|
Whereas,
the Oglala Sioux Tribe has adopted its Constitution and By-Laws by
referendum vote on December 14, 1935, in accordance with Section 16
of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and Article IV of the
Constitution, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council is the governing body
of the Pine Ridge Reservation, and
Whereas,
the Oglala Sioux Tribe is empowered through the 1934 Indian
Reorganization Act to represent the membership of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe, which includes the future generations of the people who are
unborn, and
Whereas,
our ancestors were free, sovereign, natural people who in their
daily lives strived to live in a respectful way an observance of our
natural laws as brought to us by Pte San Win, sent to us in a time of
need by Tunkasila to show our people how to live in a good way, and
Whereas,
these sacred teachings have been handed down from generation to
generation. Throughout the decades of making war with the United
States of America our ancestors fought the 7th Calvary and eventually
we took their flag at the Greasy Grass, known to history as the
Battle of the Little Big Horn. Since that time, although thousands of
our people have entered the U.S. Armed Forces to fight for this
beautiful land, as Lakota Oyate we still must fight the U.S.
government and their entities for our way of life which includes the
freedom to live our spiritual ways. Throughout the early reservation
days, many of our brave, humble, visionary people lived these ways of
live at the risk of imprisonment, and so taught our people how to
live a spiritual way according to the teachings of Pte San Win. When
our ancestors entered the reservation to live under the War
Department of the United States, the Lakota Oyate came with two
items. One, the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe. The other, a star
map. This star map teaches our Nation how to live a Spiritual Way of
Life here on Earth, mirroring that which occurs in the Star Nation, and
Whereas,
on this Star Map are geographic locations which are Sacred to the
Lakota Nation, and which mirror the Stars in the Sky. Each
geographical location corresponds exactly with a Star Constellation.
When the Stars are in a certain place in the Sky, we here on Earth
must be in the corresponding location on Earth in order to conduct
the sacred ceremony on Earth that is being conducted in the Sky
within the Star constellation, and
Whereas,
among these sacred places on Earth is a place we call Mato Paha, or
Bear Butte in the English language. As the Star Nation moved through
the Sky, we moved through our sacred places throughout the He Sapa.
As we our people moved through the oldest mountains on Earth, we
gathered food, game, and medicine to take us through the Autumn and
early months of Winter. As we moved through the Sacred He Sapa, our
Autumn destination was Mato Paha. We gathered (and gather today)
there at Mato Paha. As we camped there, Mato Paha became known as Pte
Pute Ya for about one months’ time, when we departed, the Sacred
Mountain again became Mato Paha. As the Stars in the Sky moved
through the Universe, the sacred time of the He Sapa reflecting the
sacred cycle of the Star Nation had come full circle, and we again
dispersed to our Winter Camps to begin the journey anew. While our
people were at Pte Pute Ya, decision making councils were conducted
to decide important business of the Tiospaye, Bands, and Oceti
Sakowin. In today’s language, we did strategic and long range
planning while camped at this Sacred Mountain, and
Whereas,
our leaders of those not-so-long-ago-days were careful to include
these sacred places in the 1851 and 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaties with
the United States government. It is still our responsibility to take
care of these sacred places, these places are still in our Treaty
Territory, and
Whereas,
the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council stands opposed to the development of
any of these sacred places. At the current time, Bear Butte is being
considered as a place to build a commercial enterprise, known as the
“Sacred Grounds”. It will be a campground, concert venue,
and biker bar built by Jay Allen to open in 2006. Allen also plans to
build additional smaller bars near Bear Butte, as well as a tipi
village and an 80-foot tall statue of an American Indian.
Therefore be it resolved,
the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council does hereby direct the President of
the Oglala Sioux Tribe to immediately notify all appropriate city,
county, state, and federal officials of its opposition to any
development of our Sacred Mountain; to immediately develop and
implement a strategic plan to continue such opposition as needed in
the future regarding the Sacred Mountain of Mato Paha (Bear Butte)
and all other sacred places to the Lakota Oyate; and to immediately
communicate this threat to our sacred way of life to the other tribal
governments which also hold sacred these location’s and to
develop and implement a collaborative relationship with such tribes
to stand opposed to any desecration of our sacred places, and
Be it further resolved,
The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council directs the President of the Oglala
Sioux Tribe to initiate work immediately that will result in the
creation of a reasonable buffer zone around all sacred places in our
Treaty Territory to protect the dignity of these locations as our
place of worship similar to how there are American laws in place that
protect churches, synagogs, schools, hospitals, etc. Such buffer
zones will include a prohibition of further development, the approval
of liquor licenses, any form of pornography, violence, environmental
pollution, and a noise level which is unacceptable to sacred places
and other actions to be determined, and to consider such buffer zone
consideration as an environmental preservation area, and
Be it further resolved,
the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council directs the President of the Oglala
Sioux Tribe to report monthly to the tribal council, district
councils, and other appropriate entities regarding the status of such activity.
C-E-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N
I, as undersigned
Secretary of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe, hereby certify that this Resolution was adopted by the vote
of: 15 For; 0 Against; 0 Abstain; and 0 Not Voting during a special
session held on the 27th day of September 2005.
Rhonda J. Two
Eagle, Secretary, Oglala Sioux Tribe
ATTEST: Alex White
Plume, Acting President Oglala Sioux Tribe
Resolution Text
Copy From
Owe
Aku: Bring Back the Way
|
