Evil can only exist when good men do nothing...

On December 29th, 1890, evil existed in its most pure form as blood from innocent men, women, and children - all unarmed - were executed en-masse by the United State's Government via the US Army's 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee. The US Army has the incident on record as "The Battle at Wounded Knee", but history has correctly recognized this as a massacre... a massacre in a long line of genocidal policy towards indigenous tribes and peoples of the American Continent.

For those of you who do not know about the Sioux wars, or the massacre at Wounded Knee, here is a short lesson:


In watching this version of the story, my heart sank as it often does during the retelling of the story... but my soul was crushed at 8:30 into the clip - the story of the old woman and the thirsty child... tears burst out of my eyes instantly as I pictured my little girl, and her simple thought that drinking would make the burning in her throat go away... so innocent.

These stories should be taught to all Americans... even the children... and with tears in their eyes they will ask you, as the adults - "why?"

It will be up to you to say, "because good men did nothing"

The west was won by evil, greed, murder, and genocide. There was no God-sent manifest destiny... We lied to ourselves, claiming that we were doing the work of God when we were doing nothing but conducting evil on a scale that would make Mao Zedong, Lenin, or Hitler blush. The west was not won - it was conquered by genocide.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group.

Genocide is the single most wretched act of evil that humanity can embrace... and it is most important for us to talk about it... to ensure that it never happens again.

More importantly, the events at Wounded Knee Massacre led to the awarding of 20 Medals of Honor to US Army servicemen and scouts. It should be our struggle to force Congress to rescind the awarding of these 20 medals to accompany the already stated "regret" over the incident. Congress and the President should then disband the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and grant full autonomy to tribes over the lands established in treaties such as those at Fort Laramie - which under direction of the US Constitution, article 6, are supreme law of the land.

The time is at hand to make retribution for the wrongs our forefathers brought upon this land. It is time to make amends, to heal the hole in our collective hearts which has been left unhealed over the years, especially since acts like those at Wounded Knee. Our hearts have grown hard, stony, and evil. The hardest thing and the right thing are usually the same... so let us take the hardest thing in this nation to task - recognize in a meaningful way the errs of our past and right the wrongs in our lifetime.

The ghost dance can still be heard in the heart of the Sioux... listen carefully... what is beating in your heart?

Russell Means, Lakotah, Explains Obama's "Final Solution"

Russell Means has created a video further explaining the trouble with a President using the precisely chosen words: "Dissolve the Lines of Tribes"... It is a hint at the "Final Solution" to the "Indian Problem" in America... Scary.

Return from a well needed break!

I hope that your Holidays were as refreshing and fulfilling as mine! Though I did not travel, I did:



1. accomplish a solo summit of a difficult peak near my home (after 5 failed attempts),

2. spend some great time with my family,

3. repair the roof after hurricane force winds did a dandy on the house,

4. make a resolution to summit 4 fourteeners and run 1 marathon before my 30th in September

5. give my daughter her first swim lesson

6. make some great headway into my genealogy project

7. have someone hit my new car - and subsequently be without it for over a week now

8. did I mention great family time yet?



And most importantly, I took special efforts to watch / read as LITTLE news as possible, so as to focus on clearing my mind/body/spirit and enjoy the family time.



Now that I am back, here is what is in the works -



Besides the usual commentary on developing world affairs, I will be researching a special topic requested by Russel Means of the Lakotah Movement - focusing on Indian Extermination Policy held by the US Government for two hundred years; I will be writing on other topics specifically geared toward Indian Affairs, International Affairs, and the changing face of the US.



Thank you all for your continued readership. As the major political news dies down, I am finding that the best focus of the blog is one of the "Untold News Stories". I will be increasing my articles on Indian Advocacy, as I believe this topic is the canary in the mine shaft of the US - an indicator of the direction this country is heading and the challenges it faces. For instance - the current battle in Gaza - The conflict in Israel (and I am an advocate for Israel) is ongoing with the Palestinians for the simple fact that the Partition of 1948 has not been upheld - similarly, the US/Indian wars of the 1800's were conflicts of broken treaties and territorial incursions (of course there is much more - but the fundamentals at this point are territorial).



Here is to a great New Year - and here is to a year full of interesting debate and dialogue.

Russell Means' Freedom Party

On November 4th, the Untied States will elect a new president... but the date is also the date the Oglala Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation will elect a new President of the Tribe.

What is most noteable is that Russell Means won the top of the ticket in the Primary, recieving 933 votes over Theresa Two Bulls, a sitting state senator, who received 804 votes. Means will be placed on the top of the ticket, and has the momentum to win the top seat in the tribe - as the current president finished a distant third to the first two, garnishing only 721 votes - indicating a change in direction for the poorest people within the borders of the United States.

Means' Freedom Party represents a change for the Sioux, a change that is over 100 years in the making.

