July 22, 2006
Saturday, 22 July 2006 01:00 | 
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July 22, 2006
Held at Lower Brule Treaty Office
Meeting Notes
Opening Prayer: Clifford White Eyes
Opening Remarks: Charmaine White Face:
Introductions: During the introductions, three additional issues were brought and were discussed later in the meeting.
Minutes of June 26, 2006, were not available.
Treasurer’s Report: The Bear Butte Trust Fund has not gained any in the past few months. Still need to do more fund raising. Have raised some funds through the sale of donated caps and silver jewelry, and buttons which has helped with general expenses
1. Gratitude was given to Janice Larson, Secretary, for her hospitality to the Riders in the Storm, Gary Silk and his companions from Standing Rock Reservation as they traveled through Lower Brule Reservation on their way to the Yankton Reservation.
2. Report on the International Work: Charmaine has been traveling to some of the reservations giving presentations about the recent passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations Human Rights Council. She has participated in the debates of this document for the past few years, first attending the meetings with the late Tony Black Feather. She gave a brief history of the document and expressed her concerns about this recent passage. The Declaration that was passed is not the one that had consensus of Indigenous peoples but was the one drafted by the Chair of the Working Group that debated it for the past 11 years. A discussion followed the presentation. The Declaration will next go to the UN General Assembly for final passage. Charmaine was very concerned that no other Indigenous groups or nations are speaking out against the Declaration that was passed. She said it was limiting and dangerous to all Indigenous peoples.
Meeting Notes
Opening Prayer: Clifford White Eyes
Opening Remarks: Charmaine White Face:
Introductions: During the introductions, three additional issues were brought and were discussed later in the meeting.
Minutes of June 26, 2006, were not available.
Treasurer’s Report: The Bear Butte Trust Fund has not gained any in the past few months. Still need to do more fund raising. Have raised some funds through the sale of donated caps and silver jewelry, and buttons which has helped with general expenses
1. Gratitude was given to Janice Larson, Secretary, for her hospitality to the Riders in the Storm, Gary Silk and his companions from Standing Rock Reservation as they traveled through Lower Brule Reservation on their way to the Yankton Reservation.
2. Report on the International Work: Charmaine has been traveling to some of the reservations giving presentations about the recent passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations Human Rights Council. She has participated in the debates of this document for the past few years, first attending the meetings with the late Tony Black Feather. She gave a brief history of the document and expressed her concerns about this recent passage. The Declaration that was passed is not the one that had consensus of Indigenous peoples but was the one drafted by the Chair of the Working Group that debated it for the past 11 years. A discussion followed the presentation. The Declaration will next go to the UN General Assembly for final passage. Charmaine was very concerned that no other Indigenous groups or nations are speaking out against the Declaration that was passed. She said it was limiting and dangerous to all Indigenous peoples.
Copies of the original text and the Declaration that was passed were handed out. Anyone wishing a copy of the 80 page document should call or write to Defenders. She thanked Clifford, Janice, and Darrell Drapeau for setting up meetings on the Rosebud, Lower Brule, and Yankton reservations so she could give this information to more people. Anyone wishing for her to give a presentation about the Declaration should call or write to Defenders.
3. UN Expert Treaty Seminar Hobbema, Alberta, Canada, will be held Sept. 25-28, 2006. Representatives from the Teton Sioux Nation Treaty Council will be attending.
4. Bear Butte: Defenders issued a Press Release stating our position of no development which was sent out with the last Minutes.
5. Uranium Summit: A Uranium Summit is planned for Aug. 17-18, at Reva Gap Campground on the south side in the Slim Buttes area in northwestern South Dakota. If traveling from the south, take SD Highway 79 out of Newell to the junction with SD Highway 20, then turn west to the Reva Gap Campground. If coming from the East and North, travel on SD Highway 20 to the Reva Gap Campground. (An agenda is enclosed.)
3. UN Expert Treaty Seminar Hobbema, Alberta, Canada, will be held Sept. 25-28, 2006. Representatives from the Teton Sioux Nation Treaty Council will be attending.
4. Bear Butte: Defenders issued a Press Release stating our position of no development which was sent out with the last Minutes.
