YOU CANNOT SELL MOTHER EARTH
Misguided NDN Philosophy

“Corporal Hawk, the First Sergeant and the Captain want to see in the Admin Office, on the double.”

“Yes Sergeant, I am on my way.”

I was been waiting for this moment, I was told unofficially that I was going to get promoted to Sergeant E-5. I have six months left in the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps does that sometimes, if they want you to re-enlist they will promote you as your regular enlistment is about to end.

In August 2004, I was a 0311 Marine Grunt infantryman with the 1st Battalion 7th Marine Regiment, we were deployed to Western Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. We conducted security operations in the cities and roadways along the Euphrates River and Syrian border. I was involved in combat operations on a daily basis to clear the area of enemy insurgents. After we completed our tour we returned to Twenty Nine Palms California and I asked to be re-assigned to the Marine Embassy Guards.

To my surprise I was granted my request and sent to school to be a Marine Embassy Guard, which has detachments posted at American Embassies, American Consulates and other official United States Government offices in over 133 countries, as well as its headquarters at Marine Corps Base Quantico Virginia. A Marine Embassy Guard usually serves three 12-month tours of duty. Marine Embassy Guards or "watch standers" are enlisted Marines from the rank of Private First Class to Staff Sergeant.

Knock, knock.

“Corporal Thomas Hawk reporting as ordered Sir,” I hollered.

“Come on in Corporal Hawk.”

“Sit down Sergeant Hawk.”

I smiled. That was their way of telling me I was just promoted to Sergeant E-5.

The Captain and the First Sergeant each extend a handshake.

“Congratulations Sergeant Tommy Hawk.”

The Captain smiled, “If you don’t mind me saying Sergeant you have one cool name.”

“I agree,’ the First Sergeant says nodding, ‘Sergeant Tommy Hawk, the Commandant of the Marine Corps himself would be proud to have you on his security detail.”

“Thank you Sir. Thank you First Sergeant,” I say.

“Have a seat Sergeant Hawk, I am sure you know the United States Marine Corps is always looking for a few good men, have you considered re-enlisting in the Corps?”

“I have Sir, but to be honest there is something else I want to do real bad, ever since high school I have wanted to do this, but, I figured I’d need to grow up some before I do it, and I believe I have, the Marine Corps has helped me grow up.”

“May I ask what is it that you want to do Sergeant Hawk?”

“Sir, as my name indicates I am a Native American, a Rosebud Lakota or Sioux Indian.”

“I was born in 1986 five years after the United States Supreme Court awarded $105 million dollars as settlement for the Black Hills, I grew up hearing a lot of talk about the Lakota’s Indians coming into this money, but it never happened because the elders say you can’t sell Mother Earth.”

Captain McGee says, “I don’t exactly understand what that means.”

“Sir, it means that us Lakota’s who are living today have no right to take the money the government awarded us, if we take the money then we have agreed to the terms of Supreme Court decision in 1981. Many of the old ones say that the land was stolen and the Lakota never intended of sell the land, then or now. So, if we take the settlement money that means that we go along with the settlement.”

“Many of the elders say were not going to do that, they say you cannot sell Mother Earth.”

“Well, that makes sense Sergeant Hawk, but how do you fit into this whole thing?”

“Before you answer let me say it strikes me as odd that you and many other Native Americans volunteer to serve in the military that stole your land.”

“Well Sir, this is our country, or rather, this was our country, and we Native Americans, probably more then any other group in America feel that it is our duty to defend it in spite of the history and politics.”

“Wow, the First Sergeant says. “That is a very interesting statement, my family is Irish, when they came to this country the Irish people were on the bottom of the economic shit heap, but many of them worked hard, saved their money, and took advantage of this countries many freedoms, and many of them prospered…John F. Kennedy, an Irish guy even made it to the White House that we Marine Embassy Guard’s guard.”

“So that’s why I made the Marine Corps my career, my pay back to this country for what it has done for my family.” “So, in the same regards Sergeant Hawk I think you should make the Marine Corps your career.”

“I want to go back to the reservation and try to get the people to change their mind about taking the Black Hills money, the last time I checked the original $105 million is now worth other one billion dollars. The government is never going to give us the land back, so we might as well take the money and do a lot of good with it, instead of hanging on to some dream that is never going to happen, so that is my plan after I get out of the Marine Corps.”

“Back to my question then Sergeant Hawk, Captain McGee says, “You have any intention of re-enlisting?

“Thanks, but, no thanks Sir, in all due respect to you and the First Sergeant I plan to get out in six months.”

