Economic Trends Report: Standing Rock Counties

Abstract

The following report examines several key economic trends occurring in Standing Rock over the last few decades. We look at variables categorized under the following areas: Population, employment, earnings and income, and education.

In this report, the geographical area of Standing Rock is defined as Sioux and Corson counties, the former located in North Dakota and the latter in South Dakota. Throughout, Standing Rock’s trends are compared to the surrounding counties, separated by state. The northern surrounding counties are Adams, Grant, Morton, Burleigh and Emmons, and in South Dakota the surrounding counties are Campbell, Walworth, Dewey, Ziebach, and Perkins.

It is recognized that data on the county level most frequently fails to capture the nuanced economic conditions of the reservation area in specific or of the American Indian population exclusively. Furthermore, various externalities often make accurate or full reporting by the American Indian population problematic; for example, the perception that some answers to questions on the Census form could have potentially punitive consequences in terms of benefits or subsidized housing eligibility.

These difficulties notwithstanding, there is a value in examining long term trends on the county level, and there is little choice in any case when it comes to data availability. Though reflecting political boundaries set by a different governing authority than that of the autonomous Sioux peoples, and encompassing the fortunes of more than those affiliated with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, nevertheless the direction of growth or lack of it on the county level, specifically in relation to the surrounding areas, can still serve as a reflection of the economic direction the tribe finds itself headed in.