PRESORTED STANDARD Inside this Sota Sota Per Copy U.S. POSTAGE Special SWST General Council this Friday, March 10th to consider future of IHS PAID Highlights from last week’s Treaty Day observance, by Tamara St. John, part one WILMOT, SD PERMIT NO. 1 A week for mourning, but also for celebrating lives of our Oyate Change service requested Drug Endangered Children training coming to Lake Traverse Reservation Sota Iya Ye Yapi, P.O. Box 5, Wilmot, SD 57279 ¢ Wikukcan ka Ecunpi provides teachings, support to Sisseton-Wahpeton youth Contents – Time-Dated News/Do Not Delay December 2016 Tribal Council proceedings in this Sota Mailed at Wilmot, SD, Monday, March 6, 2017 75 Reminder: Deadline to submit copy for consideration in the Sota is Friday noon Publication of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of the Lake Traverse Reservation since 1968 Vol. 48 March - Ista Wicayazan Wi - “Moon of Snow Blind Eyes” - Anpetu Iyamni - March 8, 2017 No. 10 A special Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribal General Council has been scholar in May, 2015, and has completed 7 of the 8 courses. He will Myra M. Munson, J.D., M.S.W. was a partner in the Law Firm of called for this Friday, March 10th, 2017. complete the Certificate in Summer of 2017. Travis will continue his studies Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller & Munson LLP from 1990 until the Purpose of this General Council meeting is discussing possibility of the at Hopkins pursuing a Master of Health Economics under the American end 2016. Tribe assuming partially or all of the operation of the Woodrow W. Keeble Indian scholarship program. Travis is a graduate of the University of She worked with other tribal advocates to draft and implement the Memorial Clinic. Minnesota with a degree in social sciences, and has completed his Masters permanent IHS self-governance program and amending provisions of the There will be a question and answer session. of Business Administration from New Mexico Highlands University in self-determination contracting process that were used by IHS to restrict and Much of the information, and discussion, has been ongoing through the summer of 2014. Travis is also completing his Project Management control the program activities of the IHS. public forums. Professional credential in early 2017. Ms. Munson also served as a member of the National Indian Health The Tribe’s Self-Governance Work Group has archived information Travis has consulted many tribes on economic development, real Board Medicare and Medicaid Policy Committee (MMPC) from its from these forums over the past several years. This material is available on estate development, feasibility studies, technology implementation, inception and worked with tribal leadership to establish the Tribal Technical the Sota website. business development, finance, portfolio management, health care related Advisory Group (TTAG) to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Presenters available for the General Council are: development, and tribal policy development. to which she served as a technical advisor until her retirement from full-time *Travis J. Renville (Sisseton Dakota) Travis is visionary, strategic, and passionate in his work to impact practice at the end of 2016. Travis is a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and first attended health inequities and improve healthcare service and delivery to Native Ms. Munson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of courses at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in January, 2013 Americans. Alaska Fairbanks in 1972 and her Juris Doctor and Masters in Social Work as scholarship recipient. He became an official Public Health Certificate *Myra Munson (Member of the SWO Self-Governance Work Group) (both with honors) from the University of Denver in 1980. he Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe sponsored a 150th sesquicentennial anniversary event in honor of the signing of the 1867 Treaty. The observance took place the weekend of Feb. 24-26, 2017, at the Dakota TMagic Convention Center. Grass dancers opened the wacipi on Friday evening, with blessing from the Old-Style Grass Dance Society. Also on Friday night was a kahomni dance, and specials. Opening ceremonies took place at noon on Saturday, followed by speakers from Lake Traverse, Fort Totten, Sioux Valley and Fort Peck. Danny Seaboy served as eyapaha, and SWST Chairman Dave Flute welcomed the Oyate. Following the speakers and reading names of leaders, there was singing and dancing in honor of the treaty, honoring songs, victory songs, and veteran songs. On Saturday evening there was a community buffalo feed. The last day, Sunday, had the finals of a Hanpa Apena tournament. Here is a feature article on the observance, and the treaty, by Tamara St. John. Spirit Lake chairperson Myra Pearson, former SWST Chairman Jerry Flute, current SWST Chairman Treaty Day Dave Flute, MC Danny Seaboy. Photo by Joihn Heminger. and Kangi today. of the signing