Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

SOUTH DAKOTA - On Saturday October 28, 2000 I was in Sioux Falls, S.D. to attend a day long program sponsored by the South Dakota Peace & Justice Center 605882-2822. The program was held at Calvary Episcopal Cathedral. My interest was the presentation by U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Elsie Meeks & USD Law Professor Frank Pommersheim, titled Civil Rights Report on Criminal Justice for Native American In South Dakota: Renewed Call to Action. Other programs were Death Penalty Reflections, presenter Harley Eagle, Dakota restorative justice advocate, Juvenile Corrections in SD.

After the event I went over to the Sioux Falls convention center, to see how many of Our Sicangu People showed up, it was good to see some of our tribal members there. But during the three hours we were there, that Saturday, we didn't see one Tribal Council representative.

I had heard over the airwaves, at the last Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council meeting, that they voted to get money and travel to go to this event. It bothers the Oyate here on the homelands when the tribal council and administration use excuses, such as this education convention, as a excuse to draw Tribal money and do not go and attend.

We have people here struggling to make ends meet, having a hard time getting ready for the On coming cold weather, looking for a little financial help to get propane, lights, food, winter clothing etc. Only to realize that the unproductive reps, did it again.

It is time that we begin to ask for more accountability, with Rosebud Sioux Tribal funds. Do you think the finance office would release the records on the funds the council representative abuse? Of the unanswered questions I have, why were the charges I filed never brought to the tribal court.

Janel Sully called me in the not too distance past, and they were mentioned, but that was it. I have since filed ethics charges with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe against Russel Eagle Bear. The facts are in black and white, along with his statement of acknowledgement which he did in a council meeting, on June 8, 2000.

What scares me is the present political atmosphere here on the Rosebud. The fact that visibility factors tell me that corruption runs deep here on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Thatit is common practice to buy, or bribe individuals to do the bidding of the administration and council reps. It was not that long ago that I would get a jug of wine from a certain council woman out of the Parmalee area.

It is very sad that a lot of the so-called elected officials won't do any thing unless they are paid. It's just like that ex-council man, that if you give him a Couple of big fat sandwiches and a hand full of change, he will go to the Radio station a do a Song a Dance routine or say what you need him to say. A lot of you know who I am talking about.

I was explaining to some individuals, who were asking about the homeless and alcoholand drug problems we have here on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, about how it fails our people. That the ones running the alcohol program are all in collusion with each other. That Russel Eagle Bear is a council representative, who works for Lionel Bordeaux who is also a rep, but who is also Russels boss since he works for the University, and Lionel is director there.

But the fact remains that Russell has his wife are in the position of Alcohol Program Directors. Being on the RST Council he and Lionels cohorts who also are on the RST Council and can manipulate tribal money to their programs as they see fit.

I have had the opportunity and the honor of knowing most if not all the recent homeless and people who have died due to alcoholism. Remember four were found behind the store in Rosebud and others died in Mission and in fact all throughout our homeland here.

Nothing is being done to stop the problems and abuse. The Alcohol program should be re-evaluated, as something is not working there. It has to be more then a timeclock site.

The tribe got rid of George Keller, which is only a begnning of getting the housing issues in order. The Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council tabled a very important housing and homeless issue on June 5, 2000.

On that tabled issue was the fact that they were going to ask the housing attorney to get hold of the Red Cross for help with emergency housing, possibly help with trailers, and other resources, etc. They tabled it for the community chairmans bogus housing factory, who was trying to get money from the tribe. This was being done with Charlie Colome, another obvious scheme of using the homeless, again an exploitation of our full blood money.

One good thing is that more and more people are seeing the Corruption here on the Rosebud, and We are free and it is our right to ask for outside help in getting these Tribal Programs and officials investigated. The problems here surpass, they don't Equal the problems on our sister, reservation, the Pine Ridge Reservation.

I am sincerely,

Alfred Bone Shirt,
P.O. Box 283, Mission South Dakota 57555
E-mail: aboshirt@gwtc.net