Yesterday
was a very interesting day. It started out the same as most
Saturdays. I read the paper and some other things online. Several
people called on the phone and we talked about the stuff we usually talk
about. Then at about eleven thirty, I went down town to join the other
Occupy Rapid City protesters for what has become our standard activity for mid-day
Saturday.
One
of the Occupiers is a semi-retired professor and writer, Elisabeth Cook-Lynn. She is a very interesting
lady. She told me that she intended to go to the Mother Butler Center at
one o'clock for a gathering organized by the Ogalala Sioux Tribe Vice President
Tom Poor Bear to discuss stopping the Keystone XL pipeline.
Marvin
Kammerer had told me earlier during our phone conversation that he intended to
go to that gathering and asked me if I would like to go. Since Elisabeth
had reminded me, I decided that I would go.
Several other members of Occupy Rapid City decided to go check out the
gathering at the Mother
Butler Center
What
an experience that turned out to be. People were still arriving when I
got to the gymnasium at the Mother
Butler Center
Behind
the chairs, was a large drum and several drummers were seated around it.
A podium and tables were arranged near the west end of the gym which allowed
for an open area in front of the chairs for the audience. About ten
people were seated at the tables, facing the audience. It looked as
though if everyone were to sit down, the audience seating would be at full
capacity.
A friend of Marvin's that I recognized was at
the podium, Alex White Plume. He proceeded to introduce several of
the people in attendance and to explain what the gathering was for. He
then introduced his cousin who opened the gathering with a prayer in
Lakota. Many of the speakers spoke in the Lakota language for a portion
of their speeches.
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Figure 1 Vice President Tom Poor Bear seated and Deb White Plume speaking
Several
members of the tribal council were in attendance. Vice President Poor
Bear introduced the grandson of Chief Red Cloud, who is a chief
himself. Chief Oliver
Red Cloud was the first speaker to address the assembly. The senior
attorney for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Steve Emery, was one of the speakers. He was followed by several
people with special knowledge about the various aspects of the pipeline
project, such as the potential for pollution, emanate domain proceedings,
ongoing legislation, employment claims, tax revenue
considerations, and more.
|
There
were people there from several states including Colorado ,
Minnesota , and Nebraska
All
this was interspersed with music. At one point, the speaker, Steve Emery,
introduced his Auntie, Madonna Thunderhawk. He
invited her up front and then invited everyone to come up and shake hands with
her or give her a hug. It didn’t take
that long to do and everyone appeared to enjoy the opportunity.
Figure 2 Steve Emery speaking and seated to the right
Chief Red Cloud, Alex White Plume, and an un-named participant
Marvin
was asked to speak and it appeared to me that he didn't know they were going to
do that. He had been taking some notes when others were speaking.
His notepad was an inch and a half by two inch piece of paper he had in his
pocket. Marvin really shines in settings like that and he said he had
quite a bit to say. He spoke for about thirty minutes and during that
time he had the audience applauding, voicing their approval, and emotionally involved.
I'm
glad I went. Unfortunately, I did not take notes while I was there and
just the two pictures. For anyone that was there, if my memory is
off a little in my account, please forgive me.
Forgive me too all those wonderful people that participated in this
event and that I should have identified in this article. Apparently, the Rapid news
media didn't consider it news worthy event.
