Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

South Dakota - Shortly after the U.S. congress convenes during the first week of September, the House of Representatives will vote on two bills that will affect the transfer of land belonging to the Lakota (Sioux) people to the state of South Dakota.

The Lakota (Sioux) people encamped on La Framboise Island request U.S. citizens to write to Rep. Ron Packard, Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM), leaders of the Joint Committee working on HR 2605 before Labor Day. Writers should ask these congressional representatives to keep Section 505 in the Energy and Water Development budget bill and repeal the first TitleVI. (Background and explanation will follow addresses of representatives.)

Canadian citizens and people from other countries are asked to send letters of support and encouragement to the Oceti Sakowin encampment on LaFramboise Island, with copies to Governor William Janklow and the Capital Journal (Pierre, South Dakota's newspaper.) Janklow has stated publicly many times that he believes the state of South Dakota is under no obligation to honor treaties made with Indians.

BACKGROUND

Since March 22, Lakota people opposed to a transfer of 200,000 acres of their treaty land to the state of South Dakota have camped on La Framboise Island across from the SD state capitol in Pierre. The land was promised "in perpetuity" to the Lakota in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie and "excess land" was again promised to the tribes after the federal government seized thousands of acres of land for a dam system in the 1940s.

A rider slipped into the 40-pound budget bill last fall by South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle authorizes the transfer of the land to the state of South Dakota. The rider was called Title VI, or the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, and State of South Dakota Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Restoration Act.

The Oceti Sakowin Camp on La Framboise Island has been demanding a repeal of the bill.

This summer, in an unexpected move, Representative Ron Packard (R-CA) inserted a repeal. "Section 505" of HR 2605, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill repeals Title VI. However, Senator Daschle has already influenced another joint committee to include a second version of Title VI in a 1999 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in case the first Title VI is repealed. On August 17, the President signed the WRDA bill which would effectively keep the land from being returned to the Great Sioux Nation as promised in treaties.

Both versions of Title VI should be repealed when the joint committee meets in September. Please write letters to Rep. Ron Packard, Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM), leaders of the Joint Committee working on HR 2605.

Urge the committee members to keep Section 505 in the Energy and Water Development budget bill and repeal the first Title VI.

More importantly, also ask them to add language to the bill which will also repeal Title VI of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999. You may send copies to your own Representative and Senators to inform them of the situation.

* Remind them that Title VI was passed in a underhanded manner after the WRDA bill failed to pass the House in 1998 because of treaty issues. Explain that it was passed twice under circumstances which make its legality suspect.

* Remind them that the U.S. is obligated to honor all treaties, including the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 under which the land in question should belong to the Lakota nation. Note that Article VI of the Constitution states that treaties are "the supreme law of >the land."

* Remind them that Lakota people are concerned about two sections of Title VI which contradict each other: Sections 605A, which transfers the land to the state of South Dakota, contradicts Section 605H, which gives Federal legal protection to Native American grave and cultural sites along the river.

* Remind them that six of seven tribes are signatory to the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty and oppose the transfer. Although the U.S. has unilaterally declared the treaty abrogated, the Lakota have never ratified any changes to the treaty because the required three-quarters of Lakota men did not sign off on them.

* Remind them that Lakota people are so concerned about this bill that they have camped as a nonviolent witness since March on La Framboise Island , enduring racist heckling and sacrificing family time, jobs and education to ensure that there is land for future generations of Lakota.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CONGRESS PEOPLE ON JOINT COMMITTEE The Honorable Ron Packard 2372 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-0548 Telephone: 202-225-3906 E-mail: Rep.Packard@mail.house.gov The Honorable Peter J. Visclosky 2313 Rayburn House Office Building Washington D.C. 20515 Telephone: 202-225-2461 The Honorable Pete Domenici 328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC, 20510-3101 Telephone: 202-224-6621 E-mail: senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov The Honorable Harry Reid 528 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Telephone: 202-224-3542 FAX: 202-224-7327 E-mail: senator_reid@reid.senate.gov

ADDRESSES OF OCETI SAKOWIN, GOVERNOR JANKLOW AND CAPITAL JOURNAL Oceti Sakowin 519 East Sioux Ave. PMB 197 Pierre, SD 57501 USA Governor William Janklow 500 East Capital Ave. Pierre, SD 57501 USA Capital Journal 333 West Dakota Ave Pierre, SD 57501 USA