Sicangu News

Many do not give a second thought about our health conditions until we fall ill. We take our health for granted, especially when we are young. It is very common for our young people to view themselves as invincible. But in reality we are all only human.

 

Many of us stumble through our youth engaging in dangerous behavior. Some of us will continue risky behavior until we die. How many of you started drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, abusing prescription medication or illegal drugs as a teen? I do know that most of us living on the Rez start abusing substances at a very young age. For instance, I know of many children as young as 10 years old who live on the Rez and are already drinking/smoking/drugging. Is your child one of them?

 

Many adults are way beyond help. Just look at all of our Lakota people who did not reach their fortieth birthday because they regularly overdosed on alcohol to the point where their organs finally gave out. They literally drank themselves to death. When I was a teenager the death rate from cirrhosis was nowhere near what it is today.

 

In addition, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effect (FAE) was once unheard of amongst Lakota people. Today there are many of our people who are living their lives with FAS or FAE. There is still a whole bunch of denial surrounding these birth defects which, by the way, are totally preventable.

 

Another disturbing statistic is the number of our people who are addicted to smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco. Tobacco is a sacred substance but it is not sacred when you abuse it by sucking on a commercial cigarette or a wad of chew in your cheek. Statistics show at least one-quarter of Indian people are addicted to smoking cigarettes.

 

Do you have that constant cough? Do you realize how deadly it sounds to the rest of us? I smoked cigarettes every day for a very long time and it brought me nothing but illness. I am forever grateful for finding the strength to put my cigarette out for good. You will do yourself a big favor by putting out yours. Your grandchildren deserve grandparents who are not prisoner to a stinky sick-a-rette.

 

I am recovering from a recent illness which was serious enough to hospitalize me. I am still not well, yet I am feeling better every day. I want to say Wopila to all of you who prayed for my recovery, I appreciate you! Sincere prayers are always appreciated.

 

Being sick has made me realize, once again, how important good health is to our quality of life. It is not fun being hospitalized. The tests which medical staff have to perform on a patient are often painful. No one enjoys having their blood drawn every four hours. When you are in the hospital you live there with a needle in your vein so fluids and medication can be pumped into your bloodstream. While hospitalized you are always at the mercy of strangers.

 

Being sick is not fun. So, I want to encourage our young people to begin thinking about giving up the alcohol, tobacco and drugs because these substances will kill you. When you are my age you will regret all the drinking/smoking/drugging you did during your youth.

 

And those of you who have children owe it to them to get healthy because if you die prematurely someone else will have to raise the children you created. Do you really want to leave your small children behind? Some of our people did not live long enough to see their children grow into adults or to know their grandchildren. Do you want your children and grandchildren to only know you through the pictures they are shown because you died an early death?

 

Also, if you are engaging in unhealthy behaviors chances are very good that your children and grandchildren will follow in your footsteps. Are you coughing that rugged cough all day and night from your cigarettes? If so, you are showing your children and grandchildren that it is acceptable for people to live their lives smoking cigarettes to the point of having constant coughing fits.

 

Alcohol and drugs, including commercial tobacco, only serve to cover up a lot of issues. You have physical, emotional, mental and spiritual issues which those substances are covering up. To keep using is a serious form of denial. Are you going to summon your inner strength to give up your addictions and confront your issues? Or will you continue your slow suicide? The choice is always yours.

 

Furthermore, I hear a lot of our people constantly condemning the wasicu for all the misery they have brought to us. Still, so many of these same people are still willing to partake of the wasicu poisons – alcohol, commercial tobacco, prescription drugs and illegal drugs were all introduced to us by the wasicu. It’s totally hypocritical for us to condemn everything the wasicu does when we are still using his poison to kill ourselves, in my opinion. Do you really want to be chained for the rest of your life to the deadly venom of the forked tongues? Find the strength now to quit because if you don’t, then the wasicu has you right where he wants you – addicted to the point where you are pretty much useless to anyone, especially your own family. That drink, smoke or pill is going to send you to an early grave.

 

So, what kind of role model are you going to be? It’s never too late to change your behavior to set a living example for your children and grandchildren. It’s up to you to set the standard for your family. I have a vision of all Lakota people living alcohol and drug free lives – just like our ancestors did in pre-Columbus times. I need your help to see this vision become real.

