And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 13:48:07 CDT Subject: SOUTH DAKOTA UPDATE: July 20-30, 1999 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> CPTnet August 31, 1999 South Dakota Update: July 20-30, 1999 Tuesday, July 20 Around 10:30 p.m., two non-Indian people approached the camp saying they wanted to have some beer with the campers. It was explained to them that this is a spiritual camp and a drug and alcohol free camp. The man replied, "Oh... I thought this was South Dakota." The couple was intoxicated and their tone was rude and confrontational. After more comments, they left. Wednesday, July 21 A Korean film crew interviewed campers and will run a story on the Oceti Sakowin (First of Seven Fires) Camp in Korea. In the late afternoon, someone riding by on a jetski yelled, "Get a job!" Four Indian men on horseback came to spend three days with the camp. They were riding to unite all the Native people together. They rode from Yellowstone National Park and were headed to the Four Corners area of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Friday, July 23 Two Army Corps men visited and asked the riders to tie up their horses, explaining that they had received calls from concerned townspeople. They said that the local police department had wanted the island cleared for a RiverFest the first weekend of August. The Corps said that they refused to clear the island since the camp would likely not be in the way. Saturday, July 24 A South Dakotan visiting the camp said that a friend in town had warned him about the camp. "Be careful for your life out there," the friend said. Another townsperson said, "How long are they going to stay out there? The point is made." The Army Corps of Engineers visited the camp and ordered the horse riders to leave. They explained that townspeople had complained about danger to joggers and to the island's ecosystem. Sunday, July 25 Several visitors came from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe to show their support for the camp. The Cheyenne River band is one of the two tribes that will get land along the river in Title VI (aka Mitigation Act) besides the state. Some band members are concerned that their leaders are misrepresenting their interests. Monday, July 26 The camp learned that the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development added a Section repealing Title VI, or the Mitigation Act, to House of Representatives Bill (HR)2605, an appropriations bill. Of the three demands the Lakota had said they wanted met before vacating the Oceti Sakowin Camp, this was the one they least expected to see met. (See July 26 URGENT ACTION: Urge Representatives to Pass Section 505 of HR 2605 to Repeal Mitigation Act). Tuesday, July 27 The House of Representatives passed HR 2605, with Section 505 intact. Section 505 was the repeal of the Mitigation Act, or Title VI, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, and State of South Dakota Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Restoration Act. Representative John Thune (R-SD) requested that comments from Governor William Janklow be inserted into the Congressional Record opposing the repeal. However, he did not request that the repeal be removed from HR 2605 when given the opportunity to do so. The mood at the camp was jubilant. Although Section 505 passed, HR 2605 must go through a conference committee in September and be "reconciled" with its Senate counterpart. (See 30 Jul 1999, CPTnet Release, Pierre, SD: Small Victories at Seven Fires Camp) Wednesday, July 28 CPTers visited the Army Corps of Engineers office. Director Dr. John Bartel talked about the Corps' commitment to land stewardship. He said that the Corps has delayed discussion of leasing land to the state until October 1. An editorial in the Pierre newspaper began with the headline, "Protest isn't the answer for Indians." It suggested that lawmakers in Washington are not paying attention to the Oceti Sakowin Camp, and that they should rather lobby Washington. At 1:30 a.m. a car drove up to the camp and a person yelled "Prairie Niggers" at the campers. Thursday, July 29 A car drove by the turn-about at the gate at about 12:40 a.m. As it pulled away a male voice yelled, "This is OUR land. This is OUR land. It's ours, baby!" At 1:15 a.m., a dark pickup truck parked partway down the causeway and a male voice made a Tarzan call twice. Friday, July 30 Three CPTers visited Major Tom Dravland of the South Dakota State Highway Patrol. Major Dravland responded to CPT's concerns about the discrepancies of stories between the off-duty state police officer who reported a funny smell coming from a white van and the local police officer who stopped a colorful VW CPT van and searched for drugs. The Major apologized profusely and said he did not know how the confusion occurred. Major Dravland said he had, on his supervisors' advice, advised troopers that they need to be specific with vehicles they are dealing with so innocent passersby don't get pulled in and falsely accused. One CPTer pointed out that the stop made it look like the police had set-up the CPT van and its passengers. The major said that he didn't ask the officers involved if they knew the van was related to the island, but expected them to volunteer that themselves. The major said that stopping the CPT van should have been based on "articulable reasons." He added, "I won't give you those because you just don't give reasons for your indicators of whether drug use may be afoot. It was too bad the van they wanted was not stopped; the other one [CPT's] was." ________________________ Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence reduction efforts around the world. CPT P. O. Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 tel:312-455-1199 FAX 312-666-2677 To join CPTNET, our e-mail network, fill out the form found on our WEB page at http://www.prairienet.org/cpt/ Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
