Cat and Mouse, Part 2

CAT AND MOUSE, PART 2
CANTE OYATE

If you have been following my story, you know that on June 1st , I was evicted, arrested, jailed and banned from the Reservation, all without a warrant or court order. I was told not to return to the Reservation. If I did, I would be arrested and taken to jail.

But how could I walk away from everything I worked a lifetime to have to live by. As a woman building her own house, I had tools, saws, ladders, drills, and so much more. I had all the yard and garden machines. It looked to me like Louise Big Boy and her son Robert Montileaux threw my thing every which way. What they didn’t steal, they took and threw it in a jumbled heap. Robert was using my things as his own, my extension cords, my gas stove and propane. He even ate all the food out of my refrigerator, all the meat, roasts, hamburger, I had bought for my cook sales.

The one who facilitated this crime was Judge Lisa Cook. This is the way it works on the Reservation. At the top is the Superintendent, originally called the Agent, who is directly answerable to the Secretary of the Interior, who answers to the President of the United States. This is, of course, the military chain of command that the United States of America organizes itself under. It is not “one nation under God” but one nation under command of a current dictator, who, at the present, happens to be George W. Bush. Candidates for the dictatorship are chosen by a handful of Corporations, who are totally driven by profit. Money is power and, in American government, the military/industrial complex runs the show, everything.

Tribal people, Indian people, true Lakotas, are not ruled by money, but by the Great Spirit, Tuncusila, God. When one is truly ruled by God, one does not create or tolerate a chain-of-command type of government or economy. For thousands of years, Indian tribes governed themselves with a very minimal type of government in a truly democratic way. There was no chain of command, because such a thing goes against nature, which goes against God, in a very primal way. Consider the 1st Commandment given to Moses by God, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” This was given to a Tribal people called Jews, not to Christians because there weren’t any Christians at that time. Do you fully understand what this Commandment means? It is not by accident that it is the first Commandment. It means how you are to be ruled. To place a government above God is sacrilegious. It goes again the laws of nature, which is the same as going against God.

At one time, the American continents were peopled entirely by a beautiful race of people called Lakotas. They lived and governed themselves by what they call Natural law, nature’s law, God’s law, which includes everything like the Ten Commandments. But Lakotas did it naturally, in perfect harmony with nature. To have no other God before Me, to a true Lakota, means that the Spirit, God, leads or rules in all things. These rules were known very well, and practiced by all the people. The Lakota people knew these rules by heart. God is comes first in everything. God shows Himself in the trees, the grass, the wind, the thunder and lightning, the rain, the animals, the people. The rules for nature to Lakotas were the rules of God to be followed so that one could live a good life in peace and harmony with each other and the universe. These laws were not written down like a white man writes down laws, contracts, and agreements on paper. The Lakota wrote God’s law down in his heart, knew them by heart, he lived by them. He did not have a vengeful God who sat in judgment waiting to throw the wicked into hell.

So, what does this have to do with the crooked judge and crooked system? And what happened to me? Everything. You must have the patience to understand, because the same thing is happening to you. We have crooked judges who make decisions totally disregarding the Tribal and US Constitution. Everyday, you are being shit on, and if you object too strongly, you may be arrested for some bogus reason, or you may lose your job, you may be jailed and/or imprisoned, or you may just disappear. The new God, in the Post-modern era we live in, is money. And the few people who control/have all the money, have all the power over our lives. How does this work?

The same way it worked in the Roman Empire. A chain of command type government is installed in a hierarchy system. It is very important to let the locals rule in little localities: state, county, township, city, district, etc. These officials, authorities are paid a very good wage to protect the rights and property of the rich who do nothing, while the people, the poor, who do all the work necessary to exist, receive nothing. A militia or police force is established, not to keep the peace, but to protect the rights and property of the rich and oppress, restrain, halt, through the use of force, anyone who objects to the corrupt system. People, by their very nature, are timid. The U.S. has always used food as a weapon. Not satisfied that they had whipped the South to its knees during the Civil War, the Union, US Government, after the war was won, burnt everything from Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean, houses, crops, livestock. Anything a person needed to live by was destroyed. Then the South was put under martial law for 10 years, and Southerners were treated like colonized people, in short, like Indians. Then Northerners, carpetbaggers, rushed in to take over the businesses, resources, and people. The slaves were worse off after they were free than before. And the worst racist was the Yankee liberator. Money flowed from Washington to line the pockets of the sell-outs, who would become the overseers of the South. In other words, the U.S. Government jumped in to function just like a Tribal government and the BIA. The U.S. system was kept intact with the haves still running the show, and the have-nots serving the rich, regardless or race.

