Lakotas Strike Back Against Injustice

I complained to higher authorities, and this is what the Tribe did to me, to get rid of me and to silence me. When I returned to the Pine Ridge Reservation seeking justice, they sent the post modern goon squad, thugs, in, to assault me, steal my documents, and damage my computer. When I reported this to the police, they would not allow me to file a complaint. I contacted the FBI who said that I had no evidence that a crime had been committed, so they would not investigate. The only ones who took my side and are demanding justice, are the full blooded Lakotas. They even formed a little group called, Cante Oyate, meaning heart of the people. They helped my get some of my things, and I have been with them ever since, lending my writing ability to help them. The following is the most recent I have written for them: We, the Cante Oyate, have exhausted all remedies to fix the state of lawlessness that exists on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Never in the whole history of the Reservation has the situation been this bad. These are some of the most egregious problems and the most immediate concerns of the people: 1. Prisoners are not fed adequately because there is no food in budget. 2. Judges give long jail sentences, one or 2 years. 3. Judges give excessive fines, several thousand dollars. 4. Police have high speed chases resulted in 3 deaths of our youth in the past year. 5. Lack of due process: judges handing out decisions without hearings. 6. Records and documents get lost or stolen without any official investigation. 7. Crimes go uninvestigated. 8. Innocent people are framed up on falsified evidence and are getting sent off to prison. 9. People are harassed and intimidated based on if they dare speak up. 10. Theft and fraud is commonplace because the biggest thieves are the very authorities who are sworn to uphold justice, yet they violate the Tribal codes, the Tribal Constitution, and the U.S. Constitution with impunity. The people, Cante Oyate, have attempted to alleviate the situation by: 1. Petitioning the people to have the crooked judges removed. 2. Taking petition to the Council to have the judge removed, only to have here reinstated by President John Steele. 3. Writing and calling our U.S. Senators who wash their hands of the problem by saying that the Tribe is sovereign and there is nothing they can do. 4. Contacting FBI who only laugh in our face and refuse to investigate a crime. 5. Contact our Council representatives who fail to act on the wishes of the people. Unless we get outside help, the lawless state on the Pine Ridge Reservation will continue, until the real Lakotas totally lose hope, their culture, and their identity. And all will be lost. When the civilization is gone, there is nothing left to fight for. Then, everyone become just another part of a nasty crowd of scoundrels. Do you want to live that way? In order to change this ugly situation, you must become part of the solution. For myself, Janis Schmidt, I have contacted the Department of Justice, Civil Rights division, in Washington DC. When I told them how I was arrested, jailed, evicted, my house and property vandalized and stolen, my house given away, all without a warrant or court order or hearing, the authorities said they would come out and investigate leading to prosecution of those who committed a crime and those who misused their Office to facilitate a crime. Certain people will be investigated along with those in the judicial system including Public Safety, Tribal Council and Executive Offices, and the BIA for gross violations of civil rights and failure to uphold and defend the Constitution to outright criminal acts, for falsifying documents, and destroying evidence. I will be sending in my own reports, but I will also include yours. I need written statements, along with supporting evidence. I will assist you in writing your report. Together, we will put an end to this lawlessness. Let’s take steps to put the real criminals behind bars, and return the Reservation to the real Lakotas. Let us meet in Kyle at the Cap Office, Saturday, August 21, at noon. Bring some food, coffee, and a chair. We will help you write your statements. We will also see that a copy gets sent to the UN.