the roads were flooding over,” Tianna said, “A lot of people were starting to not book tours to come out here.” And as their busiest tour season approaches, she’s hoping, as a community, the Lakota people can pull together to overcome the damages.

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