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Photo borrowed from RapidCityJournal.com
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Mitakuye Oyasin~
A little over a month ago, via FB, I saw my first message
pertaining to the auction of close to 2,000 acres of sacred land in the Black
Hills to the highest bidder to satisfy a tax lien on August 25th, 2012. To the
Oceti Sakowin, The People of the Seven Council Fires-the Dakota, Nakota, and
Lakota nations-this sacred land is known as Pe'Sla, The Heart of All That Is,
and consider the site key to their creation story. To the rest of the world, this 2,000 acre
parcel of land is known as Reynolds Prairie, owned by Leonard and Margaret
Reynolds of Hill City.
But Chase Iron Eyes, founder of Lastrealindians.com, Inc.,
spearheaded an effort to save Pe’ Sla.
Due to this group of young Native Americans who call themselves The Last
Real Indians and other hardworking and determined groups in, of and around the
Great Sioux Nation getting word of the auction out, the land was pulled from
the auction block at the owner's request.
Within days, the collaborative effort to save Pe’ Sla spread far and
wide across the Dakotas, and now, the nation.
But the land is still not safe as it is now for sale.
Currently for sale is 1,942.66 acres which is in 5 tracts (300 - 440 acres
each).
When I came across the message on FB about this piece of
land being auctioned off, I immediately followed the link which lead me to
Indiegogo.com/PeSla-LakotaHeartland website where I donated money to help the
Great Sioux Nation gather funds so they could purchase the land. I've visited
this area often and immediately sensed the urgency to take action.
Initially they were looking for $1million dollars, the money
needed for the auction of the land valued between $6million and $10million, but
then the land was pulled from the auction block. Should Pe' Sla go into the hands of anyone
other than members of The Great Sioux Nation, it's highly likely that it will
be developed. The State of South Dakota has expressed that it wants to use
eminent domain to build a road right through the heart of Pe' Sla, cutting off
the Native Americans access to it and spelling its destruction as a sacred
site.
As of today, The Tribes of the Great Sioux Nation are moving
forward on their own behalf with Lastrealindians, Inc. in continuing to raise
money to ensure Pe’ Sla will be protected as a sacred site, forever.
Ironically, the land Tribal leaders are working to to buy
back was stolen from them by the U.S. government. The Sioux never accepted the Black Hills
settlement as proposed by the United States Supreme Court.
I am delighted to report that as of September 5, 2012, news
crossed the wires that Sioux Leaders of Pe' Sla land movement announced a deal
between the Reynolds family and the Sioux tribes. Officially the tribes of the Great Sioux
Nation will purchase the 2,000 acres of sacred land. Chase Iron Eyes and his organization, the
Last Real Indians, have raised $325,386 and put down a deposit on the 2000
acres of real estate in the Black Hills, but the tribes must raise additional
cash, upward of $9million by the end of November to seal the land deal. This action was organized by Last Real Indians and the
Lakota People’s Law Project.
For more information about this purchase and
what they're up against next, watch the video below:
As you learned, there are still ongoing fundraising
needs. Please visit the Indigogo website
above and make a donation!
On a personal note: I
am pleased to say that in my last book, Crystal Blue Sky, my character, Crystal
Blue, visited this sacred land and met her ancestor, Weasel Bear, on the great
granite mountainside known to some as Cougar Mountain. As I wrote this particular passage, I was
swept away with the beauty that I remembered this land to be. As a child I visited the Black Hills often
and always felt a sense of sadness as I walked along the paths looking for
Fools Gold and beautiful stones I could take home with me.
When I first began getting the idea to write this series, I
knew without a doubt that my heroine would visit the Great Sioux Nation first
before she began her journey traveling around the world. The message for me was loud and clear, she
should visit with the Tribal Leaders of the Great Sioux Nation to strengthen
her ghost, heal her past and cleanse her spirit with fire and water. There is a strength to the Sioux that I can
appreciate and I wanted to honor them by taking Crystal to their Sacred Hearth
so she could prepare herself for her journey.
And now, I can smile
and know that maybe, just maybe, just possibly, Crystal's visit to their land
had a little something to do with their new found hope that they could
possibly, once again, call this sacred piece of land their own.
Mitakuye Oyasin~
Paula
