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Pine Ridge

Occupation Peoples

Grass Roots Oyate

January 16, 2000

Until we Win

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2000

Red Cloud Tribal Building, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota

Today the Grass Roots Oglala Lakota Oyate celebrate seven days of sovereign immunity from the oppressive, corrupt Oglala Sioux Tribal Treasurer and members of the Tribal Council.

The Grass Roots Oyate believe that traditional law supercedes I.R.A. (Indian Reorganization Act) government. They are exercising their sovereign rights under the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty. In a January 20th tribal court hearing, Grass Roots Oglala Lakota Oyate (Plaintiffs) v. Oglala Sioux Tribal Treasurer, Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs (Defendant), Chief Tribal Judge Patrick Lee did not ask the plaintiffs if they wished to waive their sovereign immunity. Therefore, the traditional leaders claim that the tribal court has recognized the plaintiffs as an entity, immune from removal, arrest, or prosecution.

Today, sacred eagle staffs and a coup stick were brought in, which represents the societies of our traditional law of the sacred pipe that we stand under for guidance and strength. Spirits remain high in the building and they are standing on their original demands of removing the Tribal Treasurer and members of the Tribal Council.

The Grass Roots Oyate represent the silent majority of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation who believe they have exhausted all their remedies in seeking the removal of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Treasurer, Wesley "Chuck" Jacobs and members of the Tribal Council. On January 16, 2000, this group took peaceful control of the Red Cloud Tribal Building in Pine Ridge Agency, SD for the sole purpose of protecting financial records that incriminate the Tribal Treasurer and several members of the Tribal Council.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation did remove some financial records from the Tribal Building on January 18, 2000 at the request of the Grass Roots Oyate. They believe that these records will be proof of the widespread mismanagement and mishandling of federal monies allocated to the members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Mediators from the U.S. Department of Justice remain on-site and will continue to work with both parties to seek a peaceful resolution. At least one Tribal Council member stated publicly that he did not want the Justice Department here and they could go home and "those troublemakers" will be physically removed from the building.

Meanwhile, the Grass Roots Oyate continue their peaceful monitoring of the Tribal Building.

For further information, please contact Floyd Hand, or Dale Looks Twice, Media Relations Coordinator at (605) 867-5303.

As with all my posts from the Grass Roots Oyate Please forward this in its entirety to any and all interested parties

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