1989 - American Indian Activist Russell Means testifies at Senate Hearing

Summary

The transcript features an impassioned speech by an Oglala Lakota representative addressing U.S. senators. The speaker highlights the historical and ongoing struggles faced by Native Americans, emphasizing the systemic issues of oppression, loss of sovereignty, and economic hardship caused by federal policies. They discuss the detrimental effects of laws like the Indian Reorganization Act, corruption within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the exploitation of resources on tribal lands. The speaker calls for American Indian self-determination, restoration of property rights, and the abolishment of the BIA to allow tribal nations to regain control over their destinies.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker introduces themselves with a traditional Lakota greeting, explaining their Oglala Lakota heritage and connection to the sacred Black Hills.
• 🗣️ American Indians face systemic challenges in the United States that prevent them from fully identifying as American Indians, despite being citizens and contributors to society.
• 📉 Historical injustices have consistently undermined Native American economic self-sufficiency, particularly through land allotments, livestock reductions, and forced reliance on flawed tribal governments.
• 🎰 The success of Native American-run gaming operations has been undermined by government intervention, despite proving highly successful for generating revenue for local and state governments.
• 💼 Corruption within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribal governments has hindered economic development on reservations, with mismanagement and exploitation of land leases being common issues.
• 🏚️ The speaker highlights the BIA's failure to enforce trust responsibilities, leading to dangerous infrastructure and corruption on reservations.
• 🎓 Education systems on reservations fail to teach positive values from Native or non-Native cultures, contributing to widespread social issues like child abuse.
• ⚖️ Legal services for American Indians have been restricted, limiting the ability to hold tribal governments accountable and fight for individual rights.
• 🇺🇸 Dual citizenship for Native Americans (U.S. and tribal) complicates sovereignty and self-determination, creating obstacles for both individuals and tribes.
• 🚫 The speaker advocates for the abolition of the BIA and restoration of Native American property rights, emphasizing the need for self-determination and full sovereignty for Native American nations.

Q & A

What is the traditional greeting mentioned in the speech, and what is its significance?

The traditional greeting is a short version of the speaker's Oglala Lakota language greeting, which involves introducing oneself by stating their clan, family lineage, and sacred land without mentioning their name. It is an essential cultural practice to show respect to others and one’s heritage.

What issue does the speaker highlight about the identity of American Indians in the United States?

The speaker emphasizes that, despite being citizens of the United States, American Indians are often denied the ability to fully embrace their identity as American Indians due to laws and policies that were designed to marginalize them.

What historical event does the speaker reference regarding the economic recovery of American Indians after being confined to reservations?

The speaker refers to the period after American Indians were forcibly confined to reservations, explaining that they became economically viable within one generation, despite reductions in livestock and land allotments. However, successive government interventions, such as the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), hindered their recovery.

How does the speaker describe the impact of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) on tribal governments?

The speaker criticizes the IRA for institutionalizing tribal governments that were foreign to American Indians and led to long-lasting economic difficulties. The IRA created a government structure that many American Indians did not identify with or benefit from.

What success have American Indian tribes experienced in the gaming industry, and how has the U.S. government responded?

The speaker points out that American Indian tribes achieved significant success in the gaming industry, particularly with bingo and casinos, with an 85% success rate. However, the U.S. government, through Congress, intervened to regulate the industry, despite its proven success.

What are some of the challenges the speaker identifies with government contracting on Indian reservations?

The speaker highlights corruption in government contracting on Indian reservations, where Indian front contractors receive contracts but deliver substandard infrastructure projects. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is blamed for perpetuating this corruption.

What problems does the speaker associate with dual citizenship for American Indians?

The speaker argues that dual citizenship (U.S. and tribal citizenship) hinders the self-determination of American Indians, likening it to policies under Hitler’s regime. This dual citizenship limits both individual and tribal sovereignty.

How does the speaker describe the state of traditional American Indian populations?

The speaker laments that the traditional American Indian population has been in decline since 1900, with fewer than 50,000 traditional people remaining. This decline is attributed to various policies and societal pressures, leading to the erosion of their cultural values.

What social issues does the speaker raise regarding American Indian communities?

The speaker raises concerns about the high rates of women and child abuse, particularly child sexual abuse, on Indian reservations. They link this issue to the failures of the educational systems on reservations and the denigration of traditional American Indian values.

