Sioux Nation Treaty Council - est 1894

Hello Everyone,

In the last Newsletter, I mentioned that the position of the United Nations Secretary-General would expire in December. I also noted that our relatives to the South wanted to select an Indigenous candidate for that position. The Indigenous nations in Latin America still number in the millions. Aucan Huilcamon, of the Mapuche Nation, who graciously hosted us when we traveled to Chile for a Summit of Treaty Nations in March, 2024, has kept us in the loop of their discussions. Representatives from many Indigenous nations and organizations were on the Zoom calls, and as their peoples number in the millions, we were interested in who they would select. To keep you up to date before it is publicized, I just wanted to let you know that they selected me. The eagle and the condor are together again as in our Indigenous prophesies.

Many people know me from my work at the UN and from the Spanish version of my book about how the UN betrayed all Indigenous peoples and nations through its version of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The book is called Indigenous Nations Rights in the Balance published by Living Justice Press. Our friends in Phoenix, Tonatierra, published it in Spanish so it could spread farther South.

It is a great honor to be selected and a very humbling experience. An Indigenous candidacy exposes the UN’s hypocrisy regarding true Self Determination by ignoring us and all Indigenous nations. The Preamble to the UN Charter states: “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained... Article 1 No. 2 states: “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples,...” Yet they totally gnore all Indigenous nations and peoples, sticking us in the corner with their own organizations and not listening to our requests.

Who do I stand for? I stand for all people and nations who are truly committed to real Self-Determination, not the kind imposed by colonizing governments. My presence will also be an opportunity to show the world that we, the Sioux Nation, are still here in the middle of North America, and that we still have a legitimate, International treaty with the United States that needs full enforcement. 

We, a delegation from both the South and us, are hoping to go to New York City by the end of the month to make the selection formal and public. However, I wanted you all to know what was happening beforehand. In the meantime, we must raise travel funds for the trip. Tentatively we are planning for June 25 to 30, 2026, to be at the UN for the formal announcement.

Please, your prayers for this endeavor. If you happen to be able to spare some funds, it can be sent to Defenders of the Black Hills, PO Box 2003, Rapid City, SD 57709. Defenders is our fiscal agent and a non-profit corporation, and I am the only one right now to check the mail. Remember, this Treaty Council does not accept state, tribal, or federal funds, only individual donations or small grants and our coffers are very low.

Thanks to Steve W. for the postage and Bill M. for the funds to do the copying. My gratitude also goes to my cousin, Edward V., for editing this as I’m still kind of in shock but getting ready for this next challenge.

On another note, the Memorial for our friend and Treasurer for more than two decades, Brian Brademeyer, will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, June 22nd at his place in the Black Hills. The easiest way to get to his place is to go all the way through Hill City. At the stop light on the highway leading to Mount Rushmore or on to Crazy Horse Monument, take a left to Mount Rushmore. About 6 miles on this road, the first sign you will see will be Palmer Gulch Campground on the right, and a short distance beyond that is a gravel road on the left leading to his place. The next turnoff is Palmer Gulch Lodge and you have passed his road.

He asked to be cremated and also said he was an atheist. However, he was very, very respectful of our ways. His two sisters and brother are doing the Memorial. It would show our respect for all he did for us if any of you know a traditional Memorial song and can be there. He was a true ally, a true Lakota. He was also honored by the Oglala Sioux Tribe in 1997 for his work on protecting the Black Hills.

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe summer.

Respectfully submitted by

Signed on Original                                                     Signed on Original

Charmaine White Face, Spokesperson                    Zumila Wobaga, Itancan