 

Wopila to the sober Lakota people, you are the strength of our Nation.

“It’s a very intense time, personally and globally.” ~Doreen Virtue~

 

We are fortunate to be Lakota people. In today’s world there are so many events and people working to distract us from walking peacefully on our spiritual path. There is always something or someone put in front of you as a test.  

 

Those of us who embrace the spirituality which was handed down by our ancestors know how hard the tests can get. It seems as though the closer we get to the time of wiwang waci the more difficult life appears to be. There are days when the drama is non-stop. Lakota spirituality is a way of life and the true path has always been very narrow, it’s difficult to stay afoot.  

 

Many Lakota people have colonized minds. That is, we have been brainwashed into believing that the original instructions we were given are no longer valid. The White Buffalo Calf Woman shared teachings to show us how to live on Mother Earth and be good relatives to one another. The ceremonies she gifted our people with have kept us alive and spiritually connected to our universe for hundreds of thousands of years.

 

Still, the organized religions of this country continue to have many negative impacts upon our minds. The churches have successfully infiltrated our Lakota way of life. Many church leaders work very hard to convince our Lakota people that our prayers are offered to an entity which is not as good as their “God.”

 

Recently, there were some flyers printed up and distributed around the Rapid City area. The online pictures I saw of the posters denounced the Yuwipi way of prayer as some sort of dangerous, unhealthy cult. There were many derogatory things printed on these flyers, most of which is too ridiculous to share.

 

Also, those of you who actually saw the flyers know how ugly that picture looked! The image kind of resembled one of my starving brother-in-laws! Those posters were meant to spread fear through distorted information and paranoid misconceptions. Many (but not all) Christians and/or church leaders use words like “darkness,” “guilt,” “hell,” “demons,” and “devil,” to plant seeds of fear/doubt/terror.

 

Once again, misconceptions surrounding Lakota ceremonies are the focus. I didn’t think it was fair for the person or persons to actually print and distribute those flyers condemning our Lakota ceremonies. Someone has too much time on their hands, maybe they should get counseling instead of making obvious their private battle with acute mental illness by the public dissemination of absurd posters.

 

Or maybe they really believe all the propaganda put out by some local churches about how Lakota ceremony is “evil energy.” The organized religions have successfully instilled pure terror in many Lakota minds about our own spirituality. It’s pathetic. Personally, I am grateful that my spirit showed me the way out of the mind trap which organized religion wanted to keep me in; I refuse of be a prisoner of fear in my own mind because of how my Lakota ancestors have prayed since the beginning of time.

 

Those of us who saw the flyers will continue to attend ceremony and pray for those who created and distributed them. Hopefully, they will one day understand that what they did was very ignorant.

 

I don’t see any Lakota people printing and distributing ridiculous flyers about other ways of worship. What would happen if I created a bunch of strangely paranoid posters about a random church or organized religion, added a menacing image distortion of the Pope/Priest/Bishop/Pastor and spread them all over western South Dakota? The local media would most likely jump all over an incident like that.

 

I could print things like how the organized religions are still working very hard to demonize our sacred way of life. After all, it was the churches which instilled most of the fear surrounding Lakota ceremony, right? Many leaders in the organized religions still preach to the masses about how we should all fear our own Lakota spirituality.

 

When I was younger I once worked as a receptionist for a local religious organization. One of my duties was to announce visitors who came to see the priest in charge. One time a local medicine man was summoned to come and see the priest. Soon I could hear the priest’s voice get louder and louder in the office next to mine as he scolded the medicine man for having ceremony. I don’t even want to share what the priest said to the medicine man — I will say it was similar to what was printed on those flyers.

 

Still, even though he was chewed out wickedly by the priest for his spirituality, the medicine man came out of the room looking totally unfazed. He smiled at me and quietly left the building. He continued to have ceremonies for the people until he passed on several years ago.

 

That priest tried very hard to scare the medicine man by implying that “God” didn’t approve of Lakota spirituality. This is exactly what the person who created those ridiculous flyers tried to convey. They want people to be afraid of Lakota ceremony. Yet, ceremony is all about prayer. Sincere prayer is not based in fear, it comes from love; singing ceremonial songs is love in its purest form, in my opinion.

