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Madison, Wisconsin isn’t the only place with an ongoing protest in America. As things have “frozen up” on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the Lakota Elders have been dealing with mounting issues of “abuse” on several levels. They’ve taken all they’re going to take and are appealing for news coverage of the corruption that has lead to the conditions they are experiencing.
The Lakota Elders on Pine Ridge have issues, MAJOR ISSUES involving food, housing, sanitary conditions, threats, intimidation, eviction and more. Apparently their patience has reached the point of taking protest action. Do note that this situation involves longstanding cultural conflicts. The posting of this media release presents an introduction only to the situation.
Here is a Media Release.
Cante Tenza Okolakiciye – Strong Heart Warrior Society
Free & Independent Lakota Nation Box 512, Hill City, South Dakota 57745 | 605-454-0449 or 605-517-1547 | lakotaoyate.net MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2011 Contact: Duane Martin Sr. 605-517-1547 or 605-454-0449 LAKOTA ELDERS, WARRIOR SOCIETIES, NOW OCCUPY PORCUPINE ELDERLY MEALS
CENTER – WILL STAY UNTIL DEMANDS ARE MET Audio interviews of elders and warriors can be found at http://audioboo.fm/CanteTenza
Porcupine Elderly Meals Building, Pine Ridge Reservation, SD – After
four years of abuses and calls for remedy from the Bureau of Indian Affairs(BIA) Oglala Tribal Government, Lakota elders with support from the Strong Heart Warrior Society, United Urban Warrior Society, and Rapid City AIM- Grassroots have peacefully taken over, and now occupy, the Elderly Meals Building in the Porcupine Community of Pine Ridge Reservation. The occupation occurred as a result of human rights and civil rights
abuses, including physical assault, of Lakota elders at the center, the illegal selling of drugs and alcohol from the building by center staff, refusal of Oglala tribal government officials to take action, and the use of the tribal judicial office to attack and penalize elders and advocates who spoke out against abuse, graft, and corruption occurring in the elderly meals program and throughout complicit tribal government officials. The elders and warrior societies are demanding the removal of all
current center staff, the construction of a new, sanitary building, restoration of healthy meals, expansion of elderly meals to those home- bound, and an investigation into the graft and corruption in the program and those complicit tribal officials. Respected Lakota elders including Lorraine White Face Eagle Elk,
Cecilia Martin, Elizabeth Young Bear, and Enoch Brings Plenty issued the following statement: “The former president and the cook have discriminated against the
elders at the Porcupine Elderly Meals Center. Elders are demanding them to be removed immediately. The Elders will be leading this occupation with the support and
protection of three warrior societies – the Strong Heart Warrior Society, United Urban Warrior Society, and Grassroots AIM. I, Enoch Brings Plenty, as president of the Meals for the Elderly
Program at Porcupine, will try my best to please the Elders in my district as best as I can -to bring back honesty, trust and integrity. This is why these three warrior societies are here with us. They are going to teach our children how to protect and remain free with the elders of our oyate. Hoka hey!” In support of the elder’s statement, the Strong Heart Warrior Society
said, “The elders have exhausted all legal remedies that they possibly can and now they face the critical mass. So it is now their urgency to request these warrior societies to step up and give them that opportunity to regain control for what is rightfully theirs.” The Oglala Tribal Council, which has been at the center of controversy
for years over graft and corruption in their ranks, continues to publicly state there is no problem with Pine Ridge Reservation elders. Activists have noted numerous incidents of retaliation and dirty tricks in order to penalize elders and advocates from speaking out and making these abuses public. The occupation is planned until the demands are met. While State and
Federal officials have been slow to respond to this crisis, the South Dakota Governor’s Office is now aware of the situation, as is the U.S. Justice Department. ### The Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota
