Economic Trends Report: Cheyenne River Counties

Abstract

The following report examines several key economic trends occurring in Cheyenne River over the last few decades. The report looks at variables categorized under the following areas: population, employment, earnings and income, and education.

In this report, the geographical area of Cheyenne River is defined as Dewey and Ziebach counties, both located in South Dakota (see Map 1). Throughout, Cheyenne River’s trends are compared to the surrounding counties. These include Corson, Haakon, Hughes, Meade, Perkins, Potter, Stanley, Sully, and Walworth counties.

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. Very little Census or other economic data of interest is clearly divided by Indian and non-Indian status, particularly on the county level, and so many of the indicators in this report reflect a subset of people that includes more than just Cheyenne River tribal members. These shortcomings aside, 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.