 

Furthermore, attending church services on Sunday never did cure me of any illness. On the other hand, Lakota Yuwipi men are totally awesome! I was humbled at the first Yuwipi ceremony I went to when I was doctored with a gourd and MY PAIN DISAPPEARED. I didn’t have to take pills anymore. My experiences at Yuwipi ceremonies have always been miraculous. It’s so amazing to sit in the same sacred space with the ancient spirits of ancestors who marked the spiritual path for us to walk.

 

Remember, two-hearted tricksters come in many forms — they could be human beings close to you. Ignorance is a disease. Pray for Wicozani.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Some people won’t be happy until they’ve pushed you to the ground. What you have to do is have the courage to stand your ground and not give them the time of day. Hold on to your power and never give it away.” ~Donna Schoenrock

 

I don’t believe in defending myself. Why should I have to defend myself in the face of people who do not understand why I write the things I write? I have always been the type of person who does what I believe I need to do.

 

Also, I stopped second guessing myself a long time ago when I realized there was no point it in. When I make a choice to do something and if it turns out that it wasn’t something I really wanted, I’m always free to choose again. Life is too short to be stuck in a choice that you really aren’t happy with. Life is also too short to be second guessing yourself.

 

I have been writing these editorials for over four years now. I realize not everyone agrees with what I write here. Still, I put a lot of prayer into my work. Sometimes the words come out of nowhere and I have to run with them. Spirit guides us all; some of us listen while others don’t.

 

I believe there is a lot of confusion out there over what I write here every week. I walked into the world of journalism in 1998. I had a full time job which required me to send press releases to local media outlets for print which was a great way to learn journalism.

 

I have a college degree which helped me refine my skill. And even though I never took a single class in journalism (a fact which some of you have problems with) I believe I am an excellent writer. The amount of time I spent studying English helped me develop my writing skills. You can judge me for sounding like I am bragging about being good at something but it’s the truth.

 

And while we are on the subject of judgment, I have been accused of that too. Still, the most judgmental people I have seen on the Rez are some of you who practice Christianity or belong to those holy-roller cult groups who scream, cry or sing very loudly your devotion to Jesus Christ.

 

I’m also judged as being an “irresponsible journalist” by a former tribal official and was recently told to keep my opinions to myself. I was told to just write the “facts”. I haven’t written a news story for quite some time as I am now employed full-time by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. I write this editorial on Sundays only because many of you tell me you enjoy reading it.

 

Consequently, Merriam-Webster.com lists one definition of story as “a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question.” News articles, human interest stories and press releases usually fall into this category. A good writer or journalist will present the facts and will usually quote the exact words said by the speakers referred to in the story. A good writer will not interject a personal opinion into a well written news article.

 

Merriam-Webster.com also defines an editorial as “a newspaper or magazine article that gives the opinions of the editors or publishers; also: an expression of opinion that resembles such an article.”  This is the definition which my trademarked Sicangu Scribe Scribblings editorials fall under. Also, the opinions I write about here are my own. They do not always reflect the opinions of this newspaper, our Owner/Publisher or correspondents. I take full responsibility for my own opinions and I will continue to write them.

 

I do not believe it is right for humans to stifle one another. But it happens on the Rez every single day. Remember the crabs in a bucket syndrome? Those of us who speak out about the atrocities or injustices which are committed every day on our Rez are often accused of tearing up our own people and/or our own tribe. But writing about the dark human truths of the Rez and tearing up your own people or tribe are two different things. Can you honestly accuse me of tearing up my own people or tribe when all I am doing is writing truthfully about what happens on the Rez?

 

I will not allow my opinions to be stifled. There are topics which I have addressed that are quite sensitive. I believe every dark issue I have presented here in Sicangu Scribe Scribblings falls within areas affecting our precious children. Our people would do well to emulate our ancestors and consider the future of the coming seven generations. Alcoholism, aggravated sexual abuse of children, domestic violence, criminal stalking and unscrupulous tribal members, etc. are facts of life on the Rez. If I do not write about them, who will?

 

Furthermore, when you or your family engages in conduct unbecoming to the Lakota Oyate, you can be sure I will address it here. Oftentimes, I see members of a Tiospaye or family acting up or acting out in public and I write about it. It is then when I am attacked through hate emails or on social networking sites. Consequently, there have been a total of two times when people have actually confronted me to my face about an editorial I wrote. The truth always hurts and it is even more painful to those people who carry around distorted images of truth.

