Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

On November 17, 2000, I attended an arraignment in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court on two charges which were 2 1/2 years old. Some individuals were drunk or high on drugs raising hell on my homesite, so I called the Rosebud police and reported them.

It took about two hours for an officer to respond. When an officer did it was Officer Joe Farmer, during the time we were telling him of our complaint, the drunk individuals drove by, and Joe left to stop them. After some time we wondered what became of the complaint we filed with Officer Farmer, because the police never picked them up. I was to find out two and a half years later, that Officer Farmer took the side of the intoxicated individuals who came on our property, with no regard to a posted NO TRESPASSING sign.

What my major concern is the fact that me and my wife don't even drink or use drugs, been alcohol and drug free going on 8 years. When we call the police they never respond, so is it favoritism?

During the court arraignment to add salt to the wound, two police officers came to the court room to arrest me on a 7-plus year old speeding ticket. Now how often does that happen?

The speeding ticket they arrested me on was in the amount of $56. This can be viewed as double jeopardy. In the Rosebud Sioux Tribes Law and Order Code, there exists a STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, a class C offense is one year, a class B & A is two years. What is really interesting about this is that if you look for it on the books at the Tribal Office, you cannot find it. But it's a Tribal Law. Some of the past tribal judges are familiar with this statute. I asked Dana Hanna (defense attorney) about this and he did not have it in his books. I checked with Seth Big Crow and asked him of this tribal law. I will give them time to look for it. If this law was amended, there would have been a section on it in the Tribal Code. There isn't. If the Judicial Committee purged it from the books, why is there no record of it anymore on the existing books? You have to search for it at the Office.

I mentioned there would have been a copy of the amendment, but there is not. So it is still there in the Code. I know the Court house knows of the statute.

These questions are being brought up because of the high rate of individuals being arrested on very old warrants and charges, well over two years. Is it possible that some one wants the Tribal Law & Order Code to mirror State Law & Order Codes. What happened to our sovereignty? To our tribal jurisdiction? Can a page be taken out of the Rosebud Sioux Tribes Law & Order Code without the will of the people?

This is not a trivial matter. It is affecting the Civil Rights of the Sicangu Oyate. I encourage anyone who feels they have their civil rights violated to write to John Dulles, Director, Rocky Mountain Regional Office, 1700 Broadway, Suite 710, Denver, Colorado 80290.

We need to focus attention to these issues. I am on the board of trustees of Dakota-Lakota-Nakota Human Rights Advocacy Coalition. Our group is people from all the reservations who are advocates for human rights. Traditional people as well as the American Indian Movement. Plus, we have a network of human rights advocates nationally, as well as international. If you want to contact me, I can help you document your complaint and violation.

/S/Alfred T. Bone Shirt
St. Francis, SD.

[NOTE: Alfred Bone Shirt was initiating a protest against the powerful Catholic community on the Rosebud when he suddenly found himself in jail on an old warrant. Due to economic problems, Alfred lost his phone and therefore his link to the Internet. He says he has not given up, but he finds it curious that local authorities are paying him a lot of adverse attention lately. Following is a letter he dropped off for publication in the Sicangu Sun Times. --PR Gregg-Bear, Sicangu Sun Times editor]