“I really want to get back to the reservation and work on my plan.” “Being stationed in the Washington DC area has given me the opportunity to do a lot of research on the Black Hills issue and I am ready to go home and do something about it.”

Part Two

I waited two year after I graduated from high school before I joined the Marine Corps. I was a pretty decent basketball player at 6 feet 1 inch. I had a real deadly jump shot and I liked the “run and gun” style of Indian basketball. In Indian Country there is a independent basketball tournament nearly every weekend during the winter months.

I played with the “Fighting White Guys” an all Indian team out of Parmalee, South Dakota.

There is a North Dakota college who’s team nickname is the “Fighting Sioux” so to poke fun we called ourselves the “Fighting White Guys.” “FWG’s was imprinted on our basketball jersey’s. After two seasons of doing nothing but playing basketball and being broke I joined the Marine Corps.

I loved playing Rez Ball, but I hated being broke. The Marine Corps was my very first job and my first paycheck.

After the tour of duty in Iraq I was assigned to the Marine Embassy Guards headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. From there I was assigned to guard the White House, the Vice Presidents house, and other key government posts in the Washington DC area. I was blessed with a handsome Native American face, I was a muscular, well-built 180 pounds Lakota Indian. I could have been a Marine Corps poster child, but I was never asked. Never mind, it was awesome duty to be guarding the President of the United States and to be guarding the White House.

Occasionally, the President would stop and express his appreciation to the Marine Embassy Guards. The President actual got to know me personally.

One day I was guarding the West Entrance when he stops and says, “Good morning Marine, where are you from?”

I say, “Rosebud, South Dakota, Mr. President.”

“Rosebud, is that the Rosebud Indian Reservation?”

“Yes Mr. President.”

“Wow, I don’t think I can get a better more loyal American then you guarding my house.”

“Thank you Sir.”

“What is your name?”

“Corporal Thomas Hawk, Sir, but my Marine buddies call me Tommy Hawk.”

“Tommy Hawk, that is rather unique, I will have to tell the First Lady that Tommy Hawk is guarding her house.”

“Very Interesting Corporal Hawk, thank you for your service, I will rest in peace tonight, knowing that you and the rest of the Marines are standing guard.”

After that every time the President or the First Lady would see me on duty they would smile and say, “How are you doing Corporal Tommy Hawk.”

I’d smile and say, “Just fine Mr. or Mrs. President.”

A couple of the Hasapa (black) guards were a little jealous that the President of the United States knew my name, but the Embassy Guard Commanders were quite pleased because it made all of us embassy guards look good.

We would work four twelve hour shifts and then we would be off for three days. On my days off I would work out in the gym running and lifting weights, not for bulk, but to stay slim and trim. I did very little drinking. I would go out with the other Marines but it was my “job” to be the designated driver and keep them out of trouble.

What I like to do best was go to the Library of Congress. I spent countless hours researching the history of the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota people. I also enrolled in college classes. I would call home at least twice

a week and talk with my mother and dad. They encouraged me to learn all that I could about the ways of the white man.

On many of my days off I would run through the rich neighborhoods of Washington D.C., other days I would catch the bus out to the suburbs and just sit and watch white people. I was particularly impressed with all of the commerce, and the nice homes they had, and I would think about how little commerce there is on the Rosebud reservation.

It made me sad that my home on the reservation was so different than what most people lived in the Washington DC area. Quite frankly, I don’t think there is a house in the whole Washington DC area that is as beat up as 99 percent of the houses on the reservation.

It was for these reasons I began to formulate a plan to go back to the reservation and work on changing the minds and the attitudes the people had about accepting the Black Hills money.

My girl friend back on the reservation was Lola Hawk Ghost. I met her at one of the basketball tournaments and we lived together at her mothers home. We had a baby girl that we named Kimama, which means butterfly, just before I joined the Marines. I send a monthly allotment to support Lola and the baby.

After baby was potty trained and off the bottle I invited Lola to come out to Washington DC, and she readily agreed after her mother assured her that she would be glad to take care of “her” baby.

We found a cheap efficiency apartment and on my days off we would go to the Library of Congress. When I was on embassy guard duty Lola would spend her time cataloguing all of the information we researched. She also had a part time job at McDonald’s slinging burgers.

“Are you sure you want to get out of the Marine Corps Thomas?” “I like it here in DC, we don’t want to go back to the ugly-ass reservation do we?” Lola said.

