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The Black Hills Are Not for Sale!
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6K ViewsPlease disseminate widely, thank you! This does not give permission to alter or claim credit for this re-mixed work, for which I retain all copyrights. The original illustration is in the public domain.
If you disagree with the views expressed here, please be sure to read my Policy Statement BEFORE you post: fav.me/d4tf3xs
In 1868, the United States signed a treaty with the Lakotah (Sioux) people setting aside the Black Hills in what is today western South Dakota "for the absolute and undisturbed use and occupancy of the Sioux." Then gold was discovered there by miners who were illegally trespassing, and Congress grabbed the land after negotiations to purchase it broke down. The resulting military battles culminated in Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn in 1876.
"Ho-ka hey!" Crazy Horse yelled at the Little Bighorn. "It is a good day to fight! It is a good day to die! Strong hearts, brave hearts, to the front! Weak hearts and cowards to the rear."
Congress responded by telling the Sioux: Give up the Black Hills, or lose federal food, medicine and blankets, rations pledged earlier to compensate for disrupting their hunting lands with westward expansion. Only 10% of the adult male Sioux population signed the treaty giving up the land, but Congress enacted it into law in 1877.
A federal judge, later echoed by the Supreme Court, castigated the government's deal, saying: "A more ripe and rank case of dishonorable dealing will never, in all probability, be found in our history."
A century later, in 1980, the Supreme Court awarded eight Sioux tribes $106 million in compensation--the 1877 value of $17.5 million, plus interest. This was payment for what the court called "a taking of tribal property."
Try to figure the value of the Black Hills--called, in the Lakotah language, the heart of everything that is: Wamaka Og'naka I'cante. It would be like trying to place a monetary value on Bethlehem to Christians. It cannot be done. Return the Black Hills to the Lakotah NOW and remove this stain on America's honor!
If you disagree with the views expressed here, please be sure to read my Policy Statement BEFORE you post: fav.me/d4tf3xs
In 1868, the United States signed a treaty with the Lakotah (Sioux) people setting aside the Black Hills in what is today western South Dakota "for the absolute and undisturbed use and occupancy of the Sioux." Then gold was discovered there by miners who were illegally trespassing, and Congress grabbed the land after negotiations to purchase it broke down. The resulting military battles culminated in Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn in 1876.
"Ho-ka hey!" Crazy Horse yelled at the Little Bighorn. "It is a good day to fight! It is a good day to die! Strong hearts, brave hearts, to the front! Weak hearts and cowards to the rear."
Congress responded by telling the Sioux: Give up the Black Hills, or lose federal food, medicine and blankets, rations pledged earlier to compensate for disrupting their hunting lands with westward expansion. Only 10% of the adult male Sioux population signed the treaty giving up the land, but Congress enacted it into law in 1877.
A federal judge, later echoed by the Supreme Court, castigated the government's deal, saying: "A more ripe and rank case of dishonorable dealing will never, in all probability, be found in our history."
A century later, in 1980, the Supreme Court awarded eight Sioux tribes $106 million in compensation--the 1877 value of $17.5 million, plus interest. This was payment for what the court called "a taking of tribal property."
Try to figure the value of the Black Hills--called, in the Lakotah language, the heart of everything that is: Wamaka Og'naka I'cante. It would be like trying to place a monetary value on Bethlehem to Christians. It cannot be done. Return the Black Hills to the Lakotah NOW and remove this stain on America's honor!
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Christians don't control Jerusalem by a long shot. Look in the right direction at the (((right tribe))).
I'm a Native American (Grandfather tribe) Grandma straight off the Rez AND a Christian! I'm not trying to buy Black Hills...
lol
Thing is: control sovereign over the land has everything to do with military power and any verneer of legal rights or fair trades is pure disinformation tactic. But pretend we don't know that sure have some funny effects, here and there. Of course, if anyone WAS interested in be fair give the land back would be a start, would not be enough. The stolen gold would have to be paid too.
On the other hand the "Vae Victis" postulate ensures that no remediation is ever needed in cases like that.
Still, is a beautiful poster.
Thing is: control sovereign over the land has everything to do with military power and any verneer of legal rights or fair trades is pure disinformation tactic. But pretend we don't know that sure have some funny effects, here and there. Of course, if anyone WAS interested in be fair give the land back would be a start, would not be enough. The stolen gold would have to be paid too.
On the other hand the "Vae Victis" postulate ensures that no remediation is ever needed in cases like that.
