Indigenous Exchange
Father Sky takes care of Mother Earth, perhaps first, before she even creates her plentiful environment. Father Sky looks out from all angles watering and moistening her fertile landscape. She then spreads her seeds with the help of his winds, while those who have been nourished by the communal unification assist Father Sky in pollinating her hills and valleys with blessings. Thus, all of life too, gathers, grows, loves and fertilizes from the blessings of the two great ones carry on the circle Father Sky has created by enveloping Mother Earth.
And then, as Mother Earth appears exhausted with the prospect of one more season to be born, Father Sky cools off all of earthly existence and energy, blanketing the north, or the south as is need, and together they create calm—called winter.
Father Sky steadfastly proves his endurance to Mother Earth, and she rewards him with a vast beauty that together they name, "Spring". This is Mother's way of cuddling Father Sky, by captivating him with wondrous scents, visions, and the awesome ability to produce a grand explosion—such as life in all its forms—all fantastic, all in the name of love.
Father sky is so touched tears are rendered in the form of rain. Father Sky blows his enthusiastic whirlwinds and raises clouds in fabulous billows. Love, and the great one's inextricable connection bear the fruits of their devotion; their pleasure in always giving and always receiving; to and from each other, to all that lives within their creation.
Now, if this symbolism (misnomer: language) of all that is in balance, and why it is in balance, and how to live our lives is hard to discern, than surely we will break at the seams. All that holds our own system, our own belief, is our understanding of this chemistry and our own ability to sustain this amazing duality (balance) and to carry it out in our lives by live it.
With fathers and mothers in such crisis, the balance is without faith in our greatest role models.
Mother Earth
To Promote Healthy Indigenous Communities
Buying or Selling the Black Hills
I again read with interest an article in the May 4th Sioux City Journal of another scheme to make payment on the Black Hills to the “Sioux Nation”. According to the report, a May 3rd meeting was attended by 80 Sioux City individuals; perhaps some with “Sioux” ancestry and maybe others enrolled members in one of the various bands making up these indigenous people. This a third or fourth attempt by the federal government or legal entities to persuade stack-holders that a sale of the Black Hills would somehow satisfy all involved. I find this most recent sales approach even more interesting than its predecessors.
In 1980, a court ruling “awarded” the Nakota (Nakota, DaNakota, Dakota, and Lakota; misnomer “Sioux”) Nation $105 million for the Black Hills and/or western South Dakota-now with rumors of an ever-increasing “interest” payment, may be coming along with it. This settlement issue is dangled in front of these nations every few years, the government hoping to fool a few into “selling out” for a minute amount of what the Lakota People’s Black Hills and western South Dakota homelands - is actually worth. (See 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie go to see 1851Treaty.com).
This has been such a hot button for outside interest in the often referred to “sacred” Black Hills, including private individuals, corporations, and the federal government alike for reasons like: nine trillion dollars worth of gold taken from the Black Hills and currently sitting as stolen property in Fort Knox, Kentucky (if that too hasn’t been looted); eight trillion in other resources having been pilfered from these same Treaty lands; three trillion in timber (ongoing); and nearly one trillion in uranium for nuclear bombs/contamination has been taken in violation of Article VI of the U.S. Constitution; not to forget the priceless Oglala Aquifer with billions of gallons of pristine underground water--all the congressional “water acts” steal from every day, or the tourist industry recreating dinosaur land, the wild west, or the carving of a number of large heads looming against this beautiful backdrop. Can we say to date, all that’s been removed can add up to trillions, but the actual loss?priceless. Questionable is how any of these extractions, including rabid tourism has enhanced the lives of the Indigenous population?
This time a lawyer, Don Kettering, according to the May 4 Journal article, is hoping to entice struggling Dakota Indians in Sioux City with grandiose fantasies of money. In other words, selling-out their grandchildren’s Treaty birthright for a short term financial boost at the expense of generations (past or future) of spiritual, emotional and physical coexistence with one of the seven great wonders of the world-the Black Hills. With a little integrity and self-discipline a simple referral to a credit enhancement organization can improve credit issues, and certainly a more honorable solution to those being posed this sort of solution to “selling off” the Black Hills once again. Of course, this could be the answer for attorneys either financially strapped, or needing a hot case with which to build a reputation. I suppose in such instances, lawyers look to attain one third to one half of any award, so their motives are as ever, financial.
Is this the lowly means a fledgling, small town Yankton attorney needs to stoop to in order to gain attention and continue a “trail of tears” yet abated? I recognize the attempt to filch from the weak and innocent. And morally, why would anyone try to get another human being to accept such a small amount of money for something with as immense a value anyway? To see if trust has been reestablished between our peoples?
A legitimate law firm would more likely pressure the government and its Department of Defense (Bureau of Indian Affairs funding is budgeted from DOD) to stop writing “promissory notes” to Indian Nations and tribes to weasel out of treaty requirements so that money can be sent to secure oil from Iraqis for Halliburton and Exxon Mobil.
In 1834, a federal court ruling awarded the Red Lake Ojibwe Indian Nation $134 million dollars for taken lands. In the late 1990’s, the “award” damages were paid by the u.s. government, and of course, in accordance with law, there was no “interest” included along with it. And, although the hopes of an interest payment coming down the pike was bandied about by lawyers, tribal council members, etc., none was ever more than conjecture, or released from the federal coffers. The whole notion is now dead in the water.
At the very least, land is a perpetual asset to the people. Leveraged to grow enterprises or as lease payments, or tax dollars to the tribes, Indian Country may recoup some of what has been removed, and better the financial prospects of Indigenous folk. This “per cap” style of looking at such a sellout as anything but sleazy, says little has changed between greed and dealing with the “needy”.
The 1851 Treaty was unanimously agreed upon by all involved. This is the treaty that formally declared the Black Hills Lakota territory. The only way to abolish the Treaty would be for all Nakota to unanimously relinquish it?a feat that could never be done. The Treaty is not broken, it is merely violated daily.
Obviously, the small Yankton legal assistant has not reviewed the issue thoroughly to understand that the Lakota Nation knows the insignificant “award” is insane and that any “interest accrued” on this paltry sum is imaginary, non-existent - except in the minds of the ignorant and misguided.
