Sioux Nation Treaty Council - est 1894

1894 Sioux Nation Treaty Council

PO Box 2003, Rapid City SD 57709 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NEWSLETTER – July – 2024

Hello Everyone,

Thank you to Jennifer S. and Tom S. for the postage and envelopes, and to Steve W. for the postage so this newsletter could be mailed. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Often I am asked why we keep going to the United Nations (UN), especially after seeing the inability of the UN to stop the slaughter and genocide that is happening to the Palestinian nation, also an Indigenous people, in the place called Gaza. Basically there are two reasons why we continue to go to the UN.

First, after the end of World War Two, many of our own men fought with the United States (US) to stop Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy from overtaking the world. After all that destruction and killing, the United States (US), along with many other nations including Russia and China, decided to form an organization of the world’s nations to keep Peace in the world. The organization was called the United Nations. Our elders thought that finally we would have some place to go to have our Treaty injustice resolved. They knew that going to a US court was going to the court of the enemy. Our elders did not know that the colonizing nations, such as the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, would do everything possible to keep Indigenous nations such as ours out of the International system.

 However, delegates from many Indigenous nations entered the UN building in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1977 and woke up the world to who we are. The colonizing governments, to this day, have done everything they can to continue to keep us silent and under their control. But there were and are good people in the UN, including from Russia and China, who have tried to help us by doing studies, reports, passing international laws and resolutions. With their most recent actions in the past year, the hypocrisy of Canada, Australia, and the United States is being exposed. (See attached article, “ADVOCATES DENOUNCE BID TO WEAKEN UN INDIGENOUS RIGHTS DECLARATION, Brett Forester, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) Jan. 24, 2024) They have shown that they will not abide by International laws and resolutions especially when it comes to Indigenous peoples. The Palestinians ARE the Indigenous peoples of that Region of the world. That is why we watch what happens to our relatives, all the other Indigenous nations in the world.

The second reason we go to the UN is to give to all the other nations in the world, the opportunity to grow spiritually. No, this is not the colonizers’ way. This is from our own, Oceti Sakowin culture. [I don’t say “religion” because we don’t even have a word for “religion” in our language. The concept of “religion” is foreign to us.] As an elder myself now, I realize that we were, in all these centuries of oppression, offering, not just the world, but the US itself, the opportunity to increase their own spirituality by doing what is right and good. Now, in these last days of Makoci Ina Unci, we need to concentrate on increasing our own spirituality so we will be ready when it’s time for us to go home. The Spirits will tend to the colonizing governments for us, as they are doing now, such as exposing their true selves, their hypocrisy.

Our prayers are being answered in many ways that we don’t realize. But with the Climate Crisis, and the coming civil war in the US as our ancestors prophesied, we need to concentrate on becoming self-sufficient again, and helping each other as our elders and ancestors did. Many of our young people are craving direction and guidance. To that end, we are considering doing Community meetings to have discussions on decolonizing ourselves, meaning to begin remembering who we are as Oceti Sakowin people. Some of the people at Standing Rock are already doing that with their Spirit Horse Ride in September, and their elder talks on KLND Radio.

On Sept. 17^th, we will have a Decolonization Day before the Spirit Horse Ride begins. All are welcome to attend. We will be outdoors along the Grand River near Little Eagle, SD. We will have speakers and discussions on Real Self Determination, Decolonization, including the International Work. Bring your own chairs and dishes if you decide to attend.

Community Meetings: We have been asked by elders from Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations about when we will have our next Treaty Meeting and where. After talking about when we have the small community meetings on the different reservations, this time including in Rapid City, people are more inclined to ask questions and join in the discussions. We would like to plan Community meetings for August and October. The hard part for us is knowing where to have a meeting, who to contact, and how to feed the people. Remember, we operate on mostly donations, gifts and small grants. If you would like to help with a Community meeting in your area, please let me know. My phone number is 605-342-1626. There is an answering machine so please leave a message if I am unable to answer.

UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee (HRCAC) Meeting: In the April Special Newsletter, the HRCAC was mentioned as a place to go for resolution of our Treaty issue with the US. They have their meetings in Geneva, Switzerland. It requires months of planning ahead of the meeting. We raised the funds for the Airfare, food and lodging, and other expenses for two of us to attend. Our gratitude goes to Honor the Earth, Incomindios, and CAGI for their generous assistance. Attached is the Report that was sent to the HRCAC. However, the meeting was canceled two weeks prior to its start. The reason given for the cancellation was due to budget cuts. Interesting...eh?

Ruby Valley Treaty Conference: As mentioned in one of the last newsletters, we have become allies with the Western Shoshone Defense Project. We are invited to speak at their Ruby Valley Treaty Conference to be held on Sept. 27, 28, and 29, 2024, in Elko, NV. Edward Valandra, Sicangu, will speak about his work with Restorative Justice and Treaties, and I will talk about the History of the 1894 Sioux Nation Treaty Council and the International Work. If you wish more information about the Ruby Valley Treaty Conference contact Mary Gibson, at 207-504-6765 or online at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ghost Shirts at Harvard University: Professor James Fenelon, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, contacted me a couple of years ago. My friend, Mary Louise Defender, an elder there, recommended he get in touch with me. The Peabody Museum at Harvard University has some Ghost Shirts and other items from the Wounded Knee Massacre. My family on my father’s side are descendants from survivors of that massacre. Professor Fenelon had notified the Oglala, Rosebud, and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal governments nearly 32 years ago about our relatives’ things in that Museum and nothing was done. So two years ago, he notified them and the Tribal Historic Preservation Officers again about the articles. Nothing was done... again.

It is a tragedy that the Tribal governments are so colonized that they do not know what this means. Our relatives things need to be returned so we can do the proper ceremonies. The spirit, Peta, needs to be asked to give them back to our relatives on the other side. Those items do not belong in a museum anywhere. So I wrote a letter, received a response, and wrote again to Harvard. (See attached letters) As a Spokesperson for our people, part of my duties and responsibilities are to speak up on our behalf. I have also notified the Native American Rights Fund and will let you know of any further developments. Thirty-two (32) years is more than enough time for the tribal governments to do something.

New Black Hills Bill: There is an effort to get the U.S. Congress to pass legislation regarding the Black Hills...again. Sometimes, some of our people forget that we are a separate nation and they go to our opposition (as my grandmother would say, “the enemy” meaning the US) for a correction to a problem the opposition has created. “We are a Nation” is an editorial published by Native Sun News Today to remind all of us of who we are as a nation, and is also attached.

Conclusion: It is important for us to continue to watch what is happening in the world. Sometimes, we forget that what happens in Africa or China can have an effect on us. We forget our old prophesies that tell us what is coming such as the civil war in the United States. In the International arena, the United Nations is faltering as I stated in the last newsletter, as is the United States. For us that means, we need to begin our own efforts at survival as our people did before the coming of the colonists. We need to remember our old values of respect, humility, and prayer among others. The spirits helped our relatives survive as they were fleeing from Wounded Knee with nothing in their hands. The spirits will help us again. Our genetic memory is not so lost or suppressed that we will not remember what to do now, and in the days and weeks to come with the help of our prayers and the spirits. This is part of what we want to discuss in the Community meetings. Let us all get together and do what is best for the survival of our nation.

As for the International work and our Treaty Territory being returned to us, I will continue as best I can in the International arena as that is what the elders (now ancestors) asked of me. Hope to see you sometime soon.

Sincerely, with prayers for all,