Saturday, Sept. 18
Today, tribal members from the Lakota, Dakota, Ponca, Kiowa and Dine'
Nations came to the Missouri River at Chamberlain, South Dakota to
give the opportunity to the Lewis & Clark Expedition to turn back and
cancel their re-enactment journey that began 200 years of genocide,
land theft and resource exploitation from the Plains tribes.
Under highly visible protection from local and federal police, the
Lewis & Clark re-enactors repeatedly stated "they cannot change
history and turn back time", as they stood in their period costumes
along the banks of the Missouri River. Representatives of the
American Friends Services Committee, the Mennonite Church and the
United Nations Council on Genocide in anticipation of the heavy
surveillance joined the tribal resistors by law enforcement.
The Lewis & Clark re-enactors offered a tomahawk pipe to the group of
resistors who refused to smoke it. Strong words were made by tribal
leaders Alex White Plume, Floyd Hand, Carter Camp, Alfred Bone Shirt,
Russell Means and Vic Camp who advised the Lewis & Clark re-enactors
that they were perpetuating the lies of American history.
The spokespersons for the Lewis & Clark Commemoration continually
undercut the demands of the resistors to cease their re-enactment
voyage up the river. A few months after the original "Voyage of
Discovery", Clark wrote of the Teton Sioux, "These are the vilest
miscreants of the savage race, and must ever remain the pirates of the
Missouri, until such measures are pursued, by our government, as will
make them feel a dependence on its will for their supply of
merchandise"
The re-enactment spokespersons alleged that they had no authority to
stop the expedition as the ultimate decision lies with a board of
directors. Initially, they requested three days to respond to the
tribal resistance group's demands. In a subsequent discussion, they
agreed to provide and answer to the group's warrior society on Sunday,
September 19, 2004.
However, Clark, a direct lineal descendent of the original William
Clark stated that it would be unlikely to cancel the expedition
because of the resources invested to carry out the re-enactment and
the future events planned along the river route to commemorate the
original event.
The resistors contend that the original Lewis & Clark Expedition was
the dawn of genocide for the Plains Indian Tribes. The tribal
resistors have committed themselves to stopping the re-enactor's
expedition before they leave Lakota Country.
-----For further information contact Alex White Plume, 605-455-1142;
Floyd Hand, 605-867-5762; Alfred Bone Shirt, 605-747-4443 or
Vic Camp at 605-455-1122
Contact: Alex White Plume
alexwp@gwtc.net
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http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/9718189.htm
Posted on Tue, Sep. 21, 2004
Re-enactors expect more dialogue with aggrieved American Indians
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS - Lewis and Clark re-enactors say they want to learn more about
American Indian concerns after a delegation from South Dakota asked the
expedition to return home.
Jon Ruybalid, a spokesman for the re-enactors, said Monday the group expected
more dialogue with the American Indians they met Saturday near Chamberlain,
S.D.
"It wasn't easy listening," Ruybalid told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "What
they said was filled with a lot of pain. We are being educated and, in the
process, we are a platform for people to express their concerns."
Members of the American Indian delegation confronted the Discovery Expedition
of St. Charles with signs, including one suggesting the original expedition
of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led to genocide of their people and
destruction of their culture. The re-enactors were asked to go back home.
"I went as a peaceful emissary and asked in a kind way if they would leave,"
said Alex White Plume, a Lakota from Pine Ridge, S.D., who led the protest.
"They should go home and rethink what they did to the native population."
Ruybalid said members of several South Dakota tribes planned to take part in
events this weekend near Pierre, S.D. White Plume said he was "saddened that
some tribes welcome them with open arms."
Larry McClain, the expedition's executive director, said last week that the
group has had positive experiences with native people throughout the journey.
"We're kind of a platform for education on a lot of issues," he said. "We
obviously would like to help them have a voice and a platform for education."
The Discovery Expedition left St. Charles on May 23 on its planned journey
along the path of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06. The expedition is
heading up the Missouri River in a keelboat and two pirogues.
Ruybalid, of Aurora, Neb., said the group spent Monday night on the west bank
of the river at the Lower Brule Reservation, upriver from Chamberlain.
---
Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com
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