What solutions does the speaker propose for improving the self-determination of American Indians?

The speaker proposes several solutions, including the right of American Indians to choose their citizenship, the restoration of property rights, the abolition of the BIA, and holding those responsible for damaging reservation lands accountable. They also advocate for sovereign rights and freedom from government interference in their self-determination.

Outlines

00:00

👋 Traditional Lakota Greeting and Identity

The speaker begins with a traditional greeting in the Oglala Lakota language, explaining that it is customary to introduce oneself by describing one’s ancestry, clan, and place of origin rather than by name. The speaker mentions their connection to the Black Hills, the War Eagle clan, and the Crazy Horse clan. They express the significance of this greeting and emphasize the importance of prayers for U.S. leaders. The introduction transitions into a critique, noting that while American Indians have contributed to the country, they are systematically denied their identity and rights under current laws.

05:01

🎲 Gaming Industry Success and Government Intervention

This section discusses the success of Indian-run gaming operations, such as bingo and casinos, on reservations. These ventures have largely succeeded, with a 85% success rate, benefiting both Native American communities and government revenues. Despite this success, the U.S. government, through Congress, has stepped in to regulate the industry, repeating a historical pattern of intervention that disrupts Native American economic success. The speaker stresses that such interference goes against the fundamental principles of capitalism and argues that American Indians are being unfairly regulated, despite their positive contributions.

10:02

💼 Corruption and Mismanagement in Tribal and Federal Governance

The speaker describes the corruption and inefficiency plaguing both tribal governments and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). They provide examples of poorly managed land leases, shoddy construction projects, and widespread graft within tribal contracting. Attempts to bring economic development to reservations are often hindered by these issues, leading to failed projects. Tribal governments are portrayed as being resistant to development unless it involves corrupt practices, and the BIA is criticized for not fulfilling its trust responsibilities to Native American communities.

15:06

🛑 Systemic Failures and Solutions for Self-Determination

The speaker continues to highlight the systemic problems facing Native American communities, particularly around leadership and governance. They discuss the stagnation of American Indian socio-economic conditions since World War II and the steady decline in Native populations and traditional values. Problems such as child abuse, poor education, and the erosion of culture are attributed to failures in both federal and tribal systems. The speaker calls for the right to self-determination, including the abolition of the BIA, restoration of property rights, and the restructuring of governance to allow for true sovereignty and economic independence for Native American nations.

Keywords

💡Oglala Lakota

The Oglala Lakota are one of the seven sub-tribes of the Lakota people, part of the Great Sioux Nation. In the script, the speaker identifies himself as Oglala Lakota, which emphasizes his cultural heritage and ties to the Black Hills, a sacred land for the Lakota. This term is key to understanding his identity and the perspective he brings to the testimony.

💡Black Hills

The Black Hills, located in South Dakota, are sacred to the Lakota people and are referenced in the script as the speaker's homeland. The connection to this land highlights the deep cultural and spiritual ties between Native American tribes and their ancestral lands, a theme that is central to the speaker’s testimony about identity, sovereignty, and loss.

💡Indian Reorganization Act (IRA)

The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934 was intended to reverse the policy of Indian land allotment and support self-government among Native American tribes. The speaker criticizes the IRA as foreign to Native traditions and claims it disrupted economic recovery in Native communities. This act is used to discuss the interference of the U.S. government in Native governance and its negative impact.

💡Tribal Government

The speaker refers to tribal governments as institutions imposed by the U.S. government through the IRA, which are not traditional to Native American societies. This concept is central to his argument that these governments contribute to corruption and mismanagement, stifling true self-determination for Native peoples.

💡Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is a federal agency responsible for managing relations between the U.S. government and Native American tribes. The speaker portrays the BIA as a colonial institution that perpetuates corruption and mismanagement on reservations, undermining Native sovereignty and economic development.

💡Self-Determination

Self-determination refers to the right of Native American tribes to govern themselves and make decisions about their own affairs. The speaker advocates for true self-determination, arguing that U.S. laws, including the IRA and BIA regulations, prevent tribes from exercising full autonomy over their lands and governance.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty in the context of Native American tribes refers to their right to govern themselves independently of U.S. federal and state laws. The speaker asserts that tribal sovereignty has been compromised by federal policies and regulations, which prevent tribes from fully controlling their lands and resources.

