STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBAL MEMBER AND "AKI'CITA WINYAN", WOMAN WARRIOR, RHEA ARCHAMBAULT ENTERS DAY 3 OF HUNGER STRIKE

9-18-12

Photo credit: SRST - ACTT

By Deborah LaVallie

The Turtle Island Messenger

Rhea Archambault, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, of the Bear Soldier Community, McLaughlin, SD and a member of SRST - ACTT Active Citizens for Tribal Truth has entered her third day of a hunger strike against what she says are the 'unbelievable' abuses and disrespect of the people's rights committed by the SRST Tribal Council against their own people, the membership of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Three months ago, Archambault states that she took recall petitions out to the communities of Standing Rock getting signatures of the membership, recalling three tribal council members, Avis Little Eagle, Phyllis Young and Jay Taken Alive, obtaining over 2,000 signatures and to date there has been no action on the recall.  

She said that the $48.9 million Salazar Trust Settlement was made by the 'Tribe', and that "the 'People' are the 'Tribe."  On Tuesday, September 11, the SRST Tribal Council passed a motion, to comply with the SRST Tribal Constitution to bring the proposed settlement budget to the people, following tribal law, and, though there had been previous 'listening hearings' in every district of the reservation, where the consensus was that there should be a payout to all tribal members, on the day after the council meeting, on September 12, the tribal council rescinded their motion to include all members and passed their own proposed budget, which didn't include off-reservation membership.

"This is a terrible act on their part.  They think they can get away with throwing only $17 million at their poverty stricken people, district by district, and keeping $31 million for their own pet projects where themselves or their families will be made richer people," she stated.  Archambault believes the action has created more ill will among the people of the reservation, and some districts are saying they will be giving out $10,000 per capita per household and $5,000 for singles, while other districts will be giving out only $800 per person, also pitting on and off reservation tribal members against each other as the new proposed budget does not include off-reservation members.

Archambault also states that there is no way of keeping the people of the SRST Tribe informed as the Teton Times newspaper is under the control of tribal council member, Avis Little Eagle, and, the KLND Radio Station under the control of the Taken Alives, which is why one of the recall petitions was taken out on tribal council member, Jay Taken Alive.  She said that these two media outlets get big chunks of 'our' tribal money.  "When will the People have the freedom to be informed with truth and facts?" she asked.  "Accountability and responsibility have to be part of our government operations.  So many programs get big bucks with nothing coming back to the People."  Archambault will fast and pray indefinitely to bring attention to the illegal and unethical actions of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council, she said.  She is joined by tribal elder, Vernon Iron Cloud who will pray with and for her as well as supporters from the community.

Archie Fool Bear, a spokesman for the group Standing Rock Sioux Tribe - ACTT Active Citizens for Tribal Truth who held a demonstration/rally in front on the William L. Guy Federal Building to try to bring attention to the potential misuse of the $48.9 million Salazar Settlement, the tribal council accepted on behalf of the 'People' in February, and to tribal council mismanagement and corruption, said that Archambault's actions show the level of commitment the ACTT group has to speaking out and getting attention to the actions of the SRST Tribal Council.

"We have sat on the sidelines long enough and watched the tribal council trample over the rights of the 'People', ignore the voice of the 'People' and the laws they were sworn to uphold, and now, they are working to divide our Tribe by making us fight each other over the Settlement, rather than giving it to all of the 'People'," Fool Bear stated.  He believes the members of the tribal council are rushing to pass a budget developed in a closed meeting by council members, rather than discussing it with the membership, as called for in the tribal constitution.  He said a majority of the districts have already passed either motions or resolutions calling for a per capita distribution for 'all' members, but these were ignored by them.  "They do have their ulterior motives for this money that the People have not had a chance to discuss," he stated.