From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Stop Chief Big Foot National Memorial Park Bill
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 22:32:23 GMT

/** gen.nativenet: 351.0 **/
** Topic: Wounded Knee Community Announcement **
** Written  9:01 pm  Aug 11, 1992 by milo@scicom.alphacdc.com in cdp:gen.nativenet **
Original-Sender: milo@scicom.alphacdc.com (Michele Lord)

This article is copied from a flyer given to me by a friend
who was in Wounded Knee last week. It is about the same issue
as the article posted by Elizabeth Eames on Aug. 3, 1992.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Stop Chief Big Foot National Memorial Park Bill

            August 05, 1992

Hello!! The purpose of this event is to hold a peaceful
demonstration to create a public awareness of the Chief Big Foot
National Part Draft Bill. Several groups sponsoring this event have
studied and reviewed this proposed bill and are strongly opposed to
the passage of this bill. The intent of the bill is to develop a
national park within and around the Wounded Knee Massacre Site. The
National Park Service will plan, develop, and construct the park
with the guidance of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Wounded Knee
Survivors Association. The Tribal Council recently approved
resolution 92-85, which authorizes the draft language of the
proposed park plan.

The following major issues of concern are:

1. The Wounded Knee community will be forced to relocate as lands
are acquired and deemed necessary by the Secretary of the Interior
to develop the park.

2. A 99 year leasehold agreement is required wherein the Oglala
Sioux Tribe tranfers land, surface and sub-surface rights (water,
minerals, and the bones of our people in the mass grave site,)

3. The Management of the park will be with the Park Service which
has a history of inefficiency, ineptitude, and mismanagement.

4. Law enforcement jurisdiction will bring the Cheyenne River,
National Park Rangers and the State of South Dakota law enforcement
systems the reservation. This is state jurisdiction under the
guise of economic development.

The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council has ignored the opposition of the
most affected community, the Wounded Knee Sub-Community, in their
resolution against the Chief Big Foot National Memorial Park Plan
and Bill. As Lakota people on this reservation, we will all be
affected by the alteration of the sovereignty  powers currently
exercised under the Treaty of 1868. This bill will be another step
toward the final termination of Lakota people by the U.S.
Government and State of South Dakota Please consider the
implications of this bill on future generations and work to stop
this land give-away.

        Pila Unyapi-Thank You

Wounded Knee Sub-Community      Wounded Knee Landholders Association
Native Resource Coalition
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[The following is a letter to Congresspeople that can be
used with minor changes or you may write your own letter
using the information. -Michele]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Honorable ____________________
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.

Re: Chief Bigfoot National Memorial Park and Wounded Knee Memorial
Act of 1992

Dear Senator _________________

So little of what was, still remains. In our constant battle to
preserve the past and make amends for deeds of long ago, we often
loose sight of the impact of our decisions. The "Chief Big Foot
National Memorial Park and Wounded Knee National Memorial
Establishment Act of 1992." is one such perfect example. This bill
not only contains significant drawbacks, but t's rapid development
and unpublicized modifications create overtones of private, not
public interest. As an American citizen, I urge you, as a legislator,
to vote AGAINST this Bill.

Consider the following:

-In the 1940s, 126 families' land was condemned for bombing
practice. Some of those families were relocated to Wounded Knee.
After the 1973 occupation in Wounded Knee, families were relocated
to Pine Ridge. Are we going to relocate again in 1992?

-The Bill calls for a minimum of 1,000 acres of the Pine Ridge
Reservation in the State of South Dakota. This area has already
lost nearly 1 million of it's 2.7 million original acres
(established by 1868 treaty). There is no limit on maximum acreage
(in the Bill).

-The Bill calls for the transfer of all surface and sub-surface
(water, minerals, etc.) rights to acquired lands.  Why?

-The proposed area encompasses a large watershed and will certainly
affect water usage in this arid climate.

-The Bill is adamantly opposed by the Wounded Knee District,
Wounded Knee Community, Wounded Knee Landowners Association, and
lacks the support thereof.

-The history of this Bill is marked with miscommunication and
concealment. It is unnumbered, a common tactic used to hide a
controversial Bill. Repeated requests to produce this Bill and
associated Feasibility Studies yielded no results until recently.
Information reaching the Tribal level is dubious, at best.

The culture of the Oglala Sioux Tribe must be preserved. The wishes
of the people, and their desire for privacy and spirituality must be
honored. Let us not spoil this with tourism, family displacement,
and broken trust, one of the last few living examples of history.
For once, Let Us Do What The American Indian Wants, Not What We
Think He Wants. I charge you, as an elected official, to carefully
scrutinize this Bill and protect the People of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe.        *VOTE NO*

Sincerely,

_____________________              Date_________________



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Michele Lord              + If you have come here to help me,
                            + you are wasting your time.....
 Alpha Institute            + But if you have come because
                            + your liberation is bound up with mine,
 milo@scicom.alphacdc.com   + then let us work together.
                                          Aboriginal Woman
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** End of text from cdp:gen.nativenet **