💡Economic Development

Economic development in the script refers to the efforts of Native American tribes to build viable economies on their reservations. The speaker emphasizes how Native tribes successfully rebuilt their economies several times, only to be disrupted by federal policies. He also discusses modern attempts at economic development through gaming and other industries, which are often hampered by government interference.

💡Dual Citizenship

The speaker criticizes the system of dual citizenship for Native Americans, where individuals are citizens of both their tribe and the United States. He compares this system to the policies of totalitarian regimes, arguing that it restricts Native Americans' full sovereignty and self-determination, as they are bound by both tribal and federal laws.

💡Genocide

The speaker uses the term genocide to describe the loss of traditional Native American populations and culture, citing the steady decline in numbers of 'traditional' Native people since 1900. He links this decline to U.S. government policies, cultural erasure, and the degradation of Native communities, framing it as an ongoing form of genocide.

Highlights

Traditional Oglala Lakota greeting presented, emphasizing the importance of heritage and culture.

The speaker's personal identity is tied to the sacred land of the Black Hills, with connections to the War Eagle and Crazy Horse clans.

American Indians face legal and structural challenges, making it difficult to fully embrace their identity as American Indians, despite contributing to U.S. society.

Historical hardships faced by American Indians post-reservation confinement, including reduced land allotments and forced economic adjustments.

Despite obstacles, American Indians have consistently recovered and regained economic viability, particularly highlighted during the Great Depression.

The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (IRA) institutionalized foreign tribal governments that remain unrepresentative of traditional values.

Success of Indian-sponsored gaming operations, with a better-than-average success rate of over 85% despite challenges posed by external regulations.

Mismanagement, corruption, and exploitation persist in BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) contracting on reservations, leading to shoddy infrastructure.

Economic development efforts on Indian reservations are hindered by political and bureaucratic obstacles, deterring legitimate investment.

A lack of leadership and a patronage system on reservations contributes to the ongoing issues of poverty, mismanagement, and lack of progress.

Dual citizenship (U.S. and tribal) imposed on American Indians is a significant barrier to sovereignty and self-determination.

Traditional values and cultural systems are under threat due to lack of education in schools and systemic disregard for Indian traditions.

Women and child abuse, including child sexual abuse, is epidemic on reservations, with little action taken to address it.

The American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 has failed to secure true religious freedom for Native people, with all cases reaching the Supreme Court resulting in losses.

The speaker calls for a return of property rights, self-determination, and the abolition of the BIA, proposing tribal communities should have the right to decide their governance.