Still, is a beautiful poster.
We should just give back the lands we took from them and work a deal so they can be at a more equal level to the rest of America because we've made and broken promises with the Native Americans.
Considering how stubborn people can be about what is "theirs," I doubt the likelihood of that happening. Would be nice, though...
Also, if we did, would they trust us?
"We're not going to be fooled by the 400 deals you promised us before this one."
Also, if we did, would they trust us?
"We're not going to be fooled by the 400 deals you promised us before this one."
It's sad that white peopl don't respect the Black Hills as a sacred place
black people do?
I don't think anyone does
But you wrote that "white peopl don't respect the Black Hills" So I was wondering if black or latino does, still the history of Indians is sad thing, I hear on radio a guy who visited the Indian communities how they are cultural similarities with europeans witch was interesting (Indians are from europe so we have more in common that you would think).
America was founded on lies, dishonesty, theft, murder, rape, genocide, holocaust, brutal violence and GREED etc. that was aimed at the Native Americans of the 500 Nations people (the real Americans). It was done by a GREEDY bunch of ignorant/arrogant immigrants from most of Europe. Unfortunately it is still going on today with the GREEDY merchant banks, the GREEDY multi-national corporations and the GREEDY mega-rich perpetrating the the misery and murder etc. in other countries.....and they have the cheek to complain about China's despicable Human Rights record!
I agree ... for this situation, but what about all the other displaced Indians in America? Nothing really is being done about the wholesale stealing land that rightfully belonged to the Indians. However, the Indians would be quick to tell us invaders that the land belongs to itself we only live upon it so how can we put a price on it? They're right but unfortunately, we can't change our present mind set that sets prices on land so the only thing we can do is give back the areas the American Indians lived upon originally. Oh yes, it will mean displacing all the squatters but how can anyone feel it is right to take what isn't theirs? How can they look at their children and mouth all those rules from the bible bout 'thou shalt not steal' or 'thou shalt not covet thy neighbors lands' (or something like that)? We are such a nation of hypocrites and fixing our mistakes will take heroic measures that I don't think we'll ever see in our lifetimes.
Tragic, indeed.
I wish my go-to places to get away from America (Canada, Australia) didn't have their own problems with the aborigines.
(I don't know, and don't want to know, if they do, so I'm fearing the worst.)
I wish my go-to places to get away from America (Canada, Australia) didn't have their own problems with the aborigines.
(I don't know, and don't want to know, if they do, so I'm fearing the worst.)
Only by saying "Fuck that, I'm trying ANYWAY" does change ever occur, friend.
I like this analogy. 
It would have also worked had I said "Jews" and "Jerusalem" or "Muslims" and "Mecca," but since most of my audience is from North America and Europe where Christianity predominates, that is the analogy I used. Thanks.
Good for the Sioux. They are a people with integrity and rightful pride in their beliefs, fight for human justice, liberty and history.
Pardon my ignorance here, but I haven't heard anything about this until just now. Why do Christians want to buy the Black Hills?
They don't. The U.S. government, pursuant to a Supreme Court decision, awarded eight Sioux tribes $106 million in compensation for the government's illegal seizure of the Black Hills in 1876. The Sioux have refused the money; they want the land returned to them.
The Black Hills are sacred to the Sioux, just like Bethlehem is sacred to Christians. This poster is an effort to make people understand that asking the Sioux to take money for the Black Hills would be like asking Christians to take money for Bethlehem (or, asking Muslims to take money for Mecca, or Jews to take money for Jerusalem. Now do you understand?
The Black Hills are sacred to the Sioux, just like Bethlehem is sacred to Christians. This poster is an effort to make people understand that asking the Sioux to take money for the Black Hills would be like asking Christians to take money for Bethlehem (or, asking Muslims to take money for Mecca, or Jews to take money for Jerusalem. Now do you understand?
Yeah, I got it now. Also went and looked it up on Google, no surprise that the mainstream media isn't covering this.
All that American Native being fucked off by the goverment always makes me veeeery angry, and I'm from Europe, god dammnit.
I respect Native American people. As the descendant of an oppressed people myself, it disgusts me how people call themselves Christians, as if that means they are on moral high ground no matter what they do, and then proceed to commit heinous acts. The acts begin with the conquistadors, and their three G's Gold, Glory and God. They sought to enrich themselves, and spread their way of thought to bolster their own since of superiority, without actually fully embracing the people who turned to their way of thinking. I could go on and on...
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