 

I will continue to write these editorials each week for you to read. Sicangu Scribe Scribblings is an inherent part of me. I want to thank all of my readers who have emailed me encouraging messages. I appreciate all of you who come up to me to shake my hand and comment over an editorial which has touched you. Relatives like you motivate me to write about life on the Rez every week. Wopila for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. 

The Failure of Christian Groups and Non-Profits on Pine Ridge Reservation.

By Faith Spotted Eagle, Ihanktonwan Grandmother of Brave Heart Society

An urgent conversation needs to be held about the parallels between sexual violence, conquest, colonization, environmental racism and the rape of Mother Earth.  All are related.

Let’s talk about environmental racism in regard to KXL.  Ben Chavis (civil rights activist in 1994) coined “environmental racism” as “the enactment or enforcement of any policy, practice or regulation that negatively affects the environment of low-income and/or racially homogenous communities at a disparate rate than affluent communities.”  Repeatedly this environmental racism clear-cuts the way for American economic development.  The American economic system is founded on conquest mentality like Manifest Destiny, The Doctrine of Discovery and Papal bulls that dehumanize Indigenous people. Indigenous people on Turtle Island are all too familiar with that sad history, while America remains in denial.   Environmental pollution does not discriminate but it deliberately targets areas where no one cares about who lives there, which is typically where Native American communities, other minority populations or poor people are located.  Native communities are viewed by the colonizers as inherently “dirty, dispensable” communities where waste and toxins can be deposited. These reservations communities are located on or near the fifty six (56) waterways identified as being affected by the pipeline. TransCanada is invading on water bodies that are owned by Native senior water users as established by the Winters Doctrine in a US Court. This is an echo of Manifest Destiny, and will not be tolerated by Treaty defenders.

 February 2013 statistics point out that the most poverty stricken populations in the Nation are on South Dakota reservations.  TransCanada has capitalized on that by traveling and sending letters to each tribal office on the corridor offering funds to a population in need, provided they accept the pipeline. They are now even offering funds to host giant pow wows…..new forms of colonization. Our friend and ally Winona LaDuke calls it “predator economics.” 

 This mindset is so insidious and ingrained in the minds of government officials in Canada and the United States as they perpetuate another form of violence, that of Nation violence.  It is a colonial legacy of the United States to force policy on communities that are perceived to have less power.  In this case the ranchers and farmers of the Midwest have fallen into this category, by losing their land through eminent domain action.  The conquest is aimed at our Treaty water and lands.

 In March of 2013, I traveled to Ottawa, Ontario in Canada, carrying the International Treaty to Protect the Sacred against Tar Sands, which was recently invoked by the Ihanktonwan Oyate (people); Pawnee Nation and the Southern Ponca Nation in Pickstown, SD during January of 2013.   Subsequently, the Treaty was signed in Ottawa by five other First Nations who oppose Tar Sands Development due to the devastation of their homelands. 

Following the historic Treaty signing at a community center in Ottawa, it was no accident that we were offered a ride back to our hotel by two First Nations grandmothers who were driving across Canada to bring attention to the numerous murdering and missing Native women in Canada.  We climbed into a van that had the pictures on it of missing and murdered Native women.  The two grandmothers driving the van explained that they were on a walk across Canada to bring attention to this outrage; which they urgently believe is related to industrial and mining development on or adjacent to Native lands.  They were adamant about telling us to keep this in mind when stopping the KXL Pipeline, because it would protect the women, children and families of our nations.  As we traveled to the hotel, I could feel the spirits of the murdered and missing women traveling with us in the van. Upon arrival, the grandmothers showed us the picture on the van of their niece who is still missing, along with all the other beautiful young women plastered on the outside of the van.  Eerily, as they urged me not to forget this, I thought of the recent news release in South Dakota of the six hundred (600) man camp that would be located near numerous reservation communities in South Dakota, north of Colome, SD.   The pictures of the young girls on the van still haunt me as I continue the fight against KXL and TransCanada.  I will not forget. 

