Manderson, SD

            “The water wells in the Porcupine/Rockyford area of the Pine Ridge Reservation with a high MCL (maximum contaminant level) of radiation have been cleaned up and capped”, said employees of the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Office to the 75-80 conference participants.  The youth applauded this response by the program staff.  When Delano Featherman was asked about the uncapped radioactive wells in the Slim Buttes area of the reservation, he said he did not have any information about these wells.  The OST Environmental Protection Office did not arrive to present their promised slide show and lecture about water on the Pine Ridge.

            The two-day conference was sponsored by Owe Aku, Bring Back the Way, Manderson, SD; Fire On The Fire, Porcupine, SD; Lakota Action Network, Porcupine, SD; OST Fifth Members Office; and the Mennonite Central Committee.  The conference was filmed by the youth of Owe Aku as part of their video documentary on water, which is a smaller piece of the larger Environmental Issues and Human Rights project of Owe Aku.

            The Environmental Issues Facing Indigenous Peoples Conference in Manderson, SD on May 27 & 28 was attended by many youth and young adults from across the Pine Ridge Reservation as well as a delegation from the Cheyenne River-Eagle Butte Reservation.  The conference focused on environmental issues as well as decolonization and activism. Conference presenters included Eileen H. Iron Cloud and Paul Robertson from Fire On the Prairie, who gave a well-received lecture and slide show titled “Decolonization Among the Lakota”.  Iron Cloud emphasized the importance of prayer in all activist work in making change for the people’s lives. Nick Tilsen, organizer for the Lakota Action Network, a group of young Oglala Lakota tribal members, stressed the importance of planning and preparing in the work of youth activism.  “Planning your plan makes all the difference in whether or not you achieve your goals,” Nick advised the many youth in the crowd.  Nick and Russell Blacksmith of Oglala provided a very engaging presentation on Youth Activism.

            Charmaine White Face, Defenders of the Black Hills, shared information regarding the proposed coal strip mining soon to occur in North Dakota, which will destroy many Lakota ancient sites.  Brian Brademeyer, Native Ecosystems, presented on the effects of logging in the Black Hills, which has been enacted already this spring and which will continue through the fall months in one of the last pristine wilderness areas in the United States known as the Norbeck Wilderness Area, which, to the Lakota, is known as the Hinhan Kaga Paha area, a sacred site.

            Harvey White Woman of the OST Fifth Members Office provided a slide show about the 1851 and 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaties and the declining land base of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires). The youth invited Harvey to come back and teach more about these topics.  Ramona White Plume and Pte San Win Poor Bear presented on the Lakota Star Stories and Sacred Sites, imploring the young parents to teach these Lakota ways to their children and return their families to the Lakota way of life.

            Debra White Plume of Owe Aku spoke on the topic “Decolonization and Social Change”.  Debra reminded the young adults and the youth that one can not work on social change for their people and campfire unless he or she first begins to experience the decolonization process on a spiritual, emotional, mental and physical level.  “Before you can change the things you see, you need to change the way you see things”, she said as she explained that many people are not aware of, or will not accept, the paradigm that they are colonized.  “Until people realize they are living in oppression and committing lateral oppression against their own people, they will not be freedom- thinking people.  Not only will they accept the crimes and violence committed against people, they will accept the crimes and violence committed against our sacred red earth, Unci Maka.”  Debra posed a question to the crowd, “Who will be at home watching TV while they rape Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth) in the sacred He Sapa (Black Hills)?  Who will stand together as a band of people against the destruction of Hinhan Kaga Paha (Harney Peak), a sacred site of the Lakota Nation?”

            Conference organizers agreed the goal of the Unci Maka Kiktakte conference was attained: that the young people of the Oglala band will have knowledge of their ancestral sacred beliefs and of the destruction of the Sacred He Sapa (Black Hills).  Only with such knowledge, can a people agree to work together to change the things they see. 

           The conference also sponsored a Stage Performance evening at Kiza Park, where hip-hop and rappers fired up the crowd of young people attending the free concert.  Norman Red Star, Dallas White Plume, Ambi Ska Camp and Canku Clifford wrote rap songs about the contaminated water Lakota people drink, the good ways of the Lakota ancestors, and the genocide against native people everywhere.  Native Era performed many numbers from their three CD’s, and as always, inspired the crowd to do good things for their people.  There were no police calls or alcohol or drugs at the concert, and there was no violence.  The concert followed a cookout at Kiza Park.  It was a peaceful, crime-free event for everyone to enjoy the many talented youth of the Lakota Nation in a wonderful place along the banks of Wounded Knee Creek.

         Tex Broken Nose, respected elder of Oglala, SD gave the woksape to the conference, advising the people to stand together in prayer and with good feelings toward their Nation.  Arlette Loud Hawk gave closing comments, advising he young people to be strong in their traditions, encouraging them to be proud of themselves as Lakota Oyate, and to be brave and stand for change for the people.

        Vic Camp, Owe Aku conference organizer, wrapped up the conference by reminding everyone that the Pine Ridge Reservation was historically known as Prisoner of War Camp 344 and encouraged all the young men to stand together in good way for the ancestors and their coming generations.  “It’s time our generation stands up in this struggle against genocide and for the survival of our Lakota way of life, or it may not be here for our children and grandchildren.”