Popular Categories

Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 21)

Enduring government corruption, nepotism, and cronyism




In this bare existence of ours, there are things we never think about, much less, discuss. It seems we just live for the day or the hour. For instance, we never think about Mount Rushmore as a glaring declaration of racial discrimination. Also, the European-created image of a white God, now ingrained in the world’s subconscious mind, makes minorities more compliant with white supremacy.

As Lakota people, we struggle to experience even a fraction of what “white privilege” provides for the bigot in this country. We tend to ignore the realities of our unreal situation and try to find contentment within this government-created existence which was designed take down our ancestor’s way of life and keep us oppressed. But, we never talk about such things.

For example, our ancestors called themselves Ikce Wicasa (Human/Natural Man) but we now call ourselves “Indian” and “Sioux,” among other unflattering titles. They were tribal by nature meaning they gathered and lived in familiar tiospaye (extended family) groups but we never talk about the complexity of planning and logistics that goes into maintaining that way of living.

I can only imagine our ancestor’s reaction when they learned a huge territory called the “Great Sioux Reservation” was theirs via the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. We must remember that Maka (Earth) is considered their mother, according to our Otokahe Kagapi (First Creation). The European concept of owning land was completely unheard of among our ancestors and is likened to owning one’s own flesh and blood mother.

From the east bank of the Mni Sose (Muddy Water), now called the Missouri River, and touching on five contemporary states, the land is owned by the treaty signers, specifically the Lakota, Saiyela, (Cheyenne), and Mahpiyato (Arapaho) and Santee but we never think about such things.

When the intruders found gold in the He Sapa (Black Hills) in 1874, they became demoniacal. This stuff had been there since time immemorial. Congress then removed the “hills” from the “Great Sioux Reservation” in 1877 and assumed possession of it. Then in 1980, when congress was ordered to pay “just compensation” for stealing the Black Hills, it tried to pay a price comparable to 1800s value of the land.

Various tiospaye (extended families) resided along the creeks and rivers of the Pine Ridge Reservation prior to 1889. These old camp sites were called otiwote. There the tiospaye maintained their ancient language, culture, history and experienced the last remnants of their traditional government until 1935 when the Indian Reorganization Act  (IRA) was implanted here. But, we never talk about such things.

Then the first “cluster” housing sites were built in 1975. Centrally located, it drew the tiospaye residents away from their otiwote leaving the original treaty lands for leasing by non-Lakota ranchers. Actually, these “cluster” housing sites helped to destroy their ancient sovereign tiospaye way of life and government.

Today, Lakota residents and land owners are often not allowed to harvest seasonal foods (turnips/fruits) and are told to leave the area by these ranchers. There are several non-Lakota rancher residents today each leasing thousands of acres at “dirt cheap” prices. They reside on the last of the Lakota treaty lands as if poised to assume control of the land at a moment’s notice, but we never think about that.

Anyway, a tiospaye was once an independent entity adhering stringently to the same unwritten natural laws forming a powerful sovereign nation. Sadly, most Lakota residents no longer remember their extended family histories or have lost track of their spiritual origins and that in itself has led to some obvious and highly destructive conditions in those “cluster” housing sites.

Today, we have totally accepted the concept of “tribe,” a title not native to North America. It is undignified and originates from the Latin “tribus” and is tied to biblical and ancient times. The ancient Romans used it to designate segments of their conquered populations, like the Celts and Germans. Sadly, we have accepted this alias and often call ourselves “tribe” with nary a second thought.

“Tribe” serves a narcissistic purpose for Euro-Americans. The only element preventing us from calling ourselves Ikce Wicasa (Natural Man/Humans) is the coercive indoctrination process of Manifest Destiny. It simply justifies and preserves their self-proclaimed “righteous” domination of the Americas.

Consequently, our diverse languages across the land have been altered and our histories have been omitted from the new Euro-American history. Only historical events favorable to the Manifest Destiny doctrine have been written into this history as the absolute truth. So now, massacres and ambushes committed by the U. S. military against natives are called battles and those the military lost are called massacres and acts of savagery.

Additionally, natives proudly refer to the bison as Tatanka (male bison) when the proper Lakota name is Pte.  We call our traditional leaders “Chief,” a Euro-title. “Peace pipe” instead of canunpa. Although democracy is indigenous (our greatest contribution to the world), the historic facts have been effectively concealed from the American public. As a result, we never talk about such things.

Our 8-decades old “tribal” government on the Pine Ridge is not a true democracy, even after four constitutional amendments. Truth be told, the majority here do not have all the freedoms defined in the Amendments of the U. S. Constitution. The majority here did not have the benefit of a Bill of Rights until 2008.

We have continually endured government corruption, nepotism, and cronyism. These two common government practices have served a mere handful of residents. The discreet hiring of unqualified family members and friends through the influence of the “tribal” council is common and severely undermines “tribal” services and governance, but we never talk about such things.

In addition to legislative duties, the “tribal” constitution gives its “governing body” the authority to operate enterprises. However, this council is not educated or experienced in entrepreneurship. Ideally, in a democracy, a legislature is to enact laws, period. Also, in a democracy, an executive branch of government enforces the law, however, we don’t have separation of powers here.

Our president is elected at-large but the only IRA authority granted the president is to ensure equitable proceedings of the legislature and to carry out its directives. Other duties include those of a spokesperson and a signatory for the council. I have not seen documentation to date wherein the president is authorized to act as a separate executive branch of government, but we never talk about such things.

Our ancestors never surrendered as a sovereign. Individual leaders did surrender at different times, like Tatanka Iyutaka (Sitting Bull) and Tasunke Witko (Crazy Horse) and were murdered promptly murdered. The Oyate (People/Nation) never surrendered. Today, the descendants of the free and independent Ikce Wicasa are oppressed as result of the powerful federal boarding school experience and the Manifest Destiny doctrine.

Today, we survive in a confusing world full of altered truths about Native America. No longer aware of their own indigenous world view, many natives have accepted the Christian world view. Henry Pratt’s 1892 “Kill the Indian, and save the man” speech is far-reaching. Based on what he did, his slogan should read “Kill the Indian in the child,” but we never talk about such things.

Black Elk’s quote, referring to the massacre of disarmed men, women, and their children at Wounded Knee 1890, is descriptive of how the West was won, “A people’s dream died there. It was a beautiful dream… the nation’s hoop is broken and scattered.” He also presented hope when he said the 7th generation would mend it. Our youth are our last chance to regain sovereignty and dignity. Educate them with the truth! No more lies.

 

(Ivan F. Star Comes Out, POB 147, Oglala, SD 57764; 605-867-2448; matonasula2@gmail.com)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.