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[source: NativeNews; Fri, 28 Jan 2000 20:42:02]

From: "Wild Horse" <wild.horse.list@mindspring.com>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2000

Red Cloud Building, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota:

On January 26th, Oglala Sioux I.R.A.Tribal President Harold Salway
and BIA Superintendent Robert Ecoffey met with the Grass Roots
Oglala Lakota Oyate to bring news on the status of the removal of
the Tribal Treasurer and members of the Tribal Council for long-term
gross misconduct and mismanagement of federal funds allocated
to the members of this Tribe.

Mr. Salway and the Executive Committee were under tribal court order
to meet concerning the treasurer's fate. Salway had promised to
suspend the Tribal Treasurer if he could form a quorum for the meeting.
However, Salway stated that he was unable to reach all of the committee
members and could not form a quorum. To date, the committee has not
met. Mr. Salway informed the people that ".self-government or traditional
government will never work on this reservation. The people are not ready
for it. The I.R.A. (Indian Reorganization Act) government is all we have."

One of the tribal grandmothers invited renowned international lawyer,
Germaine Tremmel to attend the meeting and speak on behalf of the
Grass Roots Oyate. She drilled Salway and Ecoffey on their authoritative
powers. She pointed out to that since Ecoffey is an enrolled tribal member
of the Oglala Sioux Tribe that there is a conflict of interest due to his
personal friendships with the accused and that he has failed to uphold
his trust responsibility to protect the well being of the tribal members.
Mr. Ecoffey's stated, "I don't feel that I have a conflict of interest. I am
impartial. I am only a messenger in this situation. I have no power over
the Tribal Council, Tribal Treasurer, or the Tribal President. If the people
don't like my answers, there are proper procedures to file complaints to
have me removed." He further stated, "The people have not broken the
law. You entered this building in a peaceful way. This building belongs
to you."

Ms. Tremmel elaborated on the laundry list of federal and tribal laws
that the Tribal Treasurer and the Tribal Council have violated. She stated
that the list grows each day that we remain in the tribal building. She
requested that from this day forward, the superintendent, as well as
president, put all their information in writing to the Grass Roots Oyate.
She reassured the people that they had every legal right under the 1868
Treaty of Ft. Laramie to occupy the tribal building and that the contents
belong to the people, including everything in the Tribal Treasurer's office.

The Grass Roots Oglala Lakota Oyate are in their 12th day of maintaining
control of the Red Cloud Building, the Tribe's primary administrative office.
The building remains on lockdown for the 4th day. No tribal council
members, the tribal treasurer or employees are allowed in the building.
Their sole purpose of occupying the building is to protect and maintain
financial files, pending a full forensic audit of the indirect and general
fund accounts that directly implicate the tribal officials. They are
demanding
the immediate, permanent removal of Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs as treasurer
and several Tribal Council members for long-term, widespread corruption.
On January 18th, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation did
confiscate some files from the basement of the tribal building. However,
the people have confirmed that the real evidence remains in the treasurer's
overly secured office.

Today, spokespeople for the Grass Roots Oyate, spoke with government
officials in Washington, D.C. and proclaimed their sovereign immunity
and declared a "State of Emergency" for our nation. Under the guideline
of the 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty, the President of the United States and
the Secretary of the Interior must take immediate action to protect the
general welfare of the tribe. On January 25th, an order was given to the
BIA superintendent requesting that he assume temporary financial
services (medical, burial expenses) for the tribe. He maintains that he
has no power to do this. Ms. Tremble reassured the Grass Roots Oyate
that it is within this scope of authority.

Meanwhile, Jacobs and members of the Tribal Council maintain their
innocence and refuse to resign from office. A regular session of the
Tribal Council is scheduled to begin January 31st at Billy Mills Hall in
Pine Ridge Agency, SD.

The Grass Roots Oyate stand for the "silent majority" that has been
oppressed by this I.R.A. government for 65 years. Calls of support and
prayers have poured in from other reservations, the U.S. and countries
all over the world. We stand united and will remain in the Red Cloud
Building until their demands are met.

For further information, please contact Floyd Hand or Media Relations
Coordinator, Dale Looks Twice at (605) 867-5303.

As with all posts concerning the Occupation People, Please forward
this to all interested parties in its entirety

Wadv
Wild Horse

Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate
http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate

===

[source: NativeNews; Fri, 28 Jan 2000 20:49:39]

From: ErthAvengr@aol.com

RAPID  CITY  JOURNAL
Friday January 28

POLICE  INVESTIGATE  SHOOTING

No arrests have been made in a shooting that injured an Oglala
man early Wednesday.

The victim, Rydell Eagle Hawk, was shot in the lower right leg just
after midmight about two blocks east of the tribal administration
building, where protesters have been camped for nearly two weeks.
Eagle Hawk has been providing security for the building.