“They like us Indians here, you even said that yourself, and they even have a football team called the Washington Redskins,” Lola said laughing.

“Momma is just glad to be taking care of Kimama and we should just stay here.” “Momma actually called and told me to tell you to re-enlist, there ain’t nothing for us back home.”

“The Marine Corps has pretty much left Iraq and is now in Afghanistan. I am a Grunt Marine so after this Embassy duty gig is over I will have to go back to the Grunts, and sure as shit I don’t want to go to Afghanistan and fight “Haji” all over again.”

Part Three

The Supreme Court case United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians was argued on March 24, 1980. On June 30, 1980 the United States Supreme Court ruled in an 8-1 majority to uphold the United States Court of Claims’ ruling awarding the Sioux nation $105 million, which resulted in the largest sum ever given to an Indian tribe for illegally seized territory.

On July 9, 1980 in a unanimous decision, the Sioux tribal council refused to accept $105 million awarded to them. On July 18, 1981, they filed a lawsuit asking for 7,300,000 acres of the Black Hills in South Dakota and $11 billion in damages.

A meeting set up by the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association to bring the different factions together to discuss the Black Hills and make an effort to bring about unity, one man identifying himself as a "treaty man," stood up and said that only full-bloods should be considered for money associated with the Black Hills.

The man was reprimanded by the Standing Rock attorney who told him that it was not right to steal the birthright of the Iyeska (mixed blood) children who had no say on how they came into this world.

While these meetings were taking place the money allocated to the Sioux Nation in the Black Hills Claims Settlement continued to draw interest.

The original award issued in 1981 has grown considerably from the $105 million. The settlement now stands at $123,066,299 million for the lands taken outside of the Black Hills and $883,812,086 million for the Black Hills.

This brings the total of the funds held in trust by the U. S. Interior Department to $1,006,878,985 billion dollars.

However, those tribes in the treaty have maintained for years that the land is sacred and is not for sale. The Oglala’s, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Santee Sioux and the Sioux Tribe of Fort Peck have been united in their stand against accepting the money. The tribes are located in South and North Dakota, Nebraska and Montana.

This is an extremely contentious issue for some of the poorest communities in the United States.

We saved enough money to buy an old car and after my discharge from the Marine Corps we packed our volumes of historical research and our few belongs and headed back to the reservation.

The President of the United States upon hearing that I was leaving the Marine Corp invited me into the Oval Office.

“Have a seat Tommy Hawk, I hear your getting out of the Marine Corps and going home.”

“Yes sir,”

“What are you going to do now Sergeant Hawk?”

“Well Sir, my wife and I have been going to the Library of Congress and researching historical documents relating to the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota’s of South Dakota. We have our whole car trunk full of old documents.” “Ever since high school I have had this real passion about the Black Hills land claim.”

“I believe that the old people are wrong about not taking the money Congress awarded them” The $105 million is now worth over a billion dollars.”

“I know, it’s a very interesting situation Sergeant Hawk, one good thing about being the President is that I have access to the best minds in America and the best information available. It is ironic that you mention the Black Hill situation, not too long ago we had a discussion here in the White House on the situation.”

“May I ask Sir what was discussed, I have a top secret security clearance?” I said smiling.

“It was nothing classified, it was more of a historical and legal discussion.” “We had most of the state governor’s in here recently and I sat next to the Governor of South Dakota and somehow the discussion got around to the Indians in South Dakota, and he mentioned the Black Hills fund has grown to over a billion dollars.”

“and, the governor leaned over to me and whispered, “the poor bastards won’t take it!“

He was very adamant that the State would never consider giving any of the land back.”

“I found his comments very fascinating so one evening I invited scholars and some folks from the Bureau of Indian Affairs over for a round table discussion on the Black Hills issue and other Native American issues.

“I wished I would have known you were interested in the Blacks Hills issue I would have invited you to sit in.”

“I am flattered Mr. President.”

“Good luck to you Mr. Tommy Hawk, I wish you well in your efforts.”

“The people who live on the reservation sure could use a billion dollars.”

“Remember what the governor said, there is no way that the state of South Dakota is going to give the land back.” “Let me know how things turn out, I don’t plan on leaving the White House anytime soon, you know where you can find me.”

“I will certainly keep that in mind Mr. President.” “It was a pleasure serving you Sir, I will remember this great experience forever.”

Lola and I drove to Minnesota and visited Fort Snelling and then followed the Minnesota River all the way to the Big Stone and Lake Traverse area in western Minnesota. We sat on the Coteau des Praries in northeastern South Dakota and tried to envision what it was like in the 18th Century.

