Defenders of the Black Hills  - Hesapa O'nakijin

      Since Jim Kent has resigned and Roxanne was not present, Nancy Kile took notes.
   1. Opening Prayer
   2. Introductions

          Charmaine
          Nick
          Mark
          Ti
          Mikayla
          Mdonna
          Avaleena
          Nancy
          Laurette
          Tonia
          Mitchell
          Mark Tilsen
          Jeremy and Whitney (Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, Laramie, WY)

   3. Discussion on Direct Action Ideas

      As the situation at Bear Butte is in the forefront, and as there were new members at the meeting because they had heard of the situation at Bear Butte, then we planned a number of activities about Bear Butte.
   4. Sportsman Complex Meeting

      Charmaine: ?Here is what I came up with off notes I kept yesterday. I am willing to share recording duties with Aveleena and Brian (her son) from Spearfish. We think between us three, we will be able to cover. Aveleena will speak with Brian and confirm.?

      Group consensus, after Charmaine's summarization of the Sturgis Sportsmen complex meeting in Sturgis, was to put Bear Butte in the forefront of issues.
   5. A Prayer Day at Bear Butte is being planned by committee.

      Nancy will contact Day of Prayer committee members, set up meeting in Sturgis next week, to be hosted at Kile residence. (Email, faxes, etc. will be sent to the group for this Day.)
   6. Youth support and ?Ring of Camps?

      Madonna agreed to gather support from our youth and work on the goal of a "Ring of Camps" at Bear Butte June 26. (We will need a committee to help her. Any volunteers? Will discuss this at another meeting.)
   7. Mass alert e-mailing, website links to campaigns

      Nick explained some processes and stressed the power of mass alert e-mailing relative to grass roots movements. Nick will further develop the Defenders website to offer links and addresses for letter campaigns. Nick agreed to draft fact sheets on the forefront issues. Charmaine will edit letters for all levels: Elementary school, high school, college, elders.
   8. Letter writing campaign

      This prompted further discussion of letter writing campaign to create awareness and educate non-native community leaders, consensus agreed personal story impact is important to crossing cultural lines. (Who to do this?)
   9. Defenders picture donated for banner

      Corbin Conroy donated picture for the Defenders banner (4x5feet) and logo which was the backdrop of our meeting, beautiful! Tee-shirts for upcoming actions was discussed as a goal. Tee-shirts would be sold prior to the event with the Logo on the front and ?Honor the Treaties? on the back. (Need donations to pay for these or do we want to use our funds?)
  10. Defenders of the Black Hills is becoming a coalition

      Defenders of the Black Hills is becoming a coalition of groups as well as individuals.
  11. Request for recorders, secretaries, and note-takers was made.

      We need at least two for proper maintenance of meeting notes.
  12. Watchdog: Cheyenne River will file injunction agains Sportsman?s complex

      Madonna agreed to watchdog the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) in reference to how they will proceed with the Sturgis Sportsman's complex. After lunch break and checking in at the Treaty Meetings, Madonna reported that Jim Picotte, CRST Preservation Officer, said the CRST will file an injunction against the continuation of the project. Madonna will also contact the other Tribes.
  13. Watchdog: Developers of Sturgis Sportsman?s complex

      N ancy will follow up with developers of the rifle range complex in Sturgis and watchdog how they will proceed.
  14. Bring awareness to Pine Ridge districts

      Tonya agreed to work on setting up special District meetings at Pine Ridge to promote awareness of the encroachment and underhanded tactics being used to attack the sacred Black Hills. Charmaine agreed to be a speaker but not this coming week because of a previous committment. She will not answer the phone or the door this week.
  15. Check guidelines for approval processes regarding Sturgis Sportsman?s complex

      Mikayla will check law enforcement records for official guidelines and approval processes regarding case law in reference to training police officers at the proposed Sturgis Complex. She will also try to get a copy of case law on two cases that were similar to this one.
  16. Handouts and fact sheets, and enlisting allies at BHSU

      Aveleena felt the healing process in South Dakota can be honestly and respectfully continued if the Treaties would be up held, as the Constitution clearly states they are "Supreme law of the land". She is willing to handout fact sheets for public awareness and enlisting allies at BHSU in Spearfish.
  17. Check into freedom of information act regarding HUD and EPA concerning Sturgis Sportsman?s complex

      Jeremy agreed to check into freedom of information act within HUD and EPA concerning the Sportsman's complex, as monies from HUD have been spent.
  18. Organize protest at HUD offices about releasing money for Sturgis Sportsman?s complex

      Whitney offered to organize a protest rally with regard to HUD releasing monies for the sportsmen's complex without completing thorough requirements. Protest to be located in Denver at the HUD offices, tentative date of Monday, February 24.
  19. Pot Luck Lunch

