From: "Rodney Coates" To: "Racial-Religious-EthnoNationalist Violence Studies" Date: Tue, 03 Dec 96 11:15:02 +0 Reply-To: "Rodney Coates" Subject: URGENT...''';;';'; The following information comes from Joe Chases Horses who plans if possible to attend tomorrow's meeting. This will be the first time the state of S. Dakota has taken the issue of sacred lands to a public forum. A portion of the land in the Black Hills under discussion was used this past Spring for a ceremony in which over 700 of our young people were in attendance. This ceremony has grown each year and is jeopardized. A few months ago, President Clinton issued an executive order supporting the right to free worship of the people in traditional sacred lands. A local judge in SD has chosen to ignore this executive order and prohibit the use of the Black Hills for gathering of over 40 people. Tomorrows meeting is sponsored by two legislators the representative from the Rosebud Reservation and Rep. Volsky. Arvol Looking Horse and other tribal leaders plan to attend the meeting which begins at 10PM in Pierre, SD. There are a number of ongoing cases involving spiritual and human rights following the June 21, 1996 Proclamation from Arvol Looking Horse. Would like to see several hundred faxes to the governor between now and tomorrow's meeting in support of our Elders and the first nations right to worship on sacred grounds. Please visit the First nations Site to sign a petition at: umoja (unity, through love, peace, respect and understanding) Only when lions have historians will hunters cease being heroes. African Proverb The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steven Biko Rodney D. Coates Director of Black World Studies/Associate Professor of Sociology Miami University/Oxford, Ohio 45056 513 529-1235/email: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu http://www.ilhawaii.net:80/~premaq/Coates/01-home.html