Chase Iron Eyes stands in front of a list of thousands of Standing Rock Supporters

 

Winona LaDuke on Chase Iron Eyes

“We have a Creator-given right to live, die and be buried in our sacred Black Hills,” Chase told Obama, reflecting on the continuing position of the Lakota people that the Black Hills must be returned.”

 

LaDuke writes: “[Iron Eyes] suggests that ‘a practical solution’ can be found…For instance, co-management transitioning to Lakota management of the millions of acres of national and state parks in the Black Hills region would be a good step. …Remember that the Lakota have thousands of years of management experience in this area.”

 

Iron Eyes said:

“The US did not give the Sioux nation any rights. We reserved to ourselves specific rights. We never gave up the right to govern ourselves and to exist under our spiritual instructions in our territory.”

Artwork by Betty Duke

As LaDuke writes, his reference is to:

 “…the 1868 peace treaty between the Lakota Nation and the US, nation to nation, which received large parts of the Dakotas for the Lakotas. The treaty has been violated, and the US courts have upheld that the land was illegally taken. The Lakota have turned down the settlement offer, now amounting to around a billion dollars. It sits in the bank, because the Lakota still believe in their treaty and in their land.”

She further describes the Obama-Iron Eyes conversation:

“Iron Eyes talked about President Obama’s, hoping the Native people can be a part “…of the American Dream.”

Iron Eyes suggested: “We have our own American Dream that is different then the consumption and procurement of material wealth…without regard for Mother Earth and the resources which sustain us. It is the original Indigenous dream. And we want you to be a part of it. That is, we recognize the common humanity that we share with every other …being that shares a spiritual relationship with the cosmos.”

LaDuke continues, saying that Iron Eyes talks about a vision to:

“….provide food security for our nations, national security and renewable energy….There is enough to provide for all of us…But not enough to provide for all of us in the global consumerism and neo classical economics.”

LaDuke: “I think there is some very good wisdom on Standing Rock and that President Obama knew where to go to hear something perhaps a bit outside of the Washington paradigm.”

 

Chase Iron Eyes resides in the Great Sioux Nation at Standing Rock with his wife Dr. Sara Jumping Eagle, a pediatrician and activist, and their three children.

 

 *Eyapaha: In traditional Lakota society, the Eyapaha was charged with spreading the news and information of the day. The role even evolved over time to include masters of ceremony at wacipis, meetings, and other gatherings

 

[1] LaDuke, Winona The Winona LaDuke Chronicles: Stories from the Front Lines of the Battle for Environmental Justice, Spotted Horse Press: 2015; pp.100-102 www.winonaladuke.com