Tears of the Earth: The Struggle of the Lakota

1. Tears of the Earth: The Struggle of the Lakota 

2. A Presentation by Maya Thompson Urbs/ Geog 515: Race, Poverty & the Environment Prof. Rivera-Pinderhughes, Urban & Environmental Studies ProgramsSan Francisco State University Spring 2004*Public has permission to use the material herein, but only if author(s), course, university, and professor are credited

3. Introduction This presentation focuses on the Lakota Indians of South Dakota and their struggles through racism and environmental discrimination. It is designed to promote knowledge of and to discuss several issues regarding the Lakota and it analyzes the environmental pollution and their health impacts, racism and discrimination in Lakota communities, health care, living conditions and reservation life. Photo: �Sitting Bull� courtesy of Shelby Lee Tours

4. Presentation Outline Introduction A Brief History of the Lakota The Treaty of Fort Laramie 1851 What is left of Lakota land? South Dakota The Black Hills Racism and Discrimination Racial Profiling Rosebud Hog farm DM&E Railroad Expansion Cultural Issues Mixed Blood vs. Full Blooded Indians Housing Alcoholism Households Assimilation Sexism Conclusion

5. The Lakota story is another example of how people of color have been exploited and robbed of their voice in the United States. Their history portrays a people rich with culture who were taken advantage of and continue to be. Once plainspeople and nomads who hunted the buffalo, who believed in preservation of the Earth and prayed to Earth gods and goddesses, the Lakota struggle to hold on to their past and look bravely toward their future.

6. Section One: A Brief History of the Lakota The Lakota People The Lakota are part of a bigger tribe called the Sioux. The Sioux include the Lakota, the Dakota and the Nakota, who all speak dialects of the same language. The Lakota, who were once the smallest group of the three, are now the largest of the three, and reside in the several regions of South Dakota. Since the beginning of their existence, the Lakota Sioux were plains people who lived off of the land and hunted the buffalo. The buffalo were their main food source until they were mostly wiped out in the late 1800�s by white settlers. After the disappearance of the buffalo, Lakota were forced to live off of government Rations to survive.

7. The Treaty of Fort Laramie Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 Fort Laramie was a place where the Lakota and members from other tribes, including the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho gathered to trade and communicate. The Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed when problems erupted after immigrants and Non-natives began to move into Fort Laramie and trust between the tribes unraveled. War erupted between the tribes and the U.S. Government decided to get involved and try to solve the disputes. They created a treaty and had the heads of each tribe sign, agreeing to respect each tribe�s territory. Fort Laramie was a treaty that was meant to split the land up amongst the tribes and to provide the Lakota with a reservation.

8. What is Left of Lakota Land? The Lakota tribe populates a small area between South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming where they are forced to live on reservations. The two main reservations I will discuss are Rosebud and Pine Ridge. South Dakota South Dakota is situated near the Mississippi River. It was bought by the United States from France for about $15.5 million. Geologically, South Dakota has hills, lakes, valleys and mountains, one of the well known being the Black Hills. Valuable metals have been found in the Black Hills which may be why the U.S. gov�t refuses to return the rights of this land to the Lakota who see the hills as sacred ground.

9. The Black Hills The Black Hills are made up of mainly mountains and forest It covers about five thousand square miles and contains several valuable minerals including GOLD in abundance. Before Europeans arrived, the Black Hills were home to several tribes of Sioux, including the Lakota. After the discovery of gold, there was a huge influx of whites all wanting to get what they thought of as their share. In the early 1870�s, Custer led an expedition in search of gold through the Black Hills. When it was discovered, he had groups of the Lakota carry bundles of gold back to camp.

10. Racism and Discrimination For centuries the Lakota have been fighting for justice in their communities: 1850�s-1920�s Lakota and members from other tribes are forced into assimilation when the U.S. government put them into schools in order to �civilize� them.

11. In the 2002 article �Protester March in S.D. Over Racial Profiling� by Ruth Steinberger, more than 1,200 Lakota marched to protest the racial profiling that was occurring in their neighborhoods. According to Steinberger, more than a thousand Lakota from South Dakota reservations and supporters joined together to express concerns and outrage for issues dealing with racial profiling, the targeting of Indian youth and issues that they say �victimize� Lakota in their communities. Activist and New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Russell Means discussed organizing committees to confront race-based police targeting and other discrimination which affects the daily lives of Indians. A boycott is being planned.

12. The Rosebud Hog farm Rosebud Hog Farm According to the article �Rosebud Sioux protest hog farm expansion: Rosebud tribe is not living high on those hogs, Bell Farms planned on building a large hog farm with more than 100,000 hogs near Lakota reservations. Many Lakotas protested the building of the farm to much defeat. Hog farms are extremely filthy, they smell and are unhealthy to the humans who inhabit the area. According to the article, when the farm was first discussed it was believed that the farm would �devastate the environment of the north side of the reservation,� and would cost over $100 million to build. The article states that the farm would be built for �economic development� but later it states that no one from the tribe whose land it would be built upon was asked. The construction was given the green light though completely unsupported by Lakota residents. http://ishgooda.nativeweb.org/oglala/0513protest43.jpg