Why is this important?  This question leads us into a conversation of colonization, conquest and power. The Department of Justice continues to release figures citing that one in three Native women will be raped in their lifetime by non-Native perpetrators.  This is 2.5 times higher than the at large population which states that one in five women will be raped in their lifetime.  The same DOJ figures cite that 86% of perpetrators were reported as non-Native.  The mere existence of these figures behooves Tribal Nation leaders and everyday people, Native Women Advocates and families to mobilize to prevent the coming of these so called “man camps.”  If we look at the sad statistics coming to light on the Ft. Berthold Reservation in the Bakken Range; rape, prostitution and murder are now becoming common occurrences in communities stretched to breaking points.  Are we content to remain in the “culture of silence” as this threat invades our Treaty and aboriginal lands?  We are mindful of the great leader Sitting Bull’s words, as reported by Susan Leflesche who said that while he sat in captivity at Ft. Randall, he worried most about the women and children and what was in store for them if they could not be protected.  History has proven him to be prophetic on that danger. 

The other thought that comes to mind, is the psychological impact of intimidation that presents itself with the location of man camps made possible by presidential permits. This certainly triggers historical trauma responses imbedded in our genetic memory of the coming of garrisons such as Ft. Randall, Ft. Thompson, Ft. Yates, Ft. Peck and the list goes on. We already know what happens when man camps are created, the evidence is clear in the Bakken Range.  Meantime, poverty stricken non Native towns along the corridor hold on to the hope that the KXL will change their lives for the better.  If so, why are they bringing in six hundred men?  KXL will certainly change their lives forever in the form of climate destruction. 

Scholar/activist Andrea Smith speaks to the impact of colonization on sexual violence as related to colonization and conquest.  It is worth the survival of our grandchildren to listen to the conversations she has created around these issues.  She points out that colonization normalizes uneven gender power.  Communities often will side with perpetrators and not the victims, thus violators are not often held accountable for their crimes. In this case, TransCanada is in the role of a perpetrator.  Let’s look at environmental racism again.  Racism is a process where certain people are viewed as being pure and those being colonized are treated as being dirty.  The view of the body of a Native woman is a parallel to the way the United States is treating Mother Earth, Ina Maka.  Our lands are invadable and rapeable.  Not long ago, at Sand Creek, our heroic Cheyenne grandmothers’ private parts were cut off and paraded by the military.  It is not so different now. 

It is important to accept that we live in one of the most violent countries in the world and for all affected groups to unite and mobilize in protecting our home fronts.  Native people, farmers and ranchers, domestic violence advocates, elected officials and politicians and families must step up to the call of leadership.  Our Native prophecies state that there will be a time to stand up for what is important, and that time is now!!  Keystone XL and TransCanada must be stopped through unprecedented unity to save our land, water and our legacy.  

My fight against this recent and ongoing oppression is fueled by the memory of the founding of the White Buffalo Calf Woman’s’ Society in 1977, on the Rosebud Reservation. At the time, I was the first President of the Society and along with others was guided by Sicangu grandmothers who helped us in founding the first Native Women’s Shelter in the Nation.  This Society Shelter still exists and continues to protect our women and shelter from the colonized behavior of domestic violence.  I urge the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society and all other family coalitions in South Dakota to enter the fight with determination to stop this threat against our families and Ina Maka, Mother Earth. 

 

May is designated as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Balanced children are mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy. Schools are places where our children are required to spend a significant amount of time. The overall condition of our young peoples’ mental health is directly affected by their experience at school.

 

It’s not only their peers who can make or break the self-esteem of our children and teenagers; teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, administrators and even school board members all have direct influence over the state of the students’ mental health. As parents, grandparents and guardians we are required by law to send our children to school. Thus, I believe it’s crucial for us to also demand that the adults who work in schools be of high moral character as they are directly responsible for what happens to our children while they are at school.

 

Many of our local schools are very much adult oriented. When the schools’ focus revolves around the adults, our children will fall by the wayside. It has always been the purpose of an employment agency to find people jobs, right? Yet, the local school boards act like they are employment agencies instead of educational institutions as the character of staff hired to work with our students is often questionable.

 

When adults with questionable reputations are hired to work in schools the students are definitely placed at risk. Unscrupulous adults say things to our children and adolescents affecting their young minds. For example, there are many staff members, teachers and coaches included, who are verbally abusive and intimidating because they regularly use four letter words in the classrooms or during sports practice.

