The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council unanimously voted that Gov. Kristi Noem is no longer welcome on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
The council, on behalf of President Julian Bear Runner, sent an open letter to Noem on Thursday.
The decision stands, the letter says, unless Gov. Noem rescinds her support for her two new state laws aimed at Keystone XL pipeline protesters.
Here is the letter in full (text of letter is below document):
FULL TEXT OF LETTER:
Dear Governor Noem,
Pursuant to a unanimous Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Action as of May 1, 20l9, I am hereby notifying you that you are not welcome to visit our homelands, the Pine Ridge Reservation, until you rescind your support for SB l89 and SB 190 and affirm to your state and this country that First Amendment rights to free, political speech are among the truths you hold to be self-evident. Your newly fabricated, unconstitutionally vague notion of “Riot Boosting” is being litigated against and will not stand. We are particularly offended that you consulted TransCanada before introducing these bills but failed to consult the Oglala Sioux Tribe, or any of the sovereign bands of the Sioux Nation, though our treaty lands would be traversed and endangered by the Keystone XL Pipeline.
According to 97% of scientists, climate change is a very real existential threat to humanity – likely the greatest we’ve ever faced. In light of this, it is clear that the First Amendment – which trumps state law – was intended to protect speech of exactly the type your laws attempt to abrogate. The Keystone XL Pipeline was even deemed by a previous president to be so dangerous to our sacred lands and atmosphere that he shut it down. How can you presume to criminalize those who would agree with that previous presidential judgment and hence take vigorous action to resist dangerous infrastructure?
Water and air are sacred; they are required for our continued life on planet earth. Our institutions of politics and economy must evolve beyond their current condition if we expect to continue the human project long into the future. Indigenous nations have honored and defended the sacred since the dawn of humanity.
We have superior legal title to all the land west of the Missouri River that you and/or big oil seek to trespass and aggress on. These are our lands and our waters. Before you presume to visit our homelands again, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council must rescind its action as of May I, 2019. If you do not honor this directive for example, if you were to repeat your recent visit absent permission from our tribal government we will have no choice but to banish you.
Nake Nula Waun, MaLakota,
Julian Bear Runner, President
Oglala Sioux Tribe
“… unless Gov. Noem rescinds her support for her two new state laws aimed at Keystone XL pipeline protesters.”
Not happenin’.
I’m guessin’ she wasn’t counting on their ‘votes’ in the next (s)election anyway.
IF JULIAN “BEAR RUNNER” KNEW HALF THE STUFF THE TRENCHES KNEW, THE SIOUX WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE WAR PATH LONG AGO, OR PISSING IN THEIR MOCCASINS……..
KOYOTE