Racism Rears Its Ugly Head

Lakota Wawokiya Civil Rights Org

We are the only civil rights organization in South Dakota that actually does something for people who have legal problems and find themselves up against the stacked deck of justice.

Unbelievable as it may seem, the next case is worse than the last one in blatant violations of Constitutional and Treaty rights, made by officers of the Court. White American is hell bent of eliminating Native American Indians by using the criminal justice system to do it.

By now, everyone should realize that America was founded on the murder, torture, and enslavement of Indians and theft of their lands. America prides itself on being a nation of laws, a leader in democracy, that it has a Constitution which it says makes America superior to all other nations. Yet, in reality, how does America apply its laws in the judicial system? How does America uphold the Constitution in its courts? How does America uphold its treaty agreements?

A Lakota mother called my from Weiser, Idaho, saying she hadn't been allowed to visit her son in prison for 7 years. She said her son gets beaten routinely in prison, and that he then gets sent to the hole if he makes any complaints.

Worst of all, before his trial, while he was still in jail in Nevada, while she was visiting with him in a little visiting room, with the huge glass and phone, 10 to 12 police officers came in and drug her son out of the phone booth. In front of her eyes, they beat her son, kicked him, and shocked him with a stun gun. Nothing was every done about this, not even by the worthless attorneys whom she spent $16,000 on. She has suffered a heart attack and a stroke.

When his mother contacted the FBI to do something about this the Agent told her that "I'm not going to help your son after what you Indians did to those 2 FBI Agents on your reservation."

He was referring to Coler and Williams, 2 FBI agents who had trespassed onto the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation back in 1975, who were guided to the AIM house near Oglala by Bob Ecoffey, with malice aforethought, to illegally capture Native Americans who were trying to defend themselves from the murder and mayhem committed by the GOONs and Public Safety. Over 100 agents and officers rushed the AIM house, armed with deadly weapons. In the resulting firefight, 2 Agents, Coler and Williams were shot at close range, most likely by one of their own or possibly Bob Ecoffey. Right away they blamed Leonard Peltier for the murders, framed him up and sent him off.

While in prison, Thomas is routinely beaten. When he complains, he is put in the hole. He gets his mail withheld.

His mother told me that she had heard we were the only organization that actually does something, which is true. We go into court, go nose to nose and toe to toe with those worthless attorneys. We write letters to judges, Senators, and Governors. We call the Court to find out what is going on. We read over police reports, transcripts, and records. We go to court to attend hearings and trials. We don't just sit there barking; we attack.

We had a call from Garfield Steele whose nephew is sitting in Pennington County jail with a court appointed attorney trying to get him to plead guilty. He is a minor and Monica Thomas says he'll be tried as an adult if he goes to trial. What she didn't tell him is that he will be sentenced as an adult if he pleads guilty, plus they will strip him of his rights, including his right to appeal. That's what she didn't tell him.

We also have Cameron Kills In Water sitting in Pennington County Jail, charged with assault with a deadly weapon. However, Pershing High Hawk told me that they had just bought a 22 rifle from someone for $20. The real story is that Cameron had a new girl friend, Bobbi Jo, and old girl friend walked in on them and found them in bed together. She brought the police over later, got them out of bed, and that's where the trouble began.

Poor Camerson! The only deadly weapon he had on him was between his legs. And I don't think that is a felony crime, however a jealous hearted Lakota woman doesn't see it that way.

Cameron was appointed Gary Colebath, who was trying to get Cameron to plead guilty. Guilty of what? Poor decisions with women? So I wrote a letter to Cameron and told him that we at Lakota Wawokiya would help him investigate this because this case is winable. In fact, the case ought to be dismissed, or at least handled by Tribal Court.

The trial had been scheduled for Oct 3rd. I called the Courthouse and discovered, it has been continued, and a trial date set for November 15. Anyone having any knowledge or evidence concerning Cameron, please contact Lucy Bull Bear or Janis Schmidt. Also, plan on attending the trial. You are going to have to start supporting each other. Let's start filling up the courtrooms for these trials.

Let's face it. AIM isn't coming to help. They are too busy squabbling over who did what 30 years ago. Besides, this isn't a photo op and there's no money in it. The Tribe isn't going to help out. Even though they can hire a lawyer or two for every program, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars defending embezzlers, they can't come up with one dime for the defense of a Lakota falsely accused. Even ACLU isn't going to help because they say the Reservation is sovereign and they can't interfere.

Instead, you called me, an artist, a writer who writes for the Black Hills Peoples News, the only newspaper that will allow the people to express themselves, to express the truth of their experience as it happened to them. You called me to tell your story and to help you. In fact, so many of you called, that I asked Lucy Bull Bear to help. Still, we cannot reach everyone. So we have formed an organization called Lakota Wawokiya Civil Rights Organization that is traditionally and spiritually based.

We are registered with the State of South Dakota as a civil rights non profit organization. Founders and leaders are Lucy Bull Bear, full blood Lakota, whose cousin Arlo Looking Cloud was framed up by the criminal justice system and sent off to prison, and Janis Schmidt, full blooded white woman, who has lived among you for these past 14 years, who has experienced first hand all of the injustices you go through, one who has experienced what your racist, bigoted, and criminal Court, one who has experienced your extortionist, racketeer, gangster styled ruling elite which call themselves a government. Over and over, we have seen the real Lakotas shoved aside, pushed out, scorned and laughed at. We have experienced the jealousy and hatred and gossip of the schemers who would sell out their religion and image under the guise of helping the real Lakota.


We need your help. We will be offering memberships starting at $10. Call Lucy Bull Bear at 605-455-1138 or Janis Schmidt at 605-867-2413.