Transcripts

Hammet aqua pay me OMA Lakota a magenta

ha Makino's eto spy kill a case a

Lillee walk on maitake a art a

Tonka with coke to spy mitakuye inna

wombly zoo you too your spy this is

traditional greeting of my people that I

am bound to give I'll be it it's a short

version what I said in my own language

translated into English thusly hello my

relatives I have an Oglala Lakota and I

come from our very sacred holy land the

Black Hills where yellow thunder village

is my mother is from the War Eagle clan

and my father's family is from the Crazy

Horse clan this greeting is to this day

the way all Indians throughout the

nation still greet one another those

that still know their culture this is

the only way we present ourselves to one

another that is acceptable we tell you

who we are where we are from who we are

from our clans and we do this without

ever saying our name anything less would

be an insult to you and to my people

senators my morning prayers to the great

mystery always include you and your

colleagues in Congress as well as

leaders in all governments it is an

honor to come before you as a spokesman

for my people the American Indians of

the United States of America in these

United States of America this great

country of ours we American Indians we

can be anything we want to be except

American Indians

and that is created by the laws of this

nation and condoned by its subsidiaries

the so called tribal government and

designed for the Indian to fail to be

expendable to be eliminated I take you

back in your history after the American

Indian hostiles had been subdued and

forcibly confined to Indian reservations

it took approximately thirty years one

generation for us to adjust and become

economically viable contrary to what the

anthropologists say and what we even

ourselves are taught as Indian people

however allotments were made smaller our

romantic remaining lands were open to

homesteading and we were forced into

reducing our livestock nevertheless we

made the adjustment again in less than

half the aforementioned time fifteen

years have become economically

self-sufficient again but once again the

American Indian was forced into reducing

our livestock the boss farmer concept

was instituted we were told what when

where how much and how little we could

grow thus applied to agriculture and our

livestock again we recovered in a time

span of approximately fifteen years we

were so successful in our third recovery

that the American Indians enjoyed the

finest of economic times while the rest

of the industrialized world was

wallowing in the Great Depression it was

then that President Roosevelt introduced

the Howard wheeler Act better known as

the Indian Reorganization Act the IRA

which institutionalized the so called

tribal governments which are not one of

our institutions and it is still foreign

to us this very day we have yet to

recover forty five years later the IRA

Indian tribal governments on their own

initiative began renewed efforts at

re-establishing their sovereignty

focused on the oldest profession

of American Indians that's gambling

bingo and other gaming operations has

been without exception a proven initial

success failure through mismanagement

politics or litigation has been less

than 15% showing a better than 85

percent success rate the new Indian

sponsored gaming industry on

reservations dwarfed success ratios of

any and all other non non-indian

industries in America gaming operations

have proven to benefit the revenue

gathering of all governments with a

County State or Indian Reservation with

regulation of bingo and Gaming by the

Congress we are experiencing repetition

of history one shouldn't remedy success

the results the United States government

through Congress once again intervenes

to regulate a proven success in

violation of all basic and fundamental

rules of economics and totally contrary

to all laws of capitalism American

Indians are human beings we are supposed

to be citizens of the United States of

America we fought in your Wars and other

countries our Navajo Nation code talker

served and saved this nation in World

War two we have the in area below joint

venture with whom we choose as long as

we do not harm nor commit fraud upon

anyone there is no piece of evidence

anywhere that proves Indians ever

conspired with criminal elements to

establish Bingle the Bureau of Indian

Affairs the infamous Colonial Office of

the Department of Interior and the

initiator of sleaze in government has

been regulating contracting on Indian

reservations

since nineteen since 1824 this fact

alone should convince and teach every

student of government that regulation of

Commerce and enterprise does not work in

fact it only produces the opposite

result

graft and corruption is rampant to the

contracting auspices of the BI and a

sergei tribal government Indian front

contractors bid for and receive

government contracts only to proceed to

build shoddy dangerous bridges buildings

schools roads and dams the Indian is the

scapegoat when there is a failure and is

always the one indicted contracting on

reservations has proven historically to

breed in feed corruption within the BIA

and now the tribal governments within

the past two years I personally have

attempted to assist seven Indian

reservations located in the southwest

the Northwest and the northern plains to

no avail the investors I represented

were from various groups interested in

establishing banks resorts Indian owned

Public Relation firms factories fishing

ports and international trade I now know

that tribal governments do not want

economic development unless graft is a

major ingredient the BIA is a major

player in land leases being sold by

petty bureaucrats for as meager

an amount as $40

there is a scandal of monstrous

proportions occurring in at least two

Indian agencies the BIS branch of land

operations and the branch of realty I

challenge this investigation is

committing to intricately go into the

branches of realty and land operations

the BIA does not enforce its trust with

trust responsibilities quite to the

contrary in September of nineteen

nineteen eighty-seven I moved from the

poorest County in America the Pine Ridge

Indian Reservation to the richest area

in the country the Navajo Indian

Reservation

there is no difference I paraphrase the

former Secretary of the Department of

the Interior James

what if you want to see an example of

fail socialism go to an Indian

Reservation the poorest and richest

reservations in our nation suffer from

