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The Fourth of July
activities were a celebration of the survival of our way of life, and
provided the opportunity for everyone to begin the dialogue of
working collectively to protect our sacred lands, and thus, ourways
of life.
Chief Oliver Red
Cloud spoke to the hundreds of people gathered there in the hot,
blinding sun that was made even hotter by the blowing winds that
rarely cease swirling around Mato Paha. He reminded all that this
land is 1851 and 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty Land, retained by our
ancestors and our Cheyenne and Arapaho allies for us and our generations.
A noted historian
in the West, Rex Allan Smith, told stories of his young manhood when
he knew and spoke with our Grandfathers when they were middle-aged
men telling of their war stories: Battle of the Greasy Grass (Little
Big Horn), Wagon Box Fight, Battle of 100 Dead. He also spoke of how
it is important for not only Indians but the SD and US citizens to
protect bear Butte from the continuing encroachment. Smith spoke of
the dignity of the Lakota people and urged all to continue that
dignity in spite of the oppression facing the people and the land today.
Many speakers
shared their wisdom, courage, and respect that day. Rosalie Little
Thunder, Lakota leader and activist, spoke of how we learn humanity
from this Mountain. Attorneys Tom Van Norman and Bruce Ellison
addressed the crowd regarding their lawsuit seeking a referendum vote
in Meade County for liquor/malt beverage licenses. Nick Tilsen on the
Lakota Action Network spoke of how many tribal nations and
traditional people came together to fight the beer and liquor
licenses for the Broken Spoke Saloon owner Jay Allen, the Glencoe
Campground expansion of owner Gary Lippold, and how the Meade County
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve those applications in the
face of opposition of not only tribal nations, but many Meade County
residents as well. He said he was traveling that day to the
Indigenous Environmental Network conference as Cass Lake, Minnesota
and would word of the Gathering of Nations to Defend Bear Butte to
allies over there.
Families from many
tribal nations, traditional societies, spiritual societies, and many
American environmentalist groups and individuals had been at Mato
Paha for days, some for weeks, preparing the campground for the
Gathering’s Opening Ceremonies. Many will stay for the Summit of
Nations on August 1-4, some will leave to return home, and be back
again as time permits. Some traveled for days only to stay and pray
for a day or two. All came with the strongest weapon of all-love for
the land and ancient way of life.
There was a Making
of Relatives ceremony, Bucky Means from the Cheyenne River Sioux
Tribe took Alex White Plume, Oglala Lakota, from Pine Ridge, as his
Uncle, to fill the vacancy in his life, he said, from the deaths of
his Uncles. Amid the many tents, tipis, and RV’s, people talked
and laughed awaiting the supper meal of buffalo soup and fry bread.
Following the meal, the evening hours were devoted to the young
people at camp.
There were many
songs shared by Jenny Ghost Bear, a young Mayan couple from Mexico,
James Roy, Misun Bowker, and speeches by Wani Loud Hawk, TJ Afraid of
Hawk, Vic Camp, Russell Blacksmith and many others. The older folks
sat under the arbor or by their nearby camps, watching the brilliant,
beautiful Star Nation move slowly across the sky.
TJ Afraid of Hawk
spoke of a day when she was faced with folks on her “rez”
who were casting doubt on the organizing work she was doing around
the issue of stopping the desecration of Bear Butte. She said her
daughter was holding a rose, and she pointed the rose at her
mothers’ heart and said, “this is your heart, you pray with
your heart; this is your head, you think with your brain; use your
heart and your brain, and never give up”. Unknown to TJ and her
young daughter, many grandmothers in camp shed quiet tears, their
hearts strengthened by this young girl who encouraged her mother, and
us all, with her words of wisdom.
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Debra White Plume
Owe Aku, Bring
Back the Way
Manderson, SD 57756-0325
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