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| Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council |
OCETI SAKOWIN TREATY COUNCIL PASSED SWEEPING MEASURE SUPPORTING THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE OF GAZA, CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE AND EMERGENCY AID FOR THE MILLIONS DISPLACED
The Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council represents all of the Tribes within the Ocet Sakowin – approximately 49 Tribes.
In the resolution, the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council cited their own historical genocidal experience at the hands of occupying U.S. forces and recognize the Israeli government as engaging in genocide and ethnic cleansing in a similar fashion, in real time. Prior to colonization, the Oceti Sakowin occupied a vast land area that covered 24 American states and parts of 4 Canadian Provinces. The people of the Oceti Sakowin have lived in this region since time immemorial.
The resolution states:
WHEREAS, In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act as a means of claiming and expanding U.S. territory by violently removing Native Peoples from our homelands to territories not our own;
WHEREAS, This act was designed to cut relationships Native Peoples had with the land by removing us, destroying our homes, our medicines, our crops, our livestock, and killing any who resisted;
WHEREAS, On the other side of the world, our Palestinian Relatives in Gaza are resisting similar violence and conditions, albeit under a different timeline of settler colonization,
WHEREAS, Israel is now engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign by explicitly requiring two million Palestinians to leave Gaza immediately or risk being bombed in their homes by the Israeli army.
WHEREAS, as of the written date of this resolution, more than 18,787 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the last two months with 7,729 of those being children. 50,897 Palestinians are injured and 7,780 are missing in the Gaza Strip.
The Oceti Sakowin Council met on Thursday, December 14, 2023, in the Rapid City, South Dakota, area known by the tribes as Hé Sapa.
“It is a proud day to be Lakota. The Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council not only unanimously passed a resolution unequivocally supporting our Palestinian Relatives, but added amendments that asked the Treaty Council to take the resolution to the Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin,” said Krystal Two Bulls, Executive Director of Honor the Earth. “As Peoples who are known for resisting and fighting back against settler colonialism, it is fitting that we made this stance without question. When Palestine is liberated, we will be that much closer to our sovereignty. This is who we are.”
“As a Palestinian living in exile, I will continue to fight for Landback for all my Native relatives. We have a responsibility to the Indigenous people of this land,” said Nadya Tannous, Deputy Director of Honor the Earth.
*The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations peoples from the Great Plains of North America. Collectively, they are the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, or "Seven Council Fires.” They are located in Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana in the United States, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada.
OCETI SAKOWIN TREATY COUNCIL
OCETI SAKOWIN TERRITORY
HE SAPA, SOUTH DAKOTA
RESOLUTION NO. 2023 2
A RESOLUTION OF OCETI SAKOWIN TREATY COUNCIL AFFIRMING SUPPORT FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE OF GAZA
Statement of solidarity and call to action in response to the genocide of the Palestinian People
Author: Krystal Two Bulls, Nadya Tannous
WHEREAS, the Oceti Sakowin Council is the treaty body of the Oceti Sakowin.
WHEREAS, In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act as a means of claiming and expanding U.S. territory by violently removing Native Peoples from our homelands to territories not our own;
WHEREAS, This act was designed to cut relationships Native Peoples had with the land by removing us, keeping us in prisoner of war camps,, destroying our homes, our medicines, our crops, our livestock, and killing any who resisted;
WHEREAS, On the other side of the world, our Palestinian Relatives in Gaza are resisting similar violence and conditions, albeit under a different timeline of settler colonization.
WHEREAS, Israel is now engaged in an ethnic cleansing campaign by first explicitly requiring two million Palestinians to leave Gaza immediately or risk being bombed in their homes and now are being bombed by the Israeli army;
WHEREAS, as of the written date of this resolution more than 18,787 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the last two months with 7,729 of those being children. 50,897 Palestinians are injured and 7,780 are missing in the Gaza Strip.
WHEREAS, as of the written date of this resolution, the U.S. has committed nearly $18 billion in foreign assistance to Israel in 2023 alone. 99.7 percent of that aid goes directly to the Israeli military;
WHEREAS, the state of Israel would not be able to maintain an apartheid regime without enormous military aid provided by the United States every year, thereby also depriving Americans and Federal Programs of money for their own urgent needs;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council urges State and Federal Representatives to advocate for life-saving fuel, water, food, and supplies to be immediately allowed into Gaza, to stop military aid to the Israeli government, and for an immediate cease-fire and desist all military efforts and stop the occupation and genocide ;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council recommends all Tribes within the Oceti Sakowin to adopt similar resolutions in solidarity with the People of Palestine;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council stands in full solidarity with our Palestinian relatives and full liberation of their homeland;
FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council advocates for the dignity and safety of residents in every community, regardless of what crimes its leadership may commit, and that peaceful diplomacy is the only way to achieve this safety and dignity.
PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Council by unanimous votes for passage and adoption this 14th day of December, 2023.
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