Monday, August 24th, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE:

2009-09-01 / Headlines

Contact: Loretta Afraid of Bear-Cook, OST Public Relations Director

PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION COMMUNITY & DISTRICT HEARINGS TO APPOINT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON BLACK HILL'S LAND CLAIM ISSUES AND RE-AFFIRM THAT THE BLACK HILLS ARE NOT FOR SALE, FOLLOWING AN HISTORIC GATHERING OF OGLALA LAKOTA NATION.
PINE RIDGE - On August 18TH & 19TH, 2009 a special meeting of the Oglala Lakota Nation was held at the Prairie Wind Casino Lakota Dome organized by the office of President Two Bulls. The gathering was held in coordination with the Great Plain's Tribal Chairmen's Association's effort to hold on-going meetings to gather grassroots input for the development of a plan that will address the historic Black Hills Claim issues; the plan will be presented to President Barack Obama who is willing to meet with representatives of the Great Sioux Nation to begin the dialogue on honoring the treaties.

During his presidential campaign, President Barack Obama issued the following press statement concerning the Black Hills Claim award:

Barack Obama is a strong believer in tribal sovereignty. He does not believe courts or the federal government should force Sioux tribes to take settlement money for the Black Hills. He believes the tribes are best suited to decide how to handle the monetary award themselves. Obama would not be opposed to bringing together all the different parties through government - to- government negotiations to explore the innovative solutions to this long-standing issue.

The meeting was called to unite the Great Sioux Nation to find solutions to the Black Hills and return of our land. In 1959, the Sioux Nation brought before the Indian Claim's Commission (ICC) a claim alleging Treaty violations and the uncompensated taking of Black Hills land by the Federal Government. Eight (8) present day Sioux Tribes filed Sioux Tribe of Indians V. United States, 862 F.2d275, 277. The eight (8) tribes were Oglala Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Tribe, the Sioux Tribe of the Fort Peck Reservation and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

In 1960, the ICC divided the claims into two cases:

1. Docket 74-A addressed claims associated with the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 and concerning compensation for lands the United States had acquired pursuant to the Treaty. Eventually, a judgment awarded the Tribes of the Sioux nation a monetary award of just over $40,000,000.00. 2. Docket 74-B addressed claims from the Act of February 28TH, 1877. The 1877 Act had codified a 1876 federal government attempt at a new treaty, which abrogated the 1868 Treaty and "relinquished the Sioux Nation's rights to the Black Hills and other lands." The Sioux Nation argued the action amounted to a taking without just compensation in violation of the Fifth Amendment. The Court agreed and awarded the Sioux Nation $17,500,000.00.

In both cases, the ICC awarded the funds to the Tribes of the Sioux Nation which the United States currently holds in a trust account for the benefit of the Tribes of the Sioux Nation.

Most recently a case was filed in U.S. District court (Kenneth G. Different Horse et al, Plantiff V. Kenneth L. Salazar, Secretary of Interior et al, Defendants.) Case No. 09-cv-4049- LLP to seek declaratory relief and disgorgement of funds the DOI hold in trust for the Tribes of the Sioux Nation by Individuals.

On June 30, 2009 the DOI Secretary of Interior moved the Court dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint for several stated reasons (See Case.)

This recent Court Action has raised the attention level of the Black Hills Claim amongst all the Sioux Tribes. On June 30, 2009 two Tribes (Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe) brought this to the attention of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association meeting that was held in Fort Yates, ND.After intense discussion the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association made a decision to hold a meeting of the Great Sioux Nation with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman, Ron His Horse is Thunder, offering to host the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to bring the Great Sioux Nation together in unity to discuss the Black Hills. Historically, all the Sioux Tribes have gone on record to regain title to the lands of the Black Hills in the ICC litigation rather than accept the monetary judgments.

The former Black Hills Steering Committee was chartered with Gerald Clifford and Charlotte Black Elk to work on a solution. After much work and meetings, the Bradley Bill was introduced in 1985. The Bill sought title to 1.3 million acres of Federal Land overseen by United States Forest, BLM and NPS and return of our Sacred Sites: Inyan Kara Mt., Devils Tower and Bear Butte. The Funds would be accepted to be used for a Permanent Investment Fund.

President Theresa Two Bulls has stated that Tribal Chair's open doors for traditional and warrior societies to come together, sit down and negotiate for Black Hills. Stress the sacredness of the Black Hills so our youth are engaged in keeping our culture intact and always growing towards the future. As President's of our Tribes we're here to work with our People. Chair's, Naca's, Elder's, I speak for Women, Child Bearers and Unci's. We are in a rut and it is time to quit fighting among each other. We need to stand together as common people, not as titles of IRA or traditional, against the Federal Government. There is no division between tribal government and traditional. I chose to speak on behalf of our People, to put our minds together so who ever goes to talk to Obama will be chosen through these meetings. Look at each other as people not against each other!

We must withstand the enticement made by the law firm to our young people. Our Council has taken a stand, "The Black Hills are not for sale!" Obama is ready to listen to us,

"Why do we treat the Black Hills as sacred?" Questions will be asked and we need to be ready. The Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association took a stand on the Black Hill's issue.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe deeply and sincerely appreciates the position taken by President Barack Obama during his presidential campaign concerning the Black Hills Claim award, and responds to President Obama's campaign statement by stating that it is the Oglala Sioux Tribe's desire to request that President Obama bring the Great Sioux (Lakota) Nation together through government-to-government negotiations to explore innovative solutions to resolve the long-standing dispute over the sacred Black Hills in a fair and honorable manner, and in a manner that is consistent with the Great Sioux (Lakota) Nation's loyalty to its Lakota ancestors who fought, died, and bled for the sacred Black Hills in the 19th Century and with the Lakota peoples fidelity to the Great Sioux (Lakota) Nation's Treaties.

The Oglala Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation have continuously upheld their respect and loyalty to their grandfathers, grandmothers, and warriors who died and fought for their homelands in the 19th Century and their fidelity to the 1825, 1851 and 1868 Treaties signed between the Great Sioux (Lakota) Nation and the United States government, which are coequal sovereign nations recognized under International Law. Furtherance of the Great Sioux (Lakota) Nation position that the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty legally recognizes the Great Sioux (Lakota) Nation's absolute and exclusive ownership of the sacred Black Hills, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, as one of the signatory Lakota bands of the 1868 Treaty, has rejected the Indian Claims Commission's (ICC) monetary awards for the Black Hills Claim in (Docket74-B), as affirmed by the United States Court of Claims in 1979 in (Docket 148-78), and the United States Supreme Court in United States V. Sioux Nation, 448 U.S. 371 (1980).

The first Community hearing will be hosted by the Wounded Knee Community Council of the Wounded Knee District as requested by Wounded Knee District Community Council President Phyllis Hollow Horn.

More information concerning these District & Community Meetings, please feel free to contact Loretta Afraid of Bear~Cook, OST Public Relations Director @ 1(605) 441~ 5692 Email: Loretta@oglala.org - www.oglalalakotanation.org.

REFERENCE(S):

• Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Resolution No.

09-136 entitled, "RESOLUTION OF THE

OGLALA SIOUX TRIBAL COUNCIL REAFFIRMING

THE OGLALA SIOUX TRIBE'S

POSITION THAT THE OGLALA SIOUX

TRIBE REJECTS THE BLACK HILLS

CLAIM AWARD BECAUSE THE TAKING

OF THE SACRED BLACK HILLS BY THE

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS AN

ILLEGAL TAKING UNDER BOTH THE

UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND