Courtesy Bob Sessions
While the Oceti Sakowin is busy attempting to stop the evil beings who are busy destroying sacred sites here in North Dakota, the South Dakota politicians are busy trying to steal Indian land, namely, the Black Hills.
South Dakota lawmakers, U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), at the behest of S.D. Governor Dennis Daugaard, have introduced legislation intended to facilitate a federal-state land transfer of 1,992-acres of federally-owned land in the Black Hills.
The land in question rightfully belongs to the Oceti Sakowin (The Great Sioux Nation) under the Fort Laramie Treaties of 1851 and 1868. These treaties, ratified by the U.S. Senate, recognized title in the “Sioux Nation” to approximately 60 million acres of land within present day Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, and established the “Great Sioux Reservation” which is made up of 26 million acres of land, including the Black Hills. This land was set aside for our “absolute and undisturbed use and occupation.” It also set forth that in order to be valid, any future cession of these lands would require the signatures of 3/4ths of the adult male population from the aforementioned “Sioux” bands.
The U.S. government unilaterally breached these treaties when it opened the Black Hills for settlement after gold was discovered there. In The Great Sioux Nation vs. the United States (1980), the Supreme Court of the United States agreed that the seizure of the Black Hills by the U.S. was an unlawful taking.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe and other Oceti Sakowin Tribes were not notified or consulted by federal or state government on this matter.
You can read more about this latest move by greedy assholes here.
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“You remember that deal where we traded you New York? We’re taking that back.”
Oh, wait -- I bet the whole “ignore the treaty” trick only works in one direction. Strange coincidence.
When I see stuff like this it makes me better understand the US’ relentless support of Israel’s land-grabs. They’re just a little copy of the US.
You know, this would be awesome.
Somehow, the fact that the Black Hills treaty was at first broken because of gold is especially egregious. Gold had at the time few technical uses, it was mostly used for backing money* and as a way to show wealth and power.
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* = It’s questionable whether gold/silver standard did more good or more harm for the economy in the late 19th century than fiat money and functional central banks would have.
One of things I really like about the Shadowrun books is how the US tribal nations actually got most of their land back.
I wish (not for the first time) that magic was real.
I also wish there was a way (maybe the UN?) that the tribal nations had some real political (if not military) power to enforce these treaties.
….fucking asshole white people….