is the size of the state of Connecticut. Due to decades of abuse, corruption and colonial enforcement, Pine Ridge faces epidemic rates of suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, elder abuse, and poverty. Life expectancy for Lakota men is below 40 years of age. Nearly ¾ of the Lakota people have lost their language, and the traditional language is on the verge of extinction in Pine Ridge. The reservation has one of the highest rates of unsolved murders. These unsolved deaths are widely attributed to violent retaliation against those seeking an end to corruption and assertion of traditional Lakota sovereignty. Cante Tenza Okolakiciye also known as the Strong Heart Warrior Society
of the Lakota Nation is an ancient Lakota warrior society as well as a broad-based civil rights movement that works to protect, enforce and restore treaty rights, civil rights, and sovereignty of Native people and their communities across Turtle Island. In addition to activist efforts to protect the land and people, each year Cante Tenza collects and freely distributes shoes, winter coats, school supplies, food, and other support to Oglala Lakota elders, children and families. www.lakotaoyate.net | “Lakota Oyate” on Facebook |
Lakota Elders, Warrior Societies, Now Occupy Porcupine Elderly Meals Center on Pine Ridge–Will Stay Until Demands are Met
March 5, 2011 at 8:31 pm (culture, education, history, Indigenous People, journalism, Lakota, life, Native Americans, Pine Ridge Indian reservation, politics, random, Uncategorized)
Tags: assistance, contact information, culture, education, Elderly, Elders, family, food, history, Issues, journalism, Lakota, life, living conditions, media, Native Americans, news, news coverage, people, Pine Ridge Reservation, Porcupine, protest, random, release, request, South Dakota, Strong Heart Warriors, Traditionals
om mani padme hum jewel in the lotus wahupa qi prana universal life energy
ryeder said,
March 5, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Excellent writing. Let’s see who else picks up on this abuse.
47whitebuffalo said,
March 5, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Ryder, I take no credit for the writing of the Media Statement. Please do share this situation with whoever might be interested. These Traditional Elders are requesting this get into the Press in order to have some impact upon the Tribal Council and others.
Melissa said,
March 6, 2011 at 6:32 pm
I don’t understand this on a soul-level. “Cultural differences.” My God, aren’t we ever going to reach a point where we can embrace one another’s difference?. “Do as you will, so long as you harm no one.” I admit to an enormous ignorance on the whole “reservation” topic, but I can remember as a child being completely bewildered that Native Americans (of course back then we called them Indians) were being made to stay on reservation land and turned into pariahs. Nothing much as changed since my childhood, it seems; it has only become worse. People can argue the points back and forth, the who was here first and who owns the land and blahblahblah….but the point is that NONE of us owns it. We are borrowing it for the cosmic eye-blink that we’ll be here, and then we’re gone. Good Lord, people, if we can teach children to play nice, why can’t we teach adults? Why is it so hard to respect one another? Most of us have experienced some type of prejudice towards us. Don’t we remember how it made us feel? How hard is this, really? (And I’m fully prepared to have someone call me a naive tree-hugger.)
47whitebuffalo said,
March 6, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Hi Melissa, you WONDERFUL tree-hugger! I’ve used “cultural differences” as a sort of umbrella to denote a complex set of longstanding “internal” conflicts that are the result of how Indigenous people dealt with the imposition of the dominant white culture upon them. Some longstanding areas of conflict range from historical treaty signers vs non-treaty signers, mixed bloods versus full bloods, progressive versus non-progressive Indians aka those who accept white cultural demands versus those who do not/did not accept white culture, non-traditionals versus traditional culture people. These are just a few of the areas of division and “cultural differences” that involve fundamental values and world views. Mutual respect might help with communication if all parties decide to find ways to move forward.
lgambill said,
July 17, 2011 at 3:04 pm
thank you for posting this information and links Eva.
I still believe it will take more evolution than revolution for the Lakota to continue on the long trail into the future. Awakened beings in residence will do so much more than posturing vacationers with, one eye scanning for cameras. Thanks again for your advocacy.
47whitebuffalo said,
August 30, 2011 at 12:48 am
Thank you for your kind words and understanding, Igambill.