The same system of government was forced upon Indian people, what was left of them, after they were confined to Reservations. To begin with, only white men governed on the Reservations. Eventually, in 1934, after Indians had endured a horrendous attack on their culture by government, Church, and the School system, a so-called Tribal government was forced on them. Now, Indians were supposed to “govern themselves.” The government consisted of people with a drop of Indian blood who looked more white than red. To the real Lakotas, politics was a dirty word, and they wanted no part in oppressing the people.

The new government was totally dominated by money. The country was in a deep Depression. And no one had jobs on the Reservation execpt BIA, tribal government, and the schools. And these people made all the laws and rules that everyone else had to live by. They are accountable to the U.S. government and not the people they oppress. The US, in turn, states that the Tribes are now sovereign and do not have to follow any laws, and do not have to follow the Constitution, either Tribal or Federal.

The godless government, in a religious society, is used to control the people, who are religious. Anyone who criticized the system is viewed as a threat to the system. In previous times, the government would just have these dissidents shot. In post-modern times, the law is used as the primary weapon against the people.

People who run for office in Tribal government, do so only for the money. And the US government makes sure that these Hands-Around-the-Fort are well paid for their services.

Louise Big Boy and her son, Robert, are just the kind of people that the Feds can work with. She would do anything for money. And she has the backing of the corrupt Council woman and a crooked judge.

The question keeps going through everyone’s mind. Why was I singled out for such abuse? I became a target when I started to write in defense for Arlo Looking Cloud. When I questioned the fraudulent land operation practices perpetuated by the BIA to steal Indian land, the BIA in concert with OST through the power of the Tribal Court, had Lisa Cook write up a court order to remove me, permanently. Louise Big Boy told me that as a nonmember, I had no rights, especially no rights to property. She said that according to Indian law, whatever a white person does or builds on Indian land, belongs to the Indian, not to the white person. The problem was that I was questioning this, saying, “that’s not right. Even the Constitution of the United States in the 5th Amendment says a person has a right to their property.” But laws and the Constitution have very little meaning on the Reservation. It is a lawless situation, both for me and the Lakotas who want to hold on to their traditional values. I was guilty of the worst possible crime: I objected publicly to the theft and falsifying of documents that this gang of crooks were up to.

Not only had I been evicted and banned from the Reservation, but I was under court orders forbidden to return to my house to get my things at least. I was to have police supervision at all times. Repeatedly, I would contact the police to ask for an officer to accompany me to my place only to find that the police would fail to show up. The only time I ever got in to get anything was with the help of Sheriff Tagget. Judge Cook then made out another court order telling me how I was to remove my belongings. She gave me 4 days, with the stipulation that I must be under police supervision at all times. And the police would not show up. Plus the gate was padlocked with a no trespassing sign. By the time I received the 2nd court order, which was on the 28th of June, I had only one designated day left, the 29th. Once again I was not served notice of this court order in the usual manner because once again there had been no hearing. Sheriff Tagget obtained a copy of the court order and gave it to me on the 28th of June.

I can sympathize with the Palestinian who has just had his house bulldozed and has been told that he may now go get his things, but is allowed only one day to do it. Repeatedly I had gone over to my place, notified the police as I was ordered to do, only to find the gate locked, and the police not showing up. I was also under the constant threat that if the police showed up, they may arrest me and take me back to jail.

On the evening of the 28th, Leroy and I returned from 3 Mile Creek to Pine Ridge to discover that his daughter Cathy and ex-wife Emma had been in the house going through my things. Cathy, the only one with computer knowledge, had gotten into my computer, printed out documents, went into my e-mail and printed my mail. Stolen was an expensive digital camera worth over $500 along with my keyboard and mouse. Later I discovered she had sabotaged my computer and I had to take it in for over $150 repairs. When I walked in the door, I found my nightgown spread over the table. There, written on the back of one of my documents was a note saying, “Janis, you ugly pig. I bet you think you are sexy.” This was laying on top of my nightgown, possibly Emma’s work, the ugle ex-wife. What kind of depraved person goes through someone’s mail, even stealing some of it, take and leave a note stating that you are the person who did it? Why were they even messing with my computer? What were they looking for? Did someone pay them to do that? They acted like they had the law backing them up, just as Louise had the law backing her up.

It is not unsurprising that the ex and daughters were in on it with Louise. But I didn’t have time to deal with that. Leroy said that unless we had help, it was not be possible to get my things in one day. I had been given the name of Ken Hart who had formed a grassroots group to look into injustices committed on the Reservation. I had called or saw everyone else I knew. Some did not have the time, but most were afraid to get involved. Those of could have helped were afraid to because they might lose their job. I called Ken. He said he would get together a few people and head out tomorrow morning.

