The Tribal Council met in Kyle yesterday and reinstated Everett Little
Whiteman as Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety. As a
consequence, the Tribal Police came very close to walking out on their jobs.
We had a meeting with The Judiciary Committee of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and
during the course of the meeting BIA Superintendent, Robert Ecoffey said if
we walked off the job he would retrocede law enforcement back to the BIA and
have at least thirty BIA police officers in Pine Ridge before the night was
over to take over law enforcement in Pine Ridge. The Judiciary Committee
promised to revisit Everett's suspension on the Council floor and refer the
matter to the Business Committee of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Department of
Public Safety for recommendation to the Council. The Council will then
affirm any recommendation concerning Everett's suspension. That is all we
asked.
Nebraska law enforcement is well represented and heavily armed. There are at
least thirty riot team officers with canine support. White Clay has been
shut down for the past several days and travel to and through the town is
restricted by roadblocks manned by Nebraska law enforcement at the state
line. It seems reminiscent of the Seventh Calvary waiting to avenge
themselves for Little Bighorn at Wounded Knee. I don't know how it will all
end up but the potential for bloodshed is certainly there.
Will Pine Ridge PD be there??
We will be there. We have a heavy stake in all this. BIA is attempting to
reassert it's involvement in law enforcement in Indian country. All the
Tribe's are contracting law enforcement services so BIA is getting their law
enforcement services budget reduces by Congress and the Department of
Justice is providing additional resources for Tribal law enforcement and
Tribal courts. I was told by a person who has friend in BIA law enforcement
services that Everett did not retire from the BIA but is only on furlough
from the BIA. He said Everett was working for Ted, the head of the BIA ( Gazulla or Casula, head of BIA's Law Enforcement Services), and it was Everett's task to destroy the Tribe's relationship with the Department of Justice by systematically sabotaging the Tribe's programs that are funded by the Department of Justice. That way law enforcement will be
retroceded back to the BIA and Everett would have accomplished his goal. In
all my experiences with the BIA I have found the BIA to be a leech that
panders the plight of Native Americans and uses resources thus garnered for
bureaucratic sustenance.
Last year BIA received over twenty million dollars that was additional to
its own law enforcement services budget. The crime statistics provided by
Pine Ridge justified over twenty five per-cent of the twenty million. Ted
met with Janet Reno's staff and the Department of Justice agreed to take
care of Pine Ridge's law enforcement requirements while the BIA retained
almost the entire twenty million.
It seems the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Department of Public Safety is caught in
the middle of the struggle for control of law enforcement in Indian
country. We have to maintain some public relations while educating the
district people to minimize the selling out and backroom deals that some of
our Tribal Council persons are involved in. The stake's are heavy. In 1973
there was a struggle between the US Marshall's Service and the FBI for
control of civil disturbances and protest in Indian country. Funny how the
picture becomes much bigger then it appears on the surface.
what about this do you feel is most important that others know before
tomorrow?
who gains by this move back to the BIA enforcement? It is obvious who
loses..our people..again.
The only gainer from all this is BIA. By regaining control of law enforcement they perpetuate their involvement in Indian Country. The Department of Justice is assisting us in developing a more holistic approach to law enforcement services. The ultimate goal of Justice Programs is rehabilitation. BIA can only offer inadequate and understaffed detention centers. BIA is at the mercy of Congress in jurisdictional matters. Justice can help define, enhance and assert jurisdiction and sovereignty.
Reprinted under the fair use
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
doctrine of international copyright law.
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
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