The Sioux used to be a great nation of people, living in their horse culture from Omaha Nebraska to Billings Montana. The United States signed treaties recognizing their national borders in the Fort Laramie Treaties, promising no settlement in their lands for their protection of the railways passing through to the west coast. The Sioux respected the terms of the treaty, which were offered by the United States - and so did the United States, until gold was found in the Sioux Nation's Black Hills. Prospectors flocked to the hills to mine, in violation of the treaties of Laramie, and the United States sent the army to defend white settlers and prospectors from attacks by Sioux defending their territory and minerals. These conflicts led to a series of battles both in courts and on the battlefield - including Custer's last stand, and culminating in the Wounded Knee Masacre of 1890. The genocide against the Sioux continues to this day by the forced boundaries of their nation within the boundaries of their reservations, refusing private land ownership and the means for economic development - as reservation lands are "held in trust" by the federal government, denying individual ownership.

However the courts may have decided against the tribes during the indian wars of the late 19th century, there was an interesting article in the US Constitution which they consistently overlooked - Article 6, declaring all Treaties as Supreme Law of the Land. Regardless of the expansionist agenda of the United States, and the legal course which they attempted to take, Article 6 declares that the United States MUST observe the terms of the treaties signed at Laramie. Under this law, the Sioux were wrongfulyl invaded and are wrongfully imprisoned on these reservations.

Russell Means made this case on behalf of his people and delivered terms to the United States Government - who refused to acknowledge because Means was not a representative of the tribe, as a council member or any elected official.

If Russell Means wins in one week, The United States Government is going to find themselves in a legal battle over land rights, mineral rights and reparations, and the rise of a free and legal nation within her own borders - the Republic of Lakota.

A Republic of Lakota, under the leadership of Means, will work to eliminate taxes (creating a tax haven for US business investors), create funds for the government from solar and wind farming - a government centered energy endeavor eliminating the need for taxes and providing beneficial services to the United States, stimulate education and job creation within the tribal members to increase wealth and health, and provide other general functions of the government. They will cast aside the idea of "Reservation" and the reservation mentality which has plagued generations of Sioux since their ancestors were murdered in greed - causing a society of poverty, addiction, disease, and suicide.

If the Sioux are ever to rebound and survive as a people, they need to be free. There needs to be a fundamental change in the operations of the reservation, a move towards progress for an independent and thriving people.

Means notes that the only people not represented at the table of nations are the American Natives. They are, and continue to be a second class citizen of the United States, regarded as less... there is an accepted racism when discussing Native Americans, and a general disregard for their legal authority and constitutional treaties. It is time for Americans to take a second look at the history, the legality, and the future of American Natives.

A Free Sioux Nation?

Many of you know that I have been following the developments unfolding in the Republic of Lakota, and that I have been very sympathetic to their struggle. If you have followed the postings since December 2007, you would have noticed that first the US government rejected the legitimization of the withdrawal of the treaties, then they secretly began paperwork for return some of their land "the badlands", and now there is a referendum to the Oglala.

Russel Means is running a freedom ticket. Should he win, and become a legitimate representative of the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux, the US government would have to take his withdrawal from the Treaties between the Sioux and the US Government seriously.

Though he is targeting the liberal and libertarian voters within the tribe, he makes great points to the conservative mind. I may contact him and suggest that he expand his target to include the conservatives as well.

There is a 20 minute video on his website in which he outlines the violations of the treaties with the Sioux... but he does more than that. He outlines cause for concern, and the cause of the Lakotah people being the poorest with the lowest life expectancy in the western hemisphere (lower than Haiti, he indicates). He notes that on the Indian Reservation, it is against the law for private property ownership, because the land is held in a public Indian trust by the US government - a socialist dictum forced upon the people by the US government. With no private property, there is no will to protect and enhance that property... economics 101. There are no banks on the reservations, no industry, no jobs... He claims that the regulations by the US government over the land and the people (they are ruled, as long as they remain on the reservation - our policy is intended to discourage Indian-ship) are to blame for discouraging innovation in Lakotah way of life... There is no motivation or innovation for fixing the education system, providing energy, and upholding the rule of law. His platform is that of independence against the archaic laws and regulations regarding Indians in America, and as such he is promising a vote for him is a referendum to the US government that the Sioux are supportive of his struggle to make them free.

It will be interesting to watch his campaign.

One thing to note is that during the wrangling of all the Indians onto reservations, regardless of the treaties signed with the US government at the time, all other tribes accepted payment for their stolen land and accepted the reservations as their homes - EXCEPT the Sioux. The Lakotah Sioux have refused to accept money for their stolen land, even though the Supreme Court ordered a payment to sit in trust for when they do accept it. This act of defiance brings further attention to the fact that the transfer of legally owned land (per the Fort Laramie Treaty) from the Sioux to the US was not legal. The land was taken at gun-point, by force, often resulting in acts of murder of unarmed Sioux women, Children, and Elderly (see Wounded Knee).

I have heard that the stance of conservatives is that Indian-ship is a racist mentality... and that Indians should embrace the free market capitalist society that America has become. Though I agree that the Indians should join the world market, it is the US government holding reservations in Trust that keeps them from doing so... But if the government cancelled their handling of the tribes, it would have to indicate that the US government is finally granting them freedom, and the option to join the Union peacefully and legally...

If they do not... if they decide to form their own government, free from over regulation of the US government - is that not their right? Don't our treaties recognize them as sovereign entities? If not, if we never thought of them as sovereign, why ever sign a treaty with them?

Food for thought... but November in South Dakota is going to be interesting.