May 3, 2015 - SIOUX NATION MEETS TO ADDRESS OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL VISIT
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe (Kul Wichasa Oyate) 1865 Treaty Terrritory
Lower Brule, South Dakota May 2, 2015
A meeting of approximately 50 representatives of the traditional leaders and federally recognized Tribal Council members of the Great Sioux Nation (Oceti Sakowin) was hosted by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss U.S. President Obama’s upcoming visit to Sioux Nation territory May 8, 2015 in Watertown, SD as well as strategize for the recently announced ban on the Keystone XL pipeline set to come through Sioux Nation Treaty territory. Delegates and participants reiterated the expressed intent of the L/Dakota Nation to stop the pipeline from ever crossing the territory of the Sioux Nation.
Hosting the meeting was Lower Brule acting Chairman Kevin Wright who was emphatic in declaring that Lower Brule is finally joining the Lakota Nation in stopping this pipeline. Chairman Wright also highlighted some of the focus areas of the meeting in stating:
Look at the taxes we pay outside our reservation, look at the taxes we pay to non-indians inside our reservation to the power line owners, etc. Look at what is going on in Flandreau Sioux Tribe where the State is trying to force them to collect taxes on transactions made with non-Indian State citizens and pay that to the State of South Dakota, we have to support them, we have to support each other. Why don’t we have them pay the Tribes for the taxes our citizens pay in every border town?
This commentary Chairman Wright provoked a discussion relating to the economy and trade rights of the Sioux Nation and ultimately led participants to agree on pursuing a state of independence in liberating from the imposed poverty currently perpetrated on Tribal Nations. Key to this effort is a reported future constitutional convention process to declare the intent of the Sioux Nation to the world. It is a grand under-taking considering the multitude of Treaty Councils and Federally recognized Tribal Councils which are under constant pressure from poverty-stricken tribal members whose needs require that they not consider any real strategy of ending the conditions imposed on Tribal Nations by the United States but rather concern themselves with where their next meal is coming from.
The meeting was a starting point in uniting all interested parties in seeking economic self-determination by any means including propane, hemp, tobacco and/or cannabis production and distribution, banking, finance, inter-tribal trade, tax equity and other ventures to ensure the Sioux Nation seeks its birth-right to determine its National Destiny. Future meeting dates to be announced.