The Wakpamni Lake Community Corporation (WLCC)

The Wakpamni Lake Community Corporation is wholly owned by the Wakpamni Lake Community government, a subsidiary municipal tribal government of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and serves as the wholly-owned economic development arm of the Wakpamni Lake Community.

The Wakpamni Lake Community is located within the Oglala Lakota County (which is entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation). Oglala Lakota County is among the poorest counties in the entire United States with over 51.9% below the poverty line, per capita income around $8,768, unemployment in the 80% range, and a high school dropout rate of over 60%.

To address these dire economic statistics and better provide for the welfare of our residents, the leadership of the Wakpamni Lake Community established a wholly owned tribal economic development corporate arm, the Wakpamni Lake Community Corporation (WLC Resolution 12-04). 

The Wakpamni Lake Community Corporation was tasked to “promote the general economic development and welfare of the people of the Wakpamni Lake Community.” (WLCC Articles of Incorporation, Article V, Sec 5.1). And while WLCC has been created in a western structure so that it is understandable to the western business world, all work we do has been directed to do so within the traditional tiospaye structures and Lakota framework. 

WLCC’s job is to generate community governmental revenue, improve community infrastructure, increase community self-sufficiency, increase opportunities for community members, encourage job creation, preserve and promote the Lakota culture and our Wakpamni Lake Community, and assist in protecting the health, welfare and well-being of the community.