All nine tribal nations in South Dakota voted in favor of developing legislation to return federal lands in the Black Hills to the Oceti Sakowin on Tuesday.
Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) includes all nine tribal nations: Oglala Sioux, Cheyenne River Sioux, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Lower Brule Sioux, Rosebud Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux, Yankton Sioux, and Crow Creek Sioux.
According to a press release, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe passed a resolution to collaborate with other tribal nations to protect sacred sites, clean drinking water, and ensure better land management.
The proposal, which is in early stages, only applies to federal land and provides a framework for land return and management. It would also protect the Black Hills from all mining activities and preserve clean drinking water.
The release says the plan would not impact privately owned property or existing legal treaty claims.
“The Oceti Sakowin people are coming together to claim the land that is rightfully and legally owed to us,” said Madonna Thunder Hawk, Cheyenne River Sioux elder.
“We are here to say, loud and clear, that the Black Hills are not for sale. We love our land and will continue defending it from Pe’ Sla to Craven Canyon and beyond,” Thunder Hawk said.
In May all of the tribes filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Services, leading to the cancellation of a drilling project that was on sacred land, Pe’ Sla.
