Standing Rock women's shelter finds a home

McLaughlin City Council gives unanimous support

By Kevin Woster, Journal staff | Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

Georgia Little Shield cried on the drive home Tuesday night after the McLaughlin City Council unanimously approved her request to relocate the Pretty Bird Woman House domestic-violence shelter to a new home in a safer location in the city's downtown area.

"It was just so special to get that good news. It was just too much," she said Wednesday. "It was so great to see nobody there to oppose it. I was expecting some opposition, but there was absolutely no one."

A recent ordinance in the city, passed because of problems with a different homeless shelter, gave the council zoning overview of the placement of Pretty Bird Woman House.

The shelter lost its home last fall to vandalism and eventually arson. It has existed in cramped, poorly heated office space donated by the Bear Soldier District of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

After the meeting Tuesday night, which was attended by several dozen people and included a presentation from a Bureau of Indian Affairs police official, the six council members voted unanimously to approve the shelter's plan to buy a house a block from city hall for the domestic-violence shelter and offices.

Despite questions about law-enforcement jurisdiction -- an issue raised by community residents fearing that abusers might follow their victims to the shelter -- the council was satisfied that the shelter relocation was appropriate, Mayor Ron Dumdei said.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is increasing its small law-enforcement staff, which should help deal with any potential problems, Dumdei said.

"I think it's going to be good. I think their hearts are in the right place," he said about the shelter staff. "Everyone's trying to do what's right. We just wanted to make sure that we had public input and everybody understands it."

On Jan. 7, the city council delayed action on the issue to provide for a comment period and public meeting. Dumdei said it was important to give citizens time to ask questions and feel comfortable with the planned relocation of the shelter, which is the only domestic-violence sanctuary on the Standing Rock reservation.

Pretty Bird Woman House has raised about $80,000 through an Internet fundraiser to buy the house and provide improvements, including a security fence and security cameras.

Little Shield said the it will probably take up to two months to get the fence up, the cameras operating and the shelter open to provide sanctuary to abused women and children.

"Tomorrow, we call Century 21. Then, we purchase the house," Little Shield said. "We'll move over there right away, and hopefully by the end of March, be ready to shelter."

Little Shield said she was overwhelmed by the support the shelter received from local people and those throughout the nation who donated by way of the Internet.

"So many people prayed for us and hoped for us and helped us with their donations," she said. "I want to thank them all. It's all coming around now."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com