I am writing this letter on behalf of all the common enrolled tribal members. I want to know who it is that sets these policies of how money is allocated to tribal members and who enforces these policies.
On Thursday, Dec. 3, 7,100 acres of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe land was auctioned off by the IRS to settle back taxes, penalties, etc. I want to know who would allow something like this to happen? How did things escalate to the point of where one of the poorest tribes in the U.S. is going to lose even more? Who sets these policies for each tribal government?
I believe that it is the corrupt, crooked, people that are in these offices. They got elected because of their shady dealings back in the day because they wanted respect and that almighty dollar and their family and friends are now doing the same thing. What about the “common people?” The people they are supposed to represent? What about the people who need the most help, the ones who didn’t want to conform and had to turn to other outlets? These outlets are now manifested in the form of alcoholism, violence, gangs, etc. When is this going to stop?
And now land, once deemed worthless, is being taken. It is my belief that if they (the wasicu government) get a foothold like this, there is nothing that will stop something like this from happening again. Who knows? It may be the Rosebud Sioux Tribe that gets taken next. That’ll get all those corrupt, money-hungry individuals wishing they had done things differently.
My family and I had to live without water for months because the Water Department in Rosebud didn’t want to help with our water problem and bill. I admit that our family had problems of drinking and violence, but did that make us any less deserving of assistance? She knew our situation, knew that we had children in the home, and still didn’t care. She basically told me that we had to deal with it on our own (we started getting water from a neighbor and the city park). Well, they say what comes around goes around. Maybe one day it’ll be her family that has to be without a basic necessity.
And last but not least, what about the urban homeless Native American families? Where are they supposed to go for help?
This goes out to all the “officials” representing us common tribal members. You better believe that when you take, you are taking from people who had to bear the hard end of that dollar, people who face despair and hopelessness because of your greed. Realize that this may be a wake up call to change those scandalous ways. If you don’t, when the roof comes falling down, you’ll be thrown out and someone like me will get into that office and do things right.
– Beth Choi Spotted Owl
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
