Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Red Cloud Building, Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota - The Grass Roots Oyate, that are still occupying the Red Cloud Building, are doing fine. Supplies were delivered on Monday, March 19th with many thanks. A note was given in explanation that the supplies were happily donated by subscribers of the ndn-aim and other emailing lists and from the ndn-aim Emergency Fund. A listing of all the supplies was also given.

The entire Grass Roots Oyate is under the protection, the guidance and the sacredness of the Canumpa which has an honored placed on the Altar in the Meeting Room.

One has to 'sign in' when entering the building and those Elders in charge are the General Council who make the decisions upon discussion. There is also a head of security.

The Grass Roots Oyate at the building are now in touch with Alfred Bone Shirt of Rosebud Reservation and there is expected dialogue now between the two Reservations.

They are also getting help on many fronts including legal. All is peaceful and there is intensity in discussion on treaties, law and understanding.

We thank everyone for their continued support.

For further information, please contact Wallace Little, Jr. or any Tokala, phone: 605-867-5821. Email address is: groyate@gwtc.net and icq # is 75999256; email and icq are checked daily.

The following is an article that was written about the Lakota Nation in a publication entitled, "UNPO News"; which is an unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization's official Quarterly Publication. This organization is within the United Nations.

Please see related paths below and an article that was published in the October, 2000 publication on the Lakota Nation. Information on the publication itself follows the article.

Unpo - Lakota Nation
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
UNPO - Member page for Lakota Nation

UNPO Member - Lakota Nation
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Lakota Spiritual Leaders Call for Peace and Unity

UNPO - Article
LAKOTAS DEMAND TRUE DEMOCRACY
THE IMPOSED TRIBAL COUNCIL SYSTEM FALTERS

The principle of democracy is based on the freedom of people to choose. But how is democracy defined within aboriginal nations in North America? The current system of leadership was ' imposed' on them by the Canadian and U.S. governments.

Traditional governments still exist, but are not recognized by the federal governments and those who are associated with it are subject to investigation, surveillance and harassment. A group within the Lakota nation has taken action in their own hands, calling for true participation in the election of their leaders.

Lakotas Take Action

Events precipitated by serious mis-allocation of funds by the elected band council led to a takeover on January 16, 2000 of the Red Cloud Building where the elected government is situated on Pine Ridge reservation. The occupying group consists of revered elders, traditional spiritual leaders, and community members of all ages. They continue to occupy the building, and state they will remain until their demands for reform are met.

Community members of Pine Ridge are standing up for the true representation of their peoples. Debra White Plume, an Oglala Lakota, comments: " Many of us have decided that we will no longer be held hostage by such a system...Many of us have decided that the system which takes our people hostage has to be taken down and replaced with a system that will provide all the people with justice. "

Why Is It An Unfair And Flawed System?

The imposed Tribal Council system controls everything, removing people at will from jobs or elected positions, and is protected by sovereign immunity. Its problems are rooted in the history of its imposition by the United States. Treaty Council members, the traditional leadership, maintain that the present system is illegal and say that a sovereign government must be based on the 1851 and 1868 Treaties with the U.S.A.

The U.S. government forced elections on many reservations, including Pine Ridge. According to an article written by Lakota writer, Charmaine White Face, one account states that on October 27,1934, elections were held at the Pine Ridge Agency to determine if the Oglala Sioux people would live under a constitutional form of government. Of the total voting population of 4,075, only 1,169, or 28.7 % said yes. This clearly was not a majority of the voters. However, in violation of its own laws, the U.S. imposed its will and the IRA government became the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council.

S. Lyman Tyler in his History of Indian Policy (1973) found that: " The philosophy of the IRA itself was violated in that the Indians did not play a truly significant part in preparing these documents. As a result the meaning of these instruments of government was often quite foreign to them."

"A voting practice discriminates if it denies [an] equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of its choice", said Laughlin McDonald of the American Civil Liberties Union. It is evident from Pine Ridge that the needs of the people are not being met with the Tribal Council system. The takeover of the Red Cloud building could quickly set an example for reservations across the U.S. and for aboriginal groups in Canada, many of whom are beset with the same conditions of unwanted governments and corruption.

UNPO is an organization of nations and peoples not adequately represented in the international community. It was founded in 1991 by these same unrepresented nations and peoples to promote their aspirations through peaceful means. UNPO is a non-aligned organization dedicated to non-violent programs and solutions. It offers a forum for those unrepresented nations and peoples without a voice in international fora such as the United Nations. It also serves as a community of support for those who have long felt alone in their struggles.

The UNPO News is an alternative news source in which member situations, circumstances and aspirations are presented to the world.