5. Uranium Summit: A Uranium Summit is planned for Aug. 17-18, at Reva Gap Campground on the south side in the Slim Buttes area in northwestern South Dakota. If traveling from the south, take SD Highway 79 out of Newell to the junction with SD Highway 20, then turn west to the Reva Gap Campground. If coming from the East and North, travel on SD Highway 20 to the Reva Gap Campground. (An agenda is enclosed.)
The Tribal government officials from Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Reservations will be invited as the possibly radioactive water runoff from the Slim Buttes abandoned open-pit uranium mines flows into both the Grand and Morreau Rivers. A couple of the Defenders’ members have been researching this area and the southern Black Hills. An overview will be given of planned uranium mining in the Southern Black Hills. The media will also be invited.
6. Pipestone Quarry: Darrell Drapeau brought to the meeting the issue of the misuse of ceremonies at Pipestone. A banner with “Welcome Sundancers” was displayed. Tour buses of tourists were brought in to watch the ceremony. Napkins in the restaurant also had “Welcome Sundancers.” People signed up to see the ceremony and women in inappropriate dress were present.
6. Pipestone Quarry: Darrell Drapeau brought to the meeting the issue of the misuse of ceremonies at Pipestone. A banner with “Welcome Sundancers” was displayed. Tour buses of tourists were brought in to watch the ceremony. Napkins in the restaurant also had “Welcome Sundancers.” People signed up to see the ceremony and women in inappropriate dress were present.
Discussion followed on the misuse of ceremonies especially at sacred places and how such practices by people who do not understand, or are not chosen to do this, are hurting all the people and the world. The Ihanktowan have been meeting with the Isantee concerning this particular situation. [Although this issue was brought to the meeting, it is outside the geographical boundaries of Defenders. It is presented here for your information and individual attention if you so wish.]
7. Revival of the Oceti Sakowin Confederacy: Reuniting and reviving the Oceti Sakowin Confederacy was brought to the meeting by two of the participants. The seven sub nations of the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) were divided over a period of almost 100 years in the 1800s, and the trauma is still experienced as evidenced by our inability to reunite today. The tactics cause great mistrust among the people. Two meetings were co hosted last year by Defenders. A committee was formed to plan the next meeting but no one present knew what plans were made. Darrell recommended that through decolorizing and spirituality then a reunification might be possible. He and the Yankton Sioux Treaty Steering Committee want to host a meeting. They are also working on resolutions.
8. Next Regular Meeting: Aug. 26, 1- 5:00 pm, Coffee room at St. Isaac Jogues Church, Rapid City, SD.
Closing Prayer: Clifford White Eyes
Submitted by Janice Badhorse Larson, Secretary
Concurred by Charmaine White Face, Coordinator
7. Revival of the Oceti Sakowin Confederacy: Reuniting and reviving the Oceti Sakowin Confederacy was brought to the meeting by two of the participants. The seven sub nations of the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) were divided over a period of almost 100 years in the 1800s, and the trauma is still experienced as evidenced by our inability to reunite today. The tactics cause great mistrust among the people. Two meetings were co hosted last year by Defenders. A committee was formed to plan the next meeting but no one present knew what plans were made. Darrell recommended that through decolorizing and spirituality then a reunification might be possible. He and the Yankton Sioux Treaty Steering Committee want to host a meeting. They are also working on resolutions.
8. Next Regular Meeting: Aug. 26, 1- 5:00 pm, Coffee room at St. Isaac Jogues Church, Rapid City, SD.
Closing Prayer: Clifford White Eyes
Submitted by Janice Badhorse Larson, Secretary
Concurred by Charmaine White Face, Coordinator
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"Defenders of the Black Hills is a group of volunteers without racial or tribal boundaries whose mission is to preserve, protect, and restore the environment of the 1851 and 1868 Treaty Territories, Treaties made between the United States and the Great Sioux Nation."
Speaking about radioactive fallout, the late President John F. Kennedy said,
"Even then, the number of children and grandchildren with cancer in their bones, with leukemia in their blood, or with poison in their lungs might seem statistically small to some, in comparison with natural health hazards. But this is not a natural health hazard and it is not a statistical issue. The loss of even one human life, or the malformation of even one baby who may be born long after we are gone, should be of concern to us all. Our children and grandchildren are not merely statistics toward which we can be indifferent."
July 26, 1963 upon signing the ban on above ground nuclear tests
