<+>=<+>KOLA Newslist<+>=<+>
 

[source: NativeNews; Tue, 08 Feb 2000 10:11:48]

From: "Wild Horse" <wild.horse.list@mindspring.com>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2000

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

OST PRESIDENT PROMISES TO DEAL WITH "RENEGADE" COUNCIL!

The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council issued a memorandum to the
Tribe's President and Vice President declaring a continuance
of the January Regular Session of the OST Council meeting.
The regular session was adjourned last Tuesday when chaos
erupted after one of the councilmen motioned for the Tribal
President's impeachment. This meeting marks the second time
that the Council has attempted to impeach the president.

President Harold Salway informed Grass Roots Oglala Lakota
Oyate representatives that he will no longer tolerate the
illegal actions of the "renegade council". If they attempt
to conduct an unauthorized session tomorrow, he promises to
exercise his executive powers to suspend them. The Grass
Roots Oyate have been encouraging Salway to do the right
thing for months.

The Grass Roots Oyate (people) represent a cross-section of
tribal members from all over the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation that are taking a stand against the oppressive
I.R.A. (Indian Reorganization Act - 1934) form of
government. They contend that they have no personal
vendettas against the corrupt tribal officials. For 22 days,
under intense criticism from the Tribal Treasurer and Tribal
Council, the group has shown that they have no intention of
relinquishing the building back to the corrupt officials.
The traditionalists say they are fighting for those that are
too afraid to stand and fight for themselves. In recent
months, several tribal employees have been fired for
"disloyalty", while dozens more have been threatened if they
attempt to support the Grass Roots Oyate.

The group states that the corruption is widespread; from
district offices to the regional offices of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs. Last week, one councilman's spouse was
arrested and charged for D.U.I. and possession of marijuana.
She was released and the tribal court judge dismissed the
possession charge after claiming it was nothing more than
"industrial hemp". The Grass Roots Oyate were not surprised
by this action. They said it is typical of the way the
officials and their immediate families "work" the system.

This evening, a prayer service was conducted in the Red
Cloud Building to honor the late Pete Fills The Pipe, Sr., a
respected elder that supported the grass roots efforts. He
passed away on Sunday, February 6th. Elders spoke to Mr.
Fills The Pipe's family and offered words of encouragement
to remember his diligent work to protect the treaty rights
of the Oglala Lakota Nation. A one-night wake is scheduled
for Thursday, February 10th at Red Shirt School Gymnasium,
followed by funeral services on Friday, February 11th.

The Grass Roots Oyate have requested a meeting with
President Salway and BIA Superintendent Robert Ecoffey for
February 8th to get a status update on their demand for a
full forensic audit for the past five years. The group has
demanded that a "big six" accounting firm conduct the audit
to ensure impartiality.

The Grass Roots Oyate took peaceful control of the tribal
administrative offices of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on January
16, 2000. The group, including elders and children alike,
are monitoring the building in an effort to safeguard all
financial records inside until the audit can be conducted.
The Grass Roots Oyate are charging the Tribal Treasurer
Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs and members of the Tribal Council with
gross misconduct and mismanagement of federal funds
allocated to the members of the Tribe.

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

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

Wadv
Wild Horse

http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate
 

<+>=<+>
Information Pages: http://users.skynet.be/kola/index.htm
Online Petition: http://kola-hq.hypermart.net
Greeting Cards: http://users.skynet.be/kola/cards.htm
<+>=<+>
if you want to be removed from the KOLA
Email Newslist, just send us a message with
"unsub" in the subject or text body
<+>=<+>