Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

July 26, 2022

Oglala Lakota say 'No' to using Indigenous youths as poverty porn for church profit

Oglala Lakota youth speak truth to the Oglala tribal council of their concerns of abuses by local churches operating within the boundaries of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. These crimes include and are not limited to openly demonizing cultural teachings and traditional Lakota. -- Andrew Catt Iron Shell Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKaQa4L3yaA

Oglala Lakota say 'No' to using Indigenous youths as poverty porn for church profit


By Eleanor Ferguson
Youth Mentor
International Indigenous Youth Council-Oglala Lakota Chapter
July 26, 2022

Mitakuyepi, there was a victory for the Titawan Oglala Lakota today!

The OST Tribal Council has officially suspended all activity of every single church/missionary on the reservation until all employees/volunteers can pass a background check, and provide full financial statements which will prove how much money they are receiving, where their money is coming from and where it is going. If they fail to do so they will be removed from Oglala Lakota Territory.

Starting from today no missionary should be operating on our reservation until they’ve followed the proper protocols.

They banned churches and missionaries from using photos/videos of Oglala Lakota children to solicit donations. They also copyrighted the words Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, OST, and Oglala Lakota so churches and missionaries are no longer allowed to use these words in any type of form to receive funding or donations; such as in their website, pamphlets, donation fundraisers, etc.

They will be starting an active 2-week investigation on the Dream Center ASAP to see if they were affiliated with Matthew Monfore and whoever else was affiliated with Matthew Monfore will be banned from our reservation.

I just want to give a big wopila to those who made this possible, those who guided me and the International Indigenous Youth Council-Oglala Lakota Chapter this far.

Our mentors never gave up on our vision even when shit was tough, our mentors always reminded us that the work we are doing is necessary and needed in order for us to save our Lakota spirituality.

The youth do this work for all of the babies who died at the hands of priests and nuns.
We do this for the elders who are still suffering from boarding school trauma.
Shout out to tribal council for holding it down for our way of life, for the people, and the youth.

We are rising! Times are changing!
It was a good day to be Oglala Lakota

Video of Oglala Lakota Council discussion and approval of new ordinance which halts missionaries and requires churches to register, provide background checks, provide financial reports and halts the use of photos of children for fundraising. All work of missionaries and churches is halted until registered, with law enforcement enabled to enforce the removal of violators.

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