The Lakota Sioux and the reservations
History
The Lakota, also known as Teton ("prairie dwellers"), are one of the seven tribes who together form the Sioux.
The Lakota in turn are divided into bands: the Oglala, the Sicangu or Brulé, the Itazipco, the Hunkpapa, the Mnicoujou, the Sihasapa (Black Feet) and the Oohenunpa.
Famous Lakota were, amongst others, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Red Cloud and Black Elk.
The history is one of treaties broken by the government. Time and again the integrity of their lands was guaranteed, and time and again things ended in further bloodshed, and the Lakota being pushed back further.
For instance, in 1868 the Black Hills were given to the Lakota for all eternity, but that lasted only four years, till gold was found.
While together with the Arapahoe and Cheyenne the Battle of Little Big Horn was won, the strengthening of the army and the mass slaughter of the buffalo meant the end of freedom. After the Great Sioux War the Lakota were housed in reservations, where they were dependent on the government for food.
On 29 December, 1891 the massacre of Wounded Knee took place. 153 Unarmed men, women and children were killed. Their mass grave is now the centre of the Wounded Knee cemetery.
Conditions now
The main Lakota reservations are situated in South Dakota, with as main ones Pine Ridge, for the Oglala, and Rosebud, for the Sicangu. Other Lakota live spread out from Denver, Colorado, to Canada.
For both Pine Ridge and only very slightly less Rosebud economic conditions may be compared to the Third World. There is hunger and malnutrition, and every winter people die because of the cold. Life expectancy is about 30 years less than in the Netherlands.
Because of poor nutrition diseases like diabetes reach epidemic proportions, and driven by desperation many youngsters commit suicide.
In September, 2012 the Stichting Cosmic Fire Foundation chairwoman an treasurer visited Pine Ridge Reservation, and we were shocked by what we encountered.
But luckily there are also many people who work hard to do something for themselves and the children. These people deserve our support. At the various projects on this site you can see what we are doing, and how you can help.