I said to meet a t Big Bats. Early the next morning, Leroy and I went to Bats. Someone was waving his arms from the Sioux Nation parking lot. Two guys and a couple of women. Soon Ken arrived and he said we would caravan over to 3 Mile Creek. When we got there, I discovered the gate was unlocked and wide open, the first it had been that way in a month. Although I had called the police before we left, and at Sharps Corner, they were not there. I told Ken that I had a court order giving me permission to get my things, and we should get in and get started. Just then Barbara and her daughters pulled in. I was so happy to see them.

We all went down. Cletus drove the Ford down with the trailer, to back it in. The guys immediately began to load the heavy stuff. The women sorted through the mess to bag and box smaller items. The cabin and entry way were locked. Robert was now living in my house, using my things like he owned them. Apparently Robert meant to keep my refrigerator and stove, and cabinets. After awhile, Officer Muffie Mousseau arrived. Muffie is the same one who had come the end of May with Louise to remove me. When I called Barry Bachrach and he asked her for her court order, she told him to stop threatening her. This time Muffie just sat in her squad car and looked ever so nice. She wouldn’t remove the locks so we could get my refrigerator. I asked her to call the Sheriff. She said the Sheriff was on his way. All-the-while she sat in her car, very nicely.

It hadn’t taken long for Ken and the guys to load 2 pick ups and the trailer. But we had to save room for the refrigerator and stove, so we went down to the garden to get the water pump and hoses. It was difficult to look at the gates hanging ,where Louise and Robert had pulled off the wires rather than latching it properly. It was like depraved cattle had been running through the garden. The weeds had overtaken everything. It was a year of a lot of rain. The potatoes were big plants already. For 8 years, I had planted a large garden, a year’s supply of food for myself, and also for income. I would sell vegetables, jellies, and pickles at my sales. So, in addition to losing my house worth thousands of dollars, I lost my income and survival. Judge Cook said all this, the fruit trees, the whole garden now belonged to Louise, who doesn’t even own this land.
The currants were ripe, so we ate some, after we had loaded up the water pump. Those fruit trees still need water, especially after 2 years of drought. Everyone came down to the garden. It was really hard to look at my beautiful garden lying in ruin, overrun by these psychotic cows.

The Sheriff had not arrived. Norma had a cell phone so she went up to the road to call. We ate more berries and talked. When the Sheriff arrived, he authorized we remove the locks so I could get my things. Just like that, Ken and Cletus had the refrigerator, stove, and freezer loaded. Everyone was getting a little nervous and wanted to leave. So they did. I asked the Sheriff if he would send Leroy down with his van. I loaded the art display racks in the van. I had paid over $800 for them, and these were intended use for another means of my livelihood.

Everyone was already at the Center when we arrived. Norma had got meat and bread for sandwiches. We unloaded the van and only items from the pick ups and trailer I thought I would be using. The rest we took to Leroy’s, where he said he would store it. Unloaded it. I said we must go back and get the rest. The guys were a little spooked but I said this is the only opportunity for me to get my things, so they agreed.

. Do you know what oppression is and how it works on the mind? It gets into the psyche, the soul, if you will, and renders a person immobile. If you are starved long enough, if you are homeless long enough, you become an oppressed person. You think and act differently. I know, because after everything I went through, I suffer from oppression

All of America is suffering from depression. This is different from oppression. The average American does not have any idea what it means to be oppressed; economically, physically, verbally, legally oppressed. When you see the police, you get a feeling of fear in the pit of your stomach. When an authoritative figure begins questioning you, that fear feeling turns into a hard knot. That hard knot can cause you to throw up or actually began to bleed. I don’t think the average American understands this. And it makes it very difficult for the average American to understand the Indian

Have you ever felt fear? The taste of it? How you can taste it on your tongue? And it runs down to your fingertips, runs down to your stomach and sits there. Yes, I was afraid, but I didn’t back down. And neither did Ken Hart and Cante Oyate. They came to do something for me, to see to it that I got my things, a job no one else would do because they were too scared to become involved. And I don’t blame them. I felt I had no choice but to face them all down. Ken and his group had a choice. They were scared, but they chose to do the right thing in spite of their fear. That is what I call courage.

We went back in. Ken and Cletus had a spooked feeling about it. I told them that this was my only opportunity to get the rest of my things. “Let’s do it,” Ken said. We went back in and loaded as much as we could in the 2 pick ups. I stayed to check through the rubble that Louise had left of my things. Ken hooked up by Chevy pick-up and headed out, dragging a loaded Chevy. I found a few of my important papers in the mess. I saw some of my writing scattered in the mess. But no time to get it all. I headed out, driving the other pick up.