shield the people press release 6

5/28/2018 Shield the People Press Release 6

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Oyate Wahacanka Woecun

Shield the People

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESunday March 30 2014Contact: Gary Dorr, Oyate Wahacanka Woecun, Rosebud Sioux Tribe

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (605) 747-4255

IDEAL, SD: On March 29 ththe Rosebud Sioux Tribe held the opening ceremony for their Spirit Camp, Iyuksan.

The Spirit Camp is a planned demonstration of the spiritual will of the people. The Spirit Camp is an alliance of

tribes, rural neighbors, and landowners, united in a prayer of protection for the land. A convoy of 80 vehicles led by

a Rosebud Tribal Police vehicle made a spirited procession from Mission South Dakota to the Spirit Camp located

near the Tribal Community of Ideal, SD. A total of 180 vehicles made their way to the camp to attend the opening

ceremony which was attended by tribal leaders from the Oceti Sakowin, the seven Council Fires of the Great Sioux

Nation, and several spiritual leaders from the same group. Nebraska representatives from the Cowboy Indian

Alliance, and Ed Schultz from MSNBC were also in attendance.

The camp consists of a wall of 1,500 lb. grass bales surrounding 7 tipis representing the Seven Council Fires of the

Great Sioux Nation. It is planted on a high piece of land owned by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and visible from the

nearby highway. The location for the Spirit Camp was selected for its proximity to the planned route for the

Keystone XL Pipeline. We have several options for making more camps, and more importantly we re able to make

more camps,explained Rosebud Sioux Tribal Councilman, Russell Eagle Bear, indicating that other locations are

near the White River and near to the proposed Man Camp Sitein Colome, SD. All of the possible camp locations

are located on Rosebud Sioux land, and are strategic because of their proximity to planned construction phases of

the pipeline. Planted firmly across the front are flags for each of the Seven Tribes mounted on 35 foot pine poles.

The camp has its own sweat lodge next to a tipi that will be manned twenty-four hours a day to watch over any

construction progress. After the ceremony was concluded the camp was fed out of two Army tents which are also

surrounded by a wall of grass bales.

Ed Schultz conducted interviews of the leadership of the Spirit Camp in preparation for an upcoming documentary

to be released by MSNBC about the opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline. He also plans to travel to Washington

D.C. to attend the national event planned by the Cowboy Indian Alliance from April 22-27.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Ceremony included prayers, honor songs, and an address from the tribal and spiritual leaders. The nature of the

camp as explained by Rosebud Sioux President, Cyril WhiteyScott, was to put a concrete action into effect.

Eagle Bear thanked the crew who helped with the construction of the camp and the people for attending the

ceremony to join in a prayer for protection over the land. Eagle Bear said this camp is a spiritual actionand that

the camp would be up for the long haul-until President Obama denies the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribes leadership pledged to support other tribesplanned camps in appreciation for the

displayed support at Rosebuds Spirit Camp. There are plans for more camps being constructed all along the

proposed pipeline route.

The IyuksanCamp as it is known to the Lakota is a term which translates into the Turn,and is indicative of the

physical appearance of the pipe as it turns at the Spirit Camp location. We aim to turn this pipe around and send it

back to where it came from,said Russell Eagle Bear, referring to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Oyate Wahacanka Woecun is a project authorized and established by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe by Tribal councilresolution It was created to make known the will of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in opposing the social andenvironmental impacts of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline Project


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