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.. .. .. OITANCAN MANI (Walking Leader) .. ..Hello,I am oitancan zephier. I am looking for all the support and publicity I can get in the native community on a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO - HOGS) protest in Marty, SD on the Yankton Sioux Rez. In April 2008 the state moved in and started claiming our tribal road. There is a Hog Factory being built on state land, surrounded by indian land. It is a tactic to take more land. The YST is in litigation with the State of South Dakota now. They are saying we'r a diminishing tribe with diminished lands. Our boundaries are undefined so we're a checkerboard rez. -------------------------------------------------------- In April 2008 Long View Farm, LLP began construction on a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) that plans to produce over 70,000 hogs a year for the food market in America. No big deal, right? It wasn’t to the Ihanktonwan Oyate until some people made it known to the public of how devastating these operations can be to the ground water, the air and the health of the people living near it. This CAFO is on state land, surrounded by the checkerboard reservation, defined by federal judge Lawrence Piersol of S.D recently, disregarding our 1851 treaty lands (How can one man undo what 100’s of leaders put in place for the future of our people? Will they ever recognize the supreme law of the land?). The CAFO is located 4 miles from YST tribal headquarters, 2 miles from a head start, 6 miles from the Missouri river, all of which are downhill and downstream. It’s a little known fact that gases put out by CAFO’s compounds are heavier than Oxygen therefore don’t blow away like less heavier gases. They will flow down hill and linger longer. Their long term effects hurt the unborn and our women. Reproduction rates will drop. Our children will be born and develop lung diseases and skin diseases. Many will die. During this point in time I was a police officer for the Yankton Sioux Tribe, under the supervision of the B.I.A. However, I was a tribal officer. My people assembled in a peaceful protest in April of 2008 singing, praying and eating. Lawn chairs were out along side the road, eagle staffs and prayer sticks were staked out. I was on duty to direct traffic when things took a turn for the worst. Long View Farm tractors began making their way onto the ditch of our road that is a known tribal jurisdiction (only) road. They were building two access points. The people recognized this immediately as illegal and few stepped in front of the bulldozers. At this point there were already a few county deputies and state police on the site. They refused to stop the bulldozer as people stood in front of it, but they arrested people and moved them. The dozer continued digging. The B.I.A stood by and did nothing. Their orders from the regional office were to stand down. Never mind that the state was eroding tribal sovereignty and that they are supposed to protect the interest of the tribe. They just stood there with their thumb up their unzeki and let it happen. There was a tribal exclusion order in place against Long View Farm and associates. They were not supposed to be allowed on our land. It pained me. My people were being arrested on tribal land by state officers, not allowed in my nation. In front of me I had a councilman telling me to stop them. Behind me I had the B.I.A chief of police saying, “No. His orders are to stand down. I am his supervisor.” I would take a step forward and one step back. My people needed me and I couldn’t do anything for them. I stood their and watched. I prayed. I cried. It hurt so much to see this happening. I couldn’t live with who I was going to become by standing there. I couldn’t imagine arresting my own people after this day. What would I say when they ask me why I didn’t do anything today? I couldn’t live with myself. I looked at my badge, knowing that if I took it off that I might lose my car, my house and the comfort my wife and I, kids and mother were in. I prayed some more, when a voice in my head spoke to me, “remember who you are and remember who you want to become.” It was then I knew that if I took off the badge I would be taken care of because what I was about to do was right and for the people. I stepped up to mom and said, “Mom, I’m going to quit.” “I knew you would,” she said. I turned to my chief and told him, “I can’t stand here with my thumb up my ass. I quit.” “Put it in writing,” he told me. Immediately, I grabbed my uniform and gear out of the cop car. I began putting it in the trunk of my personal car and taking off the uniform. I called my wife at home, telling her what I have done, sobbing uncontrollably because of what I just witnessed with my people. I could never go back to it if I have to work for these people again. Before the beginning of the summer I lost the house that I was renting. I was evicted because I couldn’t afford the rent. I moved into a tipi along the Missouri river on my ‘ land, which turned out to be an amazing experience. I am glad it happened that way. The next day after I quit there were seventy or more state patrol units at the protest site. There were snipers and a spotter. I took a picture of him and his gun case. We were peaceful. I didn’t understand. They threatened us and told us that if we stepped onto the road past the yellow line that they would arrest us. The day ended peacefully. They didn’t return and their numbers dwindled slowly over the next few days. A couple weeks later, my friends and I set out to enforce the tribal exclusion order on Long View Farm, LLP. We set up early and turned away several trucks. Daylight came and we met with Sherriff Ray Westendorf. He stood with his hands on his gun like the old wild-west shows as if it was an attempt to intimidate us. Meanwhile, when he thought he was using his authority to stop us we were turning away trucks further down the road and out of his site. You should have seen him when he realized what was happening as he hustled to his unit. The look on his face was unforgettable. I felt like saying to him, “son, I went from private to sergeant in the U.S. Army in 2 years, which Is almost unheard of by most standards. I am not new at war tactics.” Later that morning more and more people showed up. Vehicles began blocking traffic. I was on foot, running through a 2-3 mile area assessing the situation in each different location when I got word that my nephew was arrested for blocking traffic. I caught a ride to his location and observed a semi-truck attempting to pass through a series of people and cars in the road. The state vehicles began escorting the truck packed with concrete forms so that the CAFO could poor cement. I looked around as I was running up on it and everyone was standing there watching it. I picked up my phone and called my wife, “Baby, I’m going to jail.” There was a moving semi-truck, me and a death wish. It was going to stop or I was going to be killed. It stopped inches from my face. I stood emotionless, face to grill. A county deputy stepped up to me, “come on Oi, lets go. You’re going to jail.” It happened in that way, a line of disorderly conduct charges began piling up as one after the other stepped in front of that truck. They were cuffed and taken to jail. It couldn’t have happened any other way. If we didn’t go to jail then we weren’t trying hard enough. We prayed a few days prior in Dowanpi. The grandfathers told us that they would help us get rid of this and to not be afraid. It would look like its being built, but don’t be afraid. Whatever happens, don’t be afraid. They would help us but we had to do our part. This was our part. I can’t speak for others but I can say for myself that I stepped up that day fearless. I did not think of death. I only thought of what had to be done. Because I stared death in the face, fearless I have done my part. Today, the CAFO is finished. It holds hogs, but isn’t running at full capacity. Their water well collapsed. Unci maka is doing her part. The state of South Dakota granted them a domestic water permit as long as they stay under 25,920 gallons of water per day or 18 gallons of water per minute. Who observes that? I don’t know. I’m sure it’s the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. They’re the same people that sweated bullets when questioned by our lawyers in the water hearing. He literally looked like someone dumped a cup of water on his face when he was being questioned about the process of water permitting. Did he do something illegal? It appeared that way! The grandfather said, don’t be afraid. They will let them get set up. They will get every penny into the place and because of the greed it will be wiped out by the grandfathers who protect this earth.Oitancan Mani (Walking Leader) Ihanktonwan Oyate January 19, 2009 [email protected] Oi Zephier Ihanktonwan Dakota Yankton Sioux Tribe PO BOX 192 Marty, SD 57361 [email protected]"Date: April 18, 2008"

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