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[source: NativeNews; Thu, 24 Feb 2000 15:41:19]

From: "Wild Horse" <Wild.Horse.list@mindspring.com>
For Immediate Release
February 23, 2000

RED CLOUD BUILDING, PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA:

SISSETON-WAHPETON SIOUX TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR TRIBAL OFFICES!

As the Grass Roots Oyate mark the 38th day of their
nonviolent takeover of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's
administrative offices, their actions have created a
snowball effect among indigenous nations across the United
States and Canada. Yesterday afternoon, a group of
Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Sioux veterans took control of
their tribal offices to protest the corruption taking place within their tribal government. At press time today, South
Dakota law enforcement have surrounded the Sisseton tribal
building, telephone service to the building has been
disconnected and they have cut off food and water supplies
to the building. The veterans contacted the Grass Roots
Oglala Lakota Oyate to seek assistance and advice. The Grass
Roots Oyate has contacted the U.S. Department of Justice -
Community Relations Service Mediator to intervene in what
has turned into a very tense situation.

Spokespeople for the Grass Roots Oyate advised the group to
stay strong and use the Lakota traditional law - the sacred
pipe - to guide them. They further advised them to declare
their sovereign immunity under the guidelines of the 1868
Treaty, as the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Sioux are part of
the Great Sioux Nation. Meanwhile, the Grass Roots Oyate
continue to pray for the Sisseton veterans' safety.

On Monday, visitors arrived from the Rocky Boy Cree
Reservation to observe how the Grass Roots Oyate have
successfully maintained peaceful control of their tribal
building. The Rocky Boy Cree Reservation is located in
northwestern Montana. Although their reservation is small,
their problems are huge. Their tribal government system has
run amuck with gross mismanagement of tribal funds. Their
situation has an eerie similarity to the problems of so many
tribes under the control of the I.R.A. (1934 Indian
Reorganization Act) government system. It is a given that
the corrupt politicians can determine right from wrong. U.S.
Department of Interior Assistant Secretary Kevin Gover put
it best in a recent radio interview, "&it is the I.R.A.
system itself that was set up to fail, to destroy the land
base of the reservations..."

Meanwhile, Harold Salway, President of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe, still refuses to suspend the "renegade" tribal
council for the continuous illegal actions against the
members of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Among the nine
demands, The Grass Roots Oyate are demanding that the entire
Tribal Council be suspended without pay pending a referendum
vote for their removal; the immediate, permanent termination
of Tribal Treasurer Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs; a five-year full
forensic audit of the Tribe's governmental fund types. The
group contends that they will remain in the building until
their demands are met.

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

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