of the treaty and we who were present at the time and The Tribal Chairman’s office wish to share the history of the many more of the grandmothers Duta had informed us some months back document and how that came to be. and grandfathers whose efforts Years ago while putting that they were going to get a replica For all who are Sisseton Wahpeton to survive and whose wishes for a things onto shelves in the archives of the actual 1867 Treaty and the of the Lake Traverse Reservation good life for us their descendants repository room, I found tapes of Tribal Archives worked to share the or Spirit Lake today it is important was said best by a friend of mine. video recordings called Treaty Day story and the images of the February that we remember the ancestors She said “We look back and honor February 19th 1973. Many of our 19, 1867 Treaty with the Sisseton who brought us here. Many people 1851 Treaty Flag on a display table at last week’s Treaty Day elders may recall that annual event Wahpeton Bands of Sioux. February brought with them their genealogies Treaty Day observance at Dakota Magic Convention center. Photo by John but those of my generation do not. 19, 2017 was the 150th anniversary and naturally we remembered those Continued on Page 2 Heminger. This year being the anniversary of the signing of that agreement it has become my mission to assist in the sharing of that story and the Treaty itself. On February 24th and 25th the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe hosted Treaty Day just as they had in the past. In researching I found that often tribes used such events as a means to share and preserve what was outlawed such as dance and songs. Just as the Tribe celebrates with a 4th of July Celebration and Wacipi. For many years, such things were done in hiding and it was not allowed and thru threats of restricting rations or incarceration spiritual practices were done often in homes behind covered windows and in a remote location. Many years ago, these events became the annual means to celebrate or gather Former Tribal Chairman Jerry Flute discussing the Treaty and boundaries of the Justin and Jesse Chanku Wrap pendelton blanket around Spirit Lake for songs and dance and they remain Lake Traverse Reservation.. Photo by John Heminger. chairwoman Myra Pearson given by Chairman Dave Flute. Photo by John Heminger. Treaty Day Continued from Page 1 our ancestors because they looked forward (into the future) for us.” Simple statement that summed up why we had gathered to share cultural knowledge, old dances and songs and to honor names of people who lived long ago. The scanned images of the 1867 Treaty were brought home to Sisseton-Wahpeton by Chairman Flute with help from the National Archives and Records Administration. The actual images are high resolution images and were printed in larger form for framing Spirit Lake Tribal Former SWST Chairman Clifford Canku Sr., speaking DelRay German speaks Martha Renville, speaking that will be on display in the Tribal Chairwoman Amy Pearson Jerry Flute speaking about the on Treaty Day. Photo by John on Treaty Day. Photo by John at Treaty Day. Photo by John Administration building during this speaking at Treaty Day. Photo Treaty of 1867. Photo by John Heminger. Heminger. Heminger. anniversary year, along with maps by John Heminger. Heminger. and photographs. In the telling of the story of Washington, DC and were housed the treaty, I find it is imperative that at an army barracks at the corner one share the story of Kangi Duta of New York Avenue and 19th and how he came to be buried at the Street. The treaty was signed on Congressional Cemetery. In the next February 19th 1867 and the original few weeks I will be sharing photos document included the signatures and information on the treaty and and “x” marks of all members of the the February commemoration event. delegation, including Kangi Duta. This week I would like to refer We don’t know the exact back to the story of Kangi Duta that circumstances that lead to his I wrote in 2010. The following is disappearance but we do know taken from that article placed in the that our oral history tells us he was Sota Iya Yapi: taken from the barracks and was May 18th and 19th, 2010, never seen alive again. The following The Faith and Politics Institute of is taken from the Washington Washington, DC hosted “A Time Chronicle and provided by Herman of Rededication and Story-Telling” Viola director of the National at The Historic Congressional Anthropological Archives in 1981: Cemetery. The Sisseton Wahpeton “$100 REWARD - On Oyate, along with the SWO Tribal Sunday night Feb. 24 [1867] one Historic Preservation Office, felt of the Indians belonging to the that it was important to share the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux delegation story of Kangi Duta and to ensure disappeared from the Barracks, that it is made clear that Kangi Duta corner of New York Avenue and remains in our hearts and minds 19th Street, and has not since been as a tribal community.