One FEMA Trailer Home Arrives on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION – It took almost two months. Regardless, the first FEMA trailer arrived Tuesday for one of the families that lost their home from the straight-line wind storm of July 21, that hit the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

More trailers will be arriving in the next couple of weeks.

Nola Tobacco was the recipient of the trailer and needless to say, she was very excited and happy to get her new home. This is a three bedroom trailer complete with furnishings. The trailer moving company Ponderosa will be following up with the transportation of the trailers, by coming back in to complete the hook-ups for the home. These three bedroom trailers were brought in from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's federal allocation of FEMA trailers and their holding yards are located in Neosho, Missouri.

“I have been waiting a long time for this home and I am very happy today to finally see my trailer here. It has everything that I need and it even has a microwave in there,”

said an excited Nola Tobacco.

“I thank President John Steele and everyone involved who made this happen. My last trailer was hit by several storms and it was partly burned by an electrical fire. Now finally, my family and I do not have to face great hardships in our new home.”

The trailer moving company will be moving trailers to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for the next couple of weeks.

“The past two months have been very stressful for the families that lost their homes in this straight-line wind disaster, and for all of us who work for our tribal members. Today is a great day as I just received notice that the first trailer has arrived,”

stated President John Yellow Bird Steele on Tuesday.

“There are more of these trailers that will be arriving in the next couple of weeks. Once these trailers get here, we will make sure that they get hooked up and ready to be moved in. We are hoping to get all the families who lost their homes from this storm to be situated before the weather turns cold. This is good news. Our housing needs are so great here on the reservation. We will continue working on this housing situation so that more of our families can have homes. I thank all the people who were involved in making this dream come true for our families.”