identical problems mismanagement a

bloated patronage system no checks and

balances and tribal governments waiver

of sovereignty in order to initiate debt

this is not anything new this is an

everyday occurrence in all tribal

governments problem is leadership in

this case it is the lack of leadership

ironically everyone including you

senators refer to the allegedly elected

tribal officials as leaders leaders are

supposed to work for a better quality of

life for their constituents it is an

insult to my heritage my ancestors and

my dignity as an Oglala Lakota to have

the term used loosely many of the tribal

officials are honest and insincere men

and women who have good hearts

nevertheless a vast majority of the

tribal officials parasite on the

incestuous world of tribal politics not

as our forefathers who are the best

providers protectors defenders

advocators and Friends the game of who

is the most important rules it's

embarrassing

at the turn of the century American

Indians numbered about two hundred and

thirty thousand all traditional with

each succeeding generation we lose a

population base and our spirit as once

proud peoples the American Indian

statistics of deprivation have remained

constant since the end of World War two

all other groups of citizens fortunes

rise and fall with the gross national

product the GMP

the American Indian statistical lines of

deprivation remains constant a straight

line with the blatant genocide of our

traditional people we have less than

50,000 in America today we are averaging

a loss of 1000 a year since 1900 we are

losing a value system as distinct people

that sets us apart from the

industrialized world these facts surface

in our tribal statistics and no one

attempts to do anything about it except

for a few social workers and reservation

police this new statistical horror is

women and child abuse child sexual abuse

is epidemic on Indian reservations and

all you hear are whispers this abuse can

be directly a turtle attributable to the

schools on the reservations education in

the BIA public the contract and

missionary schools do not teach positive

values from non-indian culture and in

collusion with the BIA certainly do not

allow Indian culture and values to be

taught the fact is educators continually

denigrate American Indian traditional

lifestyle as primitive dirty and without

any redeemable virtues and the tribal

councils condone it

needless to say every time the US

government has interfered with American

Indian lifestyles it has been proven to

be disastrous in the 1960s legal

services were implemented on Indian

reservations it was a boon for the

people tribal of officials all of a

sudden were held accountable legal

services stepped in and lo and behold

tribal courts had power to the power of

attorney for the people the result an

edict from Washington DC is handed down

and legal services can no longer

represent people against the tribal

government and they can no longer

represent class-action lawsuits against

any government presently legal sir

are not much more than a MILF or divorce

lawyer trainees Congress passed the

American Indian Religious Freedom Act in

1978 to date six cases concerning our

freedom of religion has reached the

Supreme Court we lost every one of them

we do not win lawsuits state governments

lose the only time we allegedly win a

lawsuit it is in reality the federal

government winning out over the

sovereign rights of a state once again

the American Indians are the pawn now

the major factor is presenting American

Indian people with his existing rights

to self-determination American Indians

suffer under a system of dual

citizenship that is US citizenship and

tribal citizenship maintained by the BIA

only Hitler did that the dual

citizenship is a major obstacle in the

free exercise of individual and tribal

sovereignty the continuing loss and

nutrition of existing lands through

various federal state and local laws and

or regulations is a hindrance the

abridgement of sovereign rights to

remaining lands and the arbitrary

monetary policies of settlement of these

rights whenever they are recognized

another major factor preventing Indian

people from self-determination

subjugation of the American Indian

individual to the laws of

government-sponsored tribal governments

and the continuing arbitration of the BI

rules and regulations which have the

force of law yet are not repeatable

solutions

the American Indian people's right to

self-determination is recognized and

will be implemented through the

following policies the American Indian

individual shall have the right to

choose his or her citizenship and

American Indian nations have the right

to choose their level of citizenship and

autonomy up to absolute independence the

American Indian will have their just

property rights restored which include

rights of easement access hunting

fishing prayer and water

the BIA will be abolished with the

American Indian tribal members deciding

the extent and nature of their

governments if any negotiations will be

undertaken to exchange otherwise

unclaimed and unknown federal property

for any and all government obligations

to the American Indian nations and to

fully and to hold fully liable those

responsible for any and all damages

which have resulted from the resource

development on or near reservation lands

included including damages done by

careless and inexcusable disposal of

uranium mill tailings and other mineral

and toxic wastes I want to thank you

gentlemen

for inviting me here it's been a high

honor especially since I'm the only one

invited here today to testify that

doesn't receive money from the federal

government also I want to make I was

introduced as a former founder and

leader in American any movement to the

tribal chairwoman that you have here are

former associates of the American Indian

Movement back in the days when we were

gross militants and so I just wanted to

let you in on that at the American

Indian Movement is a very proud

continuing part of American Indian

society Thank You mr. means thank you

you certainly have left us with many

provoking thoughts about the problems

facing Indian American Indians today

and you were kind enough and wise enough

to also make some suggestions I think

that is what this committee is looking

for we may agree we may not agree with

them but it is important to have some

thought-provoking ideas of where we

should go from the standpoint of the

relationship between the federal

government and the American natives