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[source: AIM_AUTONOMOUS_PA@onelist.com; Mon, 07 Feb 2000 10:53:57]

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2000
Red Cloud Building, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota:

GRASS ROOTS OYATE MOURN FOR LOSS OF TREATY ELDER.

There is a respectful silence in the Red Cloud Building today as the people
received word that Pete Fills The Pipe, Sr., 89, passed away in his sleep in
the early hours of February 6th.

His father, the late Fills The Pipe (Christian name: William) an original
treaty signer, fought for the rights of his nation. His son followed in his
footsteps to become a respected elder that stood by the Grass Roots Oyate in
their struggle to uphold the treaty rights granted in the 1868 Treaty at Fort
Laramie. He came to the tribal building every day and always greeted everyone
with a warm smile and a hearty handshake. He was respectfully referred to as
Leksi (uncle) by relatives and non-relatives alike. He lived with the
traditional way of thinking that says, "when one takes his journey to the
spirit world, the others must pick up the eagle staff and continue on." His
wisdom and daily encouragement will be greatly missed.

In other news, the Grass Roots Oglala Lakota Oyate passed a resolution today
that will stop all payments and salaries to the Oglala Sioux Tribe's (OST)
Executive Board and members of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council effective
immediately. The group stated that the OST Executive Board and the Tribal
Council took a sworn oath to uphold the OST Constitution. Article I, Section
7 states: "it shall be the duty of the tribal council and each member thereof
to promote the general welfare of the Sioux of this reservation and to carry
out the provisions and purposes of this constitution and by-laws." Further,
Article IV, Section 1 states: "the salaries and expense payments of the
councilmen and other officers of the Oglala Sioux Tribe may be paid out of
available funds of the tribe in accordance with ordinances duly enacted,
provided that no council shall enact any ordinance increasing the salaries or
per diem expense payments of councilmen during the existing term of office."
The Grass Roots Oyate stated that the members of the Tribal Council and
Executive Board have grossly violated their oath of office by holding illegal
sessions; borrowing several thousand dollars at a time from their illegal
"monthly auto allowance"; submitting up to seven travel authorization forms a
day for non-existent trips; taking unauthorized actions against tribal
employees and members of the Tribe.

On February 5th, traditional treaty headsmen gathered from the Great Sioux
Nation and proclaimed that the new millenium marks a renewed commitment to
maintaining traditional values and a return to self-government. Several
headsmen spoke to the Grass Roots Oyate and encouraged them to stay strong
and continue in the footsteps of their ancestors.

The Grass Roots Oyate are in the 21st day of their peaceful occupation of the
tribal administrative offices of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. They have vowed to
remain in the building until their demands are met. Some of the nine demands
include the immediate, permanent removal of Tribal Treasurer Wesley "Chuck"
Jacobs; suspension of the entire Tribal Council pending impeachment by
referendum vote; abolishment of the I.R.A. (Indian Reorganization Act) form
of government that has oppressed the Lakota people for 66 years. Members of
the council and executive board are frustrated with the fact that the people
have not been physically removed from the building. OST Public Safety
officials informed them that no laws have been broken, the building belongs
to the members of the Tribe. The group remains inside under "traditional
law", the sacred pipe.

The OST Council has scheduled an illegal special session for Tuesday,
February 8th in Kyle, S.D., without the approval of the OST President Harold
Salway. Tribal district members have vowed to have them arrested if they
attempt to meet in any of the nine tribal districts.

The Grass Roots Oyate have re-established the "full lockdown" effective
tomorrow, February 7th, with no employees allowed in the Red Cloud Building.
They claim that the agreement with tribal officials was to allow only a
skeletal staff in the building to perform manual financial services. Last
week, employees removed computer disks from the building and the Tribe's
contracted C.P.A. John Donham was caught attempting to gain access to the
computer mainframe in the building's basement. The group's objective is to
protect the financial records in the building until a full forensic audit of
all governmental fund types can be performed.

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

As with all my posts concerning the Occupation Peoples please forward to any
and all interested parties in its entirety

Wadv
Wild Horse

http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate
 

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