 

When you are a parent/guardian who cusses all the time your children become numb to it; they will cuss just like you. Still, there are families who won’t allow cussing in their homes. They work hard to be conscious role models to their children. But efforts are not reinforced when the children go to school or practice only to be cussed out by adults. Schools lack consistency.

 

I have learned that when you cuss, you radiate negative energy. People who cuss make me cringe. It’s kind of like poking someone with a sharp needle every time you utter profanities. People think it’s cool to constantly cuss but I believe it just shows how uneducated and ignorant they are. Unscrupulous teachers/coaches use profanity to intimidate their students/athletes.

 

The teachers/coaches are supposed to be the educated ones. They are presumably there to help our students be the best they can be. Yet, the fact that some of them cuss out their students on a daily basis shows me they aren’t motivated to encourage their students/athletes in a more appropriate manner. 

 

There is one teacher at a local middle school whose behavior was recently brought to my attention. He has been teacher for a long time as he was one of my daughter’s teachers when she was in middle school. I have no idea why he has been allowed to stay in the school system this long because he was making derogatory remarks to my daughter when he was her teacher. He has not changed as he is still disrespecting our Lakota students.

 

One thing he states to the students is they will never amount to anything because they are “rez kids.” He compares them to the people who pick up cans in the ditches for money and tells them that’s how they are going to be when they reach adulthood. Remember folks, we elect the school board members who make the decisions to hire adults like him.

 

What do you think disparaging remarks like this do for the mental health of our children and adolescents? It’s totally disgusting to me to know we have people like this still working in our schools. It’s depressing to think about how long they’ve worked there. This teacher I am referring to has been teaching our Lakota children for at least 20 years. How much damage has he done to the countless young minds which were entrusted to him?

 

There is another local teacher who is a high school basketball coach. He recently received a public reprimand from a State Commission for inappropriate behavior toward students. Numerous parents even voiced concerns at a Tribal Council meeting. An attorney wrote a letter to the school board last month encouraging them to do right by the students.

 

Still, the local school board decided to renew his teaching contract by a vote of 3-2. This shows their lack of concern for the mental health of the students they are elected to serve. Obviously, they would rather retain the teacher and dismiss the mental health of the students – a classic example of an adult oriented institution.

 

Finally, it gave me hope to learn about the Oglala Sioux Tribe approving legislation to hold administrators responsible for the mental health of their students. I’d like to see my own tribe make a similar stand. Our children deserve to be treated much better by teachers.

 

Resolution 13-57 was unanimously approved on March 26, 2013 at a Regular Session of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. It reads in part: “if a student commits suicide as a result of lack of action by the school administration to prevent bullying and/or stalking, those individuals or that individual shall be held accountable and answer to the Tribal Council.”

 

Many people do not want to talk about suicide. Yet, suicide ideation, attempts and completions are directly related to the mental health of our children and adolescents. As long as school boards continue to hire and protect the adult bullies who intimidate our young people with cuss words or derogatory remarks then our children will never attain true mental health.

 

So remember this the next time you go to vote in the school board election. The people you elect to serve on school boards are largely responsible for the lack of mental health in our children and adolescents.

I am curious to know why our Tribal Governments are not doing more to stop TransCanada from building the proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline through our treaty lands. There are many Tribes living on or near the corridor where the proposed pipeline will run. It seems to me the Canadian Tribes are more vocal than we are. Why is that?

 

Will our tribal politicians wait until the land is totally devastated before they decide to take real action? Maybe our Tribal Governments don’t realize how important it is to stop this project. There have been resolutions approved by some Tribal Governments which contain language opposing oil pipeline construction. Still, approving legislation at the Tribal Government level is not enough. Our elected leaders must take a more aggressive role in stopping this proposed pipeline.

 

Think about it. If President Obama signs the Presidential Permit approving TransCanada’s application to build their death project, there will most likely be a man camp established in the Colome, SD area with at least 600 roughnecks from all over the country staying there. They will be making good money to build the monster pipeline. We have tribal members living in this area. The Milks Camp, Bull Creek and Ideal Communities are near the small town of Colome, SD.

 

Furthermore, Colome, SD is a mere 66 miles from Rosebud, SD; 63 miles from Lower Brule, SD; 67 miles from Fort Thompson, SD and 76 miles from Lake Andes, SD. This is much too close to our Indian Reservations, in my opinion. Those of us who choose to live here already know our Indian Reservations are extreme poverty areas. We have vulnerable women and children. What do you think is going to happen when we have an influx of wealthy strangers who lack integrity?

