Feb 11, 2013 - Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Press Release to Protect BloodRun
OMAHA TRIBE OF NEBRASKA
STATEMENT RE: South Dakota Bill 186
Blood Run/Good Earth State Park
On behalf of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, we ask to seek public support in our effort to protect and preserve a sacred site called Blood Run that exists within our ancestral land and present day South Dakota and Iowa. You may be aware that South Dakota State Governor Daugaard introduced a SB 186 to designate the 600-acre Blood Run nature area as South Dakotas 13th State Park and has issued press releases to this effect. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska supports this area becoming a state park, however there are confirmed burial sites and other sacred objects present that garner our protection and preservation.
The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska recognizes that the site called Blood Run was once inhabited by the Umonhon people and the cultural and historical contributions of mound builders and other tribal nations are prominent at this site. It is imperative that we acknowledge our relative tribes and their contributions to this site as well. This site was a place of trade, commerce, ceremony, and cultural exchange. It is where we believe the Umonhon Calumet Ceremony was born and our White Buffalo Calf Hide and Pipe came to be. The catlinite pipe that accompanies our Sacred White Buffalo Calf is a “disk pipe”, which were only made at this site. It is a sacred location for our people and among other tribal nations as well.
We respectfully request that you stand in solidarity with the Umonhon and all interested tribal nations to protect the site of our ancestors. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska is exercising our sovereign right to preserve the sacred sites at Blood Run from future development. In violation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, development has openly taken place without a TCP study being conducted. Trails have been built and motor vehicle tours are already being performed with a non-Native historian-interpreter. We understand that irreplaceable damage may have already occurred and we seek a cease and desist order on all future development until a TCP study with all interested tribes is conducted.
The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has gained the open and public support of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association on January 30, 2013. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska passed tribal resolution #13-33 on January 31, 2013 and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska passed tribal resolution 13-07# on February 4, 2013 in support of a cease and desist until a TCP study can be conducted and current and future tribal consultation.
Senate Bill 186, proposing the creation of Good Earth State Park, was scheduled for a hearing before the Senate State Affairs Committee Monday, February 11th at 10:00 a.m. in Pierre [this hearing was cancelled and all await rescheduling]. This hearing will include the opportunity to provide proponent and opponent testimony. Secretary La Plante will confirm the next scheduled hearing on SB 186 and I will schedule a same-day meeting on behalf of the tribes with the SD Game Fish and Parks, the Governor’s Office, and the Department of Tribal Relations regarding our concerns, prior to the next scheduled hearing.
Our requests are as follows:
• We request a cease and desist on all development of the site and motor vehicle use on the site until such time as a Tribal Cultural Property and Ladar Monitoring study can be performed.
• We request consultation with all most likely descendant tribes on all current and future development, surverys, and historical interpretation.
Please contact Marisa Miakonda Cummings, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, mail4marisa@gmail.com for more information.