One of the most wrongful and harmful actions that the United States (U.S.) did to us was to try to take our memory away from us of who we are. If it wasn’t for some courageous men and women, all the knowledge of who we are would be lost. In the late 1800s and early 1900s to the1950s, an Oceti Sakowin (Sioux) person could be jailed or worse for teaching their children or grandchildren our language, our ceremonies, how to pray, to attend our spiritual ceremonies, and especially talking about the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty.
When I was a child, my grandmother, Maggie, always called the United States (US), the ‘enemy.’ She was the one who taught me who I was as Oglala Tituwan Oceti Sakowin (AKA Sioux), and also about the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. At first I didn’t understand why she called the US the ‘enemy’. All three of her children, including my father, had been in the military service during World War II, and her husband, my grandpa, had served dring World War I. But as I got older and heard the stories about the boarding schools, about the Wounded Knee Massacre, and experienced racism myself on the first day of first grade, I finally started learning what exactly she meant.
Hello Everyone, First, I want to publicly thank Ryan White Feather for his frequent donations for postage. We have always been blessed with generosity from some of our people. The late Denver American Horse always, once a month, sent a book of stamps. These are the unsung heroes who continue to help with the work
Re: Financing of Reparations owed to victims of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law
Dear Sir
This is submitted in response to your request for Inputs to examine the question of the financing of reparations owed to victims of serious violation of human rights and humanitarian law. The perspective of financing for reparations is incomplete. Reparations also present the opportunity for restoration and nation-building. You touch on this briefly in your questionnaire.
Hello everyone
Hoping you are warm and prepared for a long, cold, snowy winter. We have been spoiled by the last two years with very little snow and the extreme cold. We have to follow what our ancestors did and always be prepared. That means having enough food, water, and fuel to get us through these extreme times. Yes, these are the kind of things we would be talking about if we were able to gather for a big meeting. But with the Covid still ravaging the people, it is safer to just send out this newsletter. The good part is that the UN is now doing Zoom calls and accepting emailed documents, so we are able to participate more. The attached documents would be the handouts on a table. This is an update on our participation at the UN since our last newsletter on July 23,2022
Dear Mr. Biden,
When reading your Proclamation regarding Indigenous Peoples, for a second there was a spark of hope that this time we might be free. Then we read on and cold water was poured on that spark of hope when you continued with words that refer only to the "Tribes" your government created in the Wheeler-Howard Act of 1934. It was also called the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) and means the "tribal governments" that Act created without our consent. This is a major Human Rights violation.
presentation at the Encounter of Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala for Self Determination - Decolonization - June 7, 2022
Continental Commission Abya Yala