However, Capt. Stanley Star of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Police said
Thursday that the shooting appears to be unrelated to the occupation.
Eagle Hawk told police that two American Indian men had accosted
him at a nearby trailerhouse.

"According to the victim, he said they had asked him what gang he
was affiliated with, and then they accused him of being a member of
the TBZ gang."Star said.

Eagle Hawk said one of the men then pulled a handgun and began
firing at him.

Eagle Hawk walked to tribal headquarters after the shooting. Star
said the incident is under investigation.

Pine Ridge police have been busy with several recent deaths as
well. Autopsy results for Andra Crazy Bear, 30, who was found dead
at Kyle on Sunday, indicate that she died of exposure., Star said.
No foul play is suspected.

Meanwhile, an investigation continues into a weekend house fire at
Manderson. The body of 34- year old Eunice Chase Alone was found
in the house, which investigators said was destroyed by fire.

Star said no cause of death has  been determined yet. " We're still
following leads on that, " he said. As for foul play, " it hasn't been
ruled out, and it hasn't been determined a homicide either. Not at
this point, anyway."

===

[from Kenn Jolemore via FN.]

LAKOTA  ELDERS  ASKED TO MEDIATE SIT-IN

RAPID  CITY JOURNAL
Saturday January 29
By Jim Kent
Special to the Journal

Lakota elders have been asked to mediate between the Oglala
Sioux Tribal government and protesters who have occupied the
tribe's headquarters building since Sunday, Jan.16.

No date has been set for the meeting, but Grey Eagle Society
official Elaine Quiver said that it is likely to occur within the next
week.

Porcupine District Council representatives Marlin Weston and
Phillip Good Crow on Thursday asked the Grey Eagle Society to
intervene in the dispute.

They said they would formally ask Tribal President Harold Dean
Salway for a meeting with the protesters from the Grass Roots
Lakota Oyate group to be monitored by the Grey Eagles.

The Grey Eagle Society, which includes many of the elders on the
reservation, is frequently called upon by the tribal government for
consultation and assistance in resolving sensitive issues involving
political decisions, cultural history and treaty rights.

At Porcupine on Thursday, 40 Grey Eagle Society members
discussed the status of the tribal office takeover and offered their
opinions on the issues brought to light by the occupation.

Good Crow and Weston said that mediation is necessary to end
the takeover, which they say has brought the reservation to a stand-still.

"I'd like to ask the Grey Eagles to get us together," said Weston.
"There's a lot of things affecting a lot of people as a result of this. My
district people are having serious health problems. They need money
to get health care."

Weston said the occupation of the tribe's Red Cloud Administration
Building is affecting resident's ability to obtain money necessary for
a variety of needs including kidney dialysis treatment. He and Good
Crow agreed that the inabililty of council members to enter the building
also was having a direct effect on the operation of the tribe.

Primary among the protesters' demands is the removal of tribal
Treasurer Wesley " Chuck" Jacobs, who they accuse of mismanagement
and mishandling of funds along with unspecified members of the tribal
council. The Grass Roots Lakota Oyate ( People) protest group also
has demanded a complete audit of all Oglala Sioux  Tribe financial
records to include the tribe's General Fund.

The General Fund is made up of money collected from a variety of
sources including taxes and tribal casino revenues. Tribal critics claim
millions of dollars pour into the fund each year but there is little or no
accountability for how that money is distributed.

Jacobs and members of the OST Tribal Council have denied the group's
allegations and demanded that the tribe's Public Safety Department
remove the protesters from the Red Cloud Administration Building.
Although police units were sent to cordon off the block in front of the
building after the group received threatening phone calls, no move has
been made to enforce the order to vacate signed by the tribe's Chief
Judge Patrick Lee.

Harvey White Woman, a spokesman for the Grass Roots Lakota Oyate,
said that tribal employees had initially been allowed into the building, but
acknowledged that no one is permitted access now.

"We gave employees the opportunity to come in and do the work they
were required to do," White Woman said. "We even requested that a
court order be issued requiring employees to come in, but nothing ever
came of that."

White Woman insists that the employees' failure to enter the Red Cloud
Administration Building has less to do with the presence of the protesters
than it does with fear of reprisal.

"People have received threats that they would be fired if they returned
to work," White Woman said. Regardless of which view is the most
accurate, the fact remains that no progress has been made in the
stalemate for almost two weeks.

The tribal council is scheduled to vote Monday, Jan.31 on whether
Jacobs should be removed from office. Impeachment proceedings
also may be considered against OST President Salway, who has
been accused of misappropriating relief funds for victims of the June
1999 tornado at Oglala.

--0--

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