A piece of legislation titled the “Big Beautiful Bill" passed the House last month, and has a provision that would appropriate $40 million to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026 with the construction of a National Garden of Heroes that would feature 250 statues of “America's Heroes”. Some statues would be dedicated to Indigenous leaders, according to a previous Trump executive order, including Sitting Bull, Ira Hayes, Jim Thorpe and others. The Senate’s version was introduced today and includes language that would permanently sell 250 million acres of public lands.
Read MoreOn Saturday, May 31, The Children’s Memorial hosted hundreds of community members in a dedication ceremony for a sculpture that honors the nearly 50 Indigenous children who died while attending the Rapid City Indian School a hundred years ago. Community and local leaders spoke of the memorial’s significance to the local community and that it pays respects to children lost in the boarding school era.
Read MoreOur children were stolen from us in past generation, forcefully assimilated or secretly buried in boarding schools under the “kill the Indian and save the Man” ideologies, and it would seem that the task to erase them has not ended under Governor Kristi Noem’s administration and leadership.
Read MoreThe English definition of consultation is “a meeting with an expert or professional, such as a medical doctor, in order to seek advice.” In the Lakota language, wóglakA means “to speak about something.” In meeting with county commissioners, municipal, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Public schools and Federal agencies we have met the definition of consultation in both of our languages.
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