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[source: NativeNews; Thu, 10 Feb 2000 21:23:44]

From: "Wild Horse" <wild.horse.list@mindspring.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 22:05:25 -0700
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 9, 2000

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

FBI AUDIT OF OST FINANCES UNDERWAY!

In a surprise visit today, FBI Supervising Agent Chip Burras
of the Minneapolis regional office met with members of the
Grass Roots Oglala Lakota Oyate (people). He listened
patiently as Lakota grandmothers explained why they are
participating in the occupation of the tribal administrative
offices of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The agents informed the
people that the forensic audit for 1999 was underway. Agent
Burras assured the group that the auditors are going through
every transaction and if there are any signs of
mismanagement, they will find it. The agents stated that
they were planning an afternoon meeting with South Dakota
Civil Rights Commissioner Elsie Meeks to discuss the
situation here.

Meeks, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, has
been conspicuously absent since the occupation began on
January 16, 2000. The Grass Roots Oyate are wondering if she
is letting personal conflicts of interest interfere with her
job duties. The group cites that their civil rights and
basic human rights have been violated since the occupation
began. They asked the FBI agents to bring her to Pine Ridge
Agency to meet with the people.

The Grass Roots Oyate contends that the Tribal Treasurer
Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs and members of the Tribal Council have
formed a steel ring of corruption and embezzlement of
federal funds allocated to the members of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe. The group is confident that they are breaking the
ring, one link at a time. The BIA Superintendent, Robert
Ecoffey, has scheduled an "informal" meeting with the
Tribe's Executive Board, the Tribal Council and the Head
Tribal Judge for tomorrow in Kyle, S.D. Ecoffey stated that
this would be a closed-door meeting to resolve issues that
will allow tribal government to begin again. However, the
Grass Roots Oyate questioned Ecoffey's political agenda for
this meeting. They asked him how he could effectively
resolve these issues without the grass roots people present
at the meeting. He informed the group that these issues were
between the President and the Council. The group reminded
him that they are not occupying the building on the
President's behalf and that resolutions will come when their
demands are met.

Since the beginning of the occupation, critics have argued
that President Salway orchestrated the peaceful takeover of
the tribal building. Contrarily, the group represents the
common people of the reservation. They include elders,
children, men and women that believe that they have
exhausted all remedies to change the current, corruptive
government that has plagued this nation since its inception
in 1934. The group is calling for a return to
self-government or the "Council of 21" system that governed
the tribe long before the Europeans arrived on Turtle
Island.

The Grass Roots Oyate will begin monitoring the financial
activities of the interim tribal treasurer starting on
Thursday, February 10th to ensure that only critical
services are paid. The group stated that they have physical
evidence that shows several Tribal Council members receive
mileage allowances for non-existent trips; several months
worth of monthly auto allowances in one check; multiple
meeting stipends at once, and so on. Meanwhile, the majority
of the tribal members rarely get assistance for basic needs
such as propane heating fuel or food.

The Grass Roots Oyate are in their 25th day of occupation in
the Red Cloud Building. They have stated repeatedly that
they are exercising their authority under the 1868 Treaty at
Fort Laramie to monitor and protect the files in the
building from tampering/destruction. The traditionalists
have declared their sovereign immunity in the building and
the BIA Superintendent acknowledged that it is their
building and they have not broken any laws. The Oglala
Lakota Sioux are one of the few indigenous tribes that still
have an active treaty with the United States government.

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>http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate
 

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