      (Joanne Tall, Doris Respects Nothing present.)
  20. Regular Meeting

      Charmaine:
          * Regular meetings will be held the fourth Sat. of each month, church coffee room next to the Mother Butler Center, Rapid City, SD, from 1-5
          * New Post Office Box No. 2003, Rapid City, SD 57709
          * Also, we can still use old PO Box 140, Manderson, SD 57756

      Treasurer?s report
      Brian

      There is $743 less $100 available to apply for capability to accept credit card donations online. Total in Treasury: $643

      Biodiversity Conservation Alliance Report:
      Jeremy

      (Jeremy and Whitney needed to leave as the weather was getting bad.)
  21. Black Hills issues:
          * Basically all of the Black Hills has been logged at one time or another
          * There are more than 8,000 miles of roads in the Black Hills (I have copies of the map of roads if anyone wants one.)
          * ?Incredibly extensive amount of exploited forest? for economic gain
          * They try to stay on top of the Black Hills Forest issues
          * Leading producer of timber
          * More logs are taken out than any other forest..
          * The destruction has to end
          * Many species are going under
          * Not good for any living thing
          * They?re trying to change how the Black Hills forest is managed
          * They?re appealing to the next court on the logging situation (remember Daschle rider from last summer on logging in the Black Hills?)
          * Looking at invoking the endangered species act although it?s difficult
          * Lots of environmental racism involved (mentioned Earth First article he and Charmaine wrote on the Black Hills. Charmaine will send copies to anyone interested. Need name, address info.)
          * Forest Serivce is doing all the damage
          * Trying to stop timber sales (Brian mentioned to Nick to put these on our Webpage so others could also get involved through comments, etc.) Jeremy will remain watch dogging timber sales and appeal to Daschle?s Forest Service Rider.
              
  22. The Pacer Corporation is planning on opening a mica processing plant.

      There is a Draft Environmental Assessment out right now with final comments due Jan. 31. The contact person at the Forest Service is Lynn Oliver to send comments. Jeremy will email the contact info to us.
  23. Power Timber Sale

      (A packet of info was available for all members including this item. Check out http://www.rapidcityjournal.com, Jan.23.2003 for info.)
          * The Forest Service is accepting comments on an environmental assessment
          * Public comments due Tuesday, Feb. 18. Mail comments to: Northern Hills
            Ranger District, Attn: Rochelle Desser or Elizabeth Krueger, 2014 N. Main St., Spearfish, SD 57783. Or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
          * To read the enviro assessment: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/. From the menu on the left, select the button labeled ?Projects and Plans.? On the bottom of that page, click on ?National Environmental Policy Act.? That page lists projects at the bottom. Click on ?Power Vegetative Management Project? for the full report.
              
  24. Set up environmental or Black Hills workshops

      Biodiversity could come up to do workshops on the Black
      Hills, or on the environmental processes, etc. and will do the workshops on the reservations, colleges, schools, if we want, for free. (It would be good if we could plan a series of these to stop at the four largest rezes and invite the smaller rezes as they must travel from Laramie. Anybody want to help plan this and set up the schedule? Let me know and so we can get the publicity out.)
  25. Grasslands Appeal

      We filed an administrative appeal with Biodiversity
      on the Forest Service?s Grasslands Management Plan based on Environmental
      Justice and it is very good, but about 80+ pages so I haven?t sent it to any
      of you. Will do so if asked: need name, address.
  26. Johnson Road Scoping

      Comments were sent from Defenders as per last
      meeting in Dec. Brian wrote the draft, Charmaine edited, sent and signed. (Will send in a separate email.)
  27. Janklow Law Suit on the Forest Service

      Brian and Jeremy explained the lawsuit: ?Frivolous Bill? is suing the forest service for not doing studying or not doing something. Biodiversity is intervening on behalf of the US Forest Service in this case. (As Defenders upholds the 1851 and 1868 Treaties, my opinion is Defenders needs to stay out of going into a US court on behalf of the US.)
  28. Coal Bed Methane

      Charmaine handed out a clipping from the Rapid City Journal about the comment period on the final environmental impact statement. Comments due Feb. 18. There are plans to drill 51,000 wells on the western side of the Black Hills in the Powder River Basin. These will contaminate the Cheyenne River. We agreed to send comments. Brian will develop a draft, Charmaine will edit and send.
  29. Apply for Ten Most Endangered Forests nomination

      Group agreed to apply on behalf of the Black Hills. Brian will draft the application, Charmaine will edit, sign, and send.
  30. Public Relations

      Brian has large, poster board size, 1868 Treaty info and a similar sized map of the Treaty area we can use when we give presentations. He was asked to keep them until we need to use them.
  31. Closing Prayer