For 14,000 Native Americans without heat or electricity, one minute of Keith Olbermann’s show was the attention they needed.
Less than a minute of air time. That’s all it took for Keith Olbermann to change the fate of Native Americans suffering one of the worst — and most ignored — natural disasters to hit the continental United States in years.
The Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota experienced debilitating ice storms and blizzards beginning on Jan. 22. The storms knocked out 2,500 utility poles and disrupted electricity and heat for 14,000 people, who were forced to live in sub-zero temperatures for nearly two weeks. Many homes were damaged, food spoiled, supplies dwindled to almost nothing, and all pleas for help seemed to fall on deaf ears.
Most of the media ignored this crisis, and despite calls for aid from the Sioux Nation, only $8,000 in donations had trickled in to help the reservation as of Feb. 9.
That’s when Keith Olbermann over at MSNBC took notice. In a brief segment of his show that night, Olbermann talked about the tragedy and the reservation’s need for immediate help, calling it a “humanitarian crisis at home.”
Here’s the video:
The result? Within 48 hours, more than $250,000 in donations had poured in from around the country.
As of Friday, electricity has been restored to 95 percent of the reservation, but the impact of the storm will be felt for a long time to come. The donations that are coming in will now help to repair homes that were damaged when water lines froze and broke. According to a report in The Argus Leader, donations will also help fund “permanent generators in shelters, for mobile trailers to be used as emergency command centers, and for blankets and pillows.”
In a prepared statement, Tribal Chairman Joseph Brings Plenty said, “I know there are hard economic times across the country and those who are able continue to respond with prayers, money and muscle to help our neighbors in Haiti. I find myself in the humble position of appealing for your support in our time of emergency. I would not ask you for assistance unless I was confident we are doing all we can. We are.”
The 2.7 million acre Cheyenne River reservation is one of the nation’s poorest, and has nearly 80 percent unemployment.
Interested in helping? You can make a donation to help the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation here.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.