South Dakota
South Dakota tribe purchases shuttered foster village, plans to reopen this year
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe purchased the Simply Smiles Children’s Village last month, allowing the tribe to reopen one of the few foster care villages in the state meant to serve Indigenous children.
Some Cheyenne River tribally enrolled children are placed in foster homes outside of the reservation, which can make it more difficult for the children to stay in touch with their cultural heritage and retain familial and community relationships. About 40% of state-licensed foster homes in South Dakota are located in the Sioux Falls area. As of September 2023, 165 Cheyenne River-enrolled children were in state custody.
Infographic / South Dakota Searchlight
That’s a form of “cultural genocide,” said Colt Combellick, who served as clinical coordinator for the village and is discussing returning to the village when it reopens under tribal ownership.
“If 11% of foster homes in South Dakota are Native American and there are 800 Native American children who need placement, that need isn’t being met,” Combellick told South Dakota Searchlight. “So why not the tribe run that and try to meet that need?”
In 2009, the tribe partnered with Simply Smiles, a nonprofit organization, to reduce the growing number of foster children being placed off-reservation. The nonprofit eventually built the 8-acre village in La Plant, allowing children to live in a family setting in houses with a licensed foster parent while using resources found in more institutional settings.
The village closed in March 2023. The hope is to reopen the village this year, said Madonna Thunder Hawk, a Lakota activist and member of a Cheyenne River grandmothers group.
Contributed / Simply Smiles
“It’s a step forward,” Thunder Hawk said. “It’s important that we have child welfare within our tribal society — we need control over that. … We’ll open the doors to the children’s village and hopefully stop the flow of children into the South Dakota foster system.”
This purchase makes Cheyenne River one of the few tribal nations in the state and nation with a tribally run foster care village.
With ownership under the tribe, the village can be more reflective of the cultural needs of the families and children who live there, Combellick said. Some ideas include housing homeless elders inside the village and partnering with the school to house a tutoring operation.
Contributed / Simply Smiles
The village can house up to 18 children and three caretakers, along with space for therapy, offices and other living spaces. Combellick added that the tribe hopes to build two more houses.
MarShondria Adams also is interested in returning as a foster parent and helping prepare potential foster parents for their role at the village. South Dakota historically has struggled to recruit Native American foster parents. The tribally owned foster village could remove that barrier.
“Opening with the tribe will be more culturally efficient and focus on the ways of life people already adhere to and want to see for both their children and elders,” Adams said. “The sacredness has been vocalized, seen, felt and heard.”
This story was originally published on SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.
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Deliberately slowed rush-hour traffic in downtown Sioux Falls is serving as a preview for commuters ahead of a major, yearslong overhaul of the city’s aging viaduct overpasses.
And Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. is using the opportunity to study traffic patterns in advance of the reconstruction of the 10th and 11th street overpasses on the east end of the core commercial district. Though the state-led project is still years away, the temporary traffic-calming measures are helping engineers gather data on vehicle speeds, volumes and behaviors.
2026 general election ballot set after referral effort falls short
Norma Lindell, 93, of Mitchell, SD, passed away Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell. Visitation will be Saturday, July 18, from 1-4:00 PM at Bittner Funeral Chapel. Burial will be at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Howard, SD.
NormaJean Marie (Callies) Lindell was born in Mitchell, SD, on April 18, 1932, to Peter C. and Norma A. (Killeaney) Christensen. She was the oldest daughter, along with her younger brother James N. Christensen. She lost her mother when she was eleven and helped her father raise her 2-year younger brother, Jimmy. Her grandmother also helped her dad raise her and her brother. Norma grew up in Howard, SD, and married Ira Callies. To this union were born four sons.
Norma liked working with people and eventually owned her own restaurant business in Howard. Previous to that, she worked for many years in the Black Hills area, where she managed a campground and worked at the well-known Chute Rooster in Hill City. After returning to Howard, she met and married Clyde Lindell of Milaca, Minnesota. Following his death in 1986, she moved back to South Dakota and lived in Centerville, Madison, and finally Mitchell until her death.
She was proud of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. She loved music and dancing. Her father taught her how to dance, and they attended many dances throughout the area.
Norma is survived by her sons: Byron (Kaelyn) Callies of Watertown, SD, Lonnie (Susan) Callies of Mitchell, SD, and Dana (Deb) Callies of South Venice, Florida, along with many generations of grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her mother, father, brother Jimmy, and son Dale.
Celebrate a life with the whole community in The Dakota Scout. Contact obits@thedakotascout.com to have your loved one remembered today.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 28, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 28 drawing
04-11-31-54-58, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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