Family Seeks Help Searching for Missing Jory Low Dog

Family members and volunteers are maintaining an active search for Jory Low Dog, a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member who has been missing since Sept. 18, KOTA reported.

The search spans the Cheyenne River Reservation, a massive territory encompassing more than 2.8 million acres. As the weeks pass, the size of the area has become a central challenge for those attempting to locate him.

Organizers are now calling on the public for assistance with both physical search efforts and the rising costs of the operation. A GoFundMe campaign, launched to manage these mounting expenses, seeks to cover meals, fuel, lodging, and other logistical necessities required to keep the search moving.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe seeks help finding missing man — KOTA Territory News

Nico Sheppard, who is helping his mother, Elaine Low Dog Hopkins, search for his missing brother, created the fundraising campaign. The family is specifically requesting that residents in the area assist with organized grid searches to ensure no ground goes unchecked.

Volunteers are being asked to perform several specific tasks to aid the investigation, including checking home and hunting cameras and remaining vigilant for anything unusual while traveling through rural areas. Search organizers have already identified a specific area of focus, but they noted a critical need for additional volunteers, horses, and all-terrain vehicles to cross the terrain effectively.

The search is not merely a logistical hurdle but a deeply personal one for a community that describes Low Dog through his many roles. His mother, Elaine Low Dog Hopkins, shared a message through social media regarding the man the community is looking for.

“He is a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a friend, a classmate, a coworker, and a dad,” Hopkins wrote.

Hopkins said that her son graduated high school a year early and was known as a smart and funny person. He previously worked at McDonald’s for his first job, according to the information shared by the family.

The geographic reality of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe makes this a large undertaking. Finding a single individual across millions of acres requires a level of coordination and equipment that the family is currently struggling to sustain financially.

The family expressed gratitude for the support already provided by donors and community members, but they emphasized that continued public awareness is vital to bringing Low Dog home. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police Department.

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