 

If you research the areas where man camps are established you will find they have a whole lot of horrid side effects – prostitution, drug activity, disappearances and even unsolved murders of women. Would you want your mother, aunt, sister, daughter, granddaughter or other women relatives spending time with men who are staying in these camps? Our tribal leaders need to come together NOW and make a stand against KXL.

 

I want to see the North/South Dakota Tribes organize as one voice to take a real stand against this project to guarantee it doesn’t happen. The people we vote into our Tribal Governments are put there to speak for us. Still, many times I hear the grassroots activists speak with much stronger voices when it comes to controversial projects, such as KXL.

 

Will the elected leaders who comprise our Tribal Governments in North/South Dakota sit back and allow President Obama to approve the permit? Our Tribal Governments, many of which were organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, are the only entity legally recognized by the federal government in terms of consultation. Thus, it’s crucial for ALL the North/South Dakota Tribes to come together to demand genuine government-to-government consultation.

 

I also believe this consultation must happen on our land. I’m not satisfied with the elected officials in Washington, DC dictating what government-to-government consultation should look like. You cannot convince me that a letter, an email or a phone call is “consultation.” Yet, I believe many elected leaders become complacent and accept these impersonal forms of communication as legitimate government-to-government “consultation.”

 

There was a time when representatives of the federal government traveled to Indian Country to engage in genuine consultation with recognized tribal leaders. I always wonder what was going through everyone’s minds when I look at those pictures from the 19^th century depicting our Itancan and the representatives of the federal government sitting in a tipi negotiating treaties.

 

“The Ihanktonwan Treaty delegates have expressed plans to meet with the Milks Camp and Bull Creek communities [on the Rosebud Reservation] to assist and encourage the communities to learn how the KXL pipeline affects them. Invitations are being made to have Rosebud tribal council and treaty council to attend this meeting in mid-May,” said Faith Spotted Eagle, who testified in State Department hearings on the pipeline. “Tribes on the corridor must unite on a common consultation position. Divided positions can weaken the Native cause. It is time for unprecedented unity TO PROTECT THE SACRED!”

 

Furthermore, there are many laws which can be referenced by Tribal Governments in making a stand to ensure KXL is never built. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act are just a handful of the existing laws which could be interpreted by the highly paid tribal attorneys to help the Tribal Governments make a united stand against KXL. 

 

Consequently, some of the language in the NHPA makes obvious reference to consultation. For instance, language on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation website states: “The regulations also place major emphasis on consultation with Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, in keeping with the 1992 amendments to NHPA. Consultation with an Indian tribe must respect tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship between the Federal Government and Indian tribes. Even if an Indian tribe has not been certified by NPS to have a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer [THPO] who can act for the SHPO on its lands, it must be consulted about undertakings on or affecting its lands on the same basis and in addition to the SHPO.”

 

I do not believe government-to-government consultation should be limited to THPO. Rather, this consultation should include the entire Tribal Council; after all, they ARE the governing body. Did you see where the Yaqui have invited President Obama to engage in a government-to-government consultation? Why can’t the Lakota-Dakota-Nakota tribes do this?

 

Furthermore, our treaty lands are sacred. Our ancestors walked every inch of our homelands. Thus, in my mind, the land which encompasses the original boundaries of the 1851 and 1868 Treaties has religious and cultural significance attached to it. NHPA’s website also states: “Federal agencies must also consult with Indian tribes that attach religious and cultural significance to historic properties, regardless of their location.”

 

Our ancestors were visionaries. They had faith in us – their descendants. They saw a future event where the Seventh Generation would rise up to change the world and perhaps even save mankind. I believe this is the time for our elected leaders to come together and demand a real government-to-government consultation held here in our treaty lands. Our descendants are depending on our elected Tribal Governments of today to ensure the treaty lands will still be livable when they are born.

 

 

 

ROSEBUD, SD – The Rosebud Sioux Tribe has announced plans to elect a new Tribal Secretary and a Tribal Treasurer. A Primary Election will be held on Thursday, July 25, 2013 in the twenty communities. The top two vote getters for each position will advance to the General Election on Thursday, August 22, 2013.

