Reservation Seeks Propane Independence

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — An effort to raise $50,000 for a pilot project aimed at moving Standing Rock Reservation homes away from reliance on propane fuel has reached its goal in just a couple of weeks.

The "Heating the Rez" effort has drawn more than 1,150 donations from as far as Australia and Sweden. The money will outfit 20 homes with heat stoves that burn pellets made from natural materials.

Attorney and American Indian activist Chase Iron Eyes launched the effort in response to a propane crisis on the reservation straddling the North Dakota-South Dakota border. As many as 5,000 homes there rely on propane for heat, and residents have struggled to afford higher propane prices tied to a nationwide shortage.

Iron Eyes wants to end the dependence on propane and promote renewable fuels.