 

Prior to 2009, these two officer positions were filled by tribal council appointments. An amendment to the Tribal Constitution now requires both the Tribal Secretary and Tribal Treasurer to be elected at-large by tribal voters. Linda Marshall (Tribal Secretary) and Wayne Boyd (Tribal Treasurer) were the first tribal members elected to these positions in 2009. Both were subsequently re-elected in 2011.

 

However, incumbents Marshall and Boyd are not eligible for re-election this year due to term limits as outlined in Article III of the Tribal Constitution, which states in part: “The offices of the President, Vice President, Council Representatives, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be subject to limits of two consecutive terms.” Both officers are nearing the end of their second consecutive term in office.

 

Qualified tribal members can file nominating affidavits beginning on May 1 through May 30, 2013. Forms may be obtained from the Tribal Secretary’s office. Prospective candidates are required to pay a $300 filing fee to the Tribal Treasurer’s office prior to filing an affidavit.

 

Enrolled tribal members who wish to have their name placed on the ballot must have established residency on the reservation for at least one year prior to the date of the Primary Election and be of at least one quarter of Rosebud Sioux blood as listed on their abstract. Each candidate must also pass a background check before their name will be placed on the ballot. Prospective candidates must also have reached their 25^th/30^th birthday on or before the Primary Election Day.

 

The RST Election Board is responsible for certifying candidates. Members include Ed Clairmont, Berdine Yellow Eagle, James Neiss and Meredith Kills In Water. There is one vacancy on the Election Board. For more information on this election process please call the RST Election office at 605-856-2373.

Mitakuye Oyasin!

My Grandmother shared with me a powerful time when the people came together for prayers during the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. She accepted a C’anupa to bring out the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle to end the drought and bring healing to Mother Earth. Even the non-native farmers heard of this prayer time and offered a cow to feed for the ceremony. The prayer was answered!

Recently I accepted tobacco from a Grandmother – Anpao Wic’ah’pi Was’te Winyan of the Ihanktowan Oyate. She had a dream of bringing People together at the bundle to pray for a healing of the biggest cancer that is spreading upon Mother Earth; caused from the Tar Sand efforts with XL pipeline that is threatening to come through our territory and our Sacred Sites.

Our Nation who is known as the Pte Oyate (The Buffalo People) will be praying with Sacred Bundle on May 18, 2013. Please bring food for feast and tobacco offerings.

I am asking “All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer’ to help us during this time of this gathering by praying with us on this day where ever you are upon Mother Earth.

We need to stop the desecration that is hurting Mother Earth and the communities. These recent spills of oil are affecting the blood of Mother Earth; Mni wic’oni (water of life).

Chief Bernard Ominiayak of the Lubicon Lake First Nation of Canada is also asking for prayers and to let the World know of his People’s stand against the Development that is happening against his People. They sit on 70% of oil; those that are after this oil are threatening their lives. His concern at this moment is of non-members, without their consent, signing away their rights and negotiating with Corporations that will forever affect their way of life – to live off the land – handing them a death sentence. At this moment there are too many of their people dying from cancer. When they hunt, they are finding maggot-infested moose. When they fish they are finding two headed fish. The people are dying from trying to survive in a traditional way in their territory. The UN has submitted a statement in support of Lubicon Lake Nation’s stand to live in Sovereignty and live in their tradition.

We have many concerns at this time. Along with the First Nations whose territory is within the Tar Sands desecration; with their lives being threatened and also the high death rates of cancer, along with the sickness of the land and animals.

Many other Nations are committed to praying with us on the day of our ceremony. For those that cannot attend, Chief Wic’ah’pi To Wambdi is helping with his sister’s dream representing the Ihanktonwan Oyate, by asking those that cannot attend to send him tobacco ties and flags so he can carry them for the People to the Bundle.

I have also been contacted by People who will have another gathering outside the UN at Isaiah’s Wall in NYC; they are committing to support and pray with us on May 17th at noon.

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning!

Hec’el oinipikte (that we shall live)

Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the
Sacred White Buffalo Pipe

For More Information: visit www.lubiconlakenation.ca

Address of Chief Wic’ah’ipi To Wambdi, 30702 Eggers Road, Wagner, South Dakota 57380