“All of this was Lakota Country at one time,” I said.

“It is staggering the amount of land we lost,” Lola added.

We drove to Rosebud and moved in with her mom and our baby Kimama.

Inspired by the beautiful well manicured homes that we seen in the Washington DC area Lola and I spent the next two month cleaning up the yard, planting grass and flowers. We re-shingled Momma’s old house, put in new windows, painted the inside and outside and put new doors on. Momma was just proud of her “new” home.

“Its not exactly like the houses in Bethesda or Silver Spring but it looks pretty darn good, don’t you think Lola?”

“My gosh what a difference a little paint and elbow grease did to this old house,” Mommy said.

“Next I am going to make a drive way where we can park the car, I swear we are not going to park our car on the grass and change oil in the front yard,“ I said emphatically.

“Before we get done were going to have the nicest, cleanest yard and house on the whole reservation”

“I hope the neighbors don’t get all nawizi (jealous) Mommy Ghost Hawk said.”

Chapter Four

Even Mr. Ghost Hawk, Momma’s ex-boy friend came by to inspect Momma’s “new house.” I think he wanted to move back in with Momma but she told him that he had to quit drinking before she would even consider taking him back.

After we fixed up the outside of the house and the yard the best we could with the money we had we made one of the small rooms into our office. We had volumes of old government documents relating to the Great

Sioux Nation.

Lola and I grew up on the reservation, the farthest away we were away from the reservation was when we went to Rapid City on our senior field trip.

Our stay in Washington DC and my four years in the Marine Corps changed both of our perspective about white people. Of course, there were white people who lived on or near the reservation but we were completely amazed at how differently white people lived in Washington DC. We had no clue that people could live so nice. The homes in the Washington DC area are some of the finest in the whole wide world.

On the warm humid days of summer Lola and I would take our lawn chairs and sit by the Lincoln and Washington Memorials, then other days we would sit on the Capitol Hill grounds.

Other days we would ride the Metro from one end to the other. Lola and I would constantly remark how different things were compared to St. Francis, White River, Norris, and Wood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

“Geez Thomas,” Lola was the only one who called me Thomas. “People back on the rez have no clue what life is alike away from the daily grind of the reservation.”

“Someday, I’d like to go the schools and tell the young Indians students to do everything in their power to get the hell away from the reservation.”

“I am gonna’ tell them to go see the world.“ “They can always come back if they don‘t like it.”

“Well, you know what they always say? “You can take the Indian off of the rez, but you can’t take the rez out of the Indian,” I said smiling.

I drew $229 dollars a week in unemployment benefits so I was in no hurry to look for a full time job. One good thing about the reservation is that our living expenses were nothing compared to living in Washington DC.

“I am so glad to find such a intelligent Sicangu girl like you Lola,” I said one day out of the clear blue.

“I know you understand that the way to approach this is to make a brochure and we will go visit all the districts on the reservation. We’ll let the people know that the $105 million dollars has grown to over $1 billion dollars now, and if they took the Black Hills money Rosebud’s pro-rated share is over four hundred million dollars.”

“If the Tribe invests the $400 million dollars in secure government bonds they could earn about $18 million dollars a year in interest and never even have to touch the principle.”

“Were going to get a big challenge from those who say you cannot sell Mother Earth.”

“You know they are going to say we want the land back, we never sold it, and we want it back.” I can hear the old people saying that now,” Lola said.

“That’s right.” Momma chimed in.

“On the other hand I know a lot of people don’t really have an opinion either way about the Black Hills money, they don’t know exactly what’s going on. I doubt very few know that there is a billion dollars sitting in the US Treasury.”

“And, I am convinced that most of the Lakota’s under thirty years old would take the money in a heartbeat.”

“But, right now it’s the old one’s who have the most to say about the Black Hills.”

“And, for sure they don’t understand how much a billion dollars is.” “Or, even what $18 million dollars a year in interest could do for us.”

“One thing for sure is we are not going to insult their intelligence. You and I understand where they are coming from, we know the Lakota’s never sold the Black Hills. I know that the Home Stake Gold Mine took out a billion dollars in gold and after they sucked it dry they closed the mine down in 2002.”

“No wonder the old people are pissed that the government only awarded us $105 million dollars,” “Who can blame them?” I said.

“We know the arguments, what we’ll have to do is convince the people that there is nothing we can do to change the past. There is no way their going to give us the Black Hills back, no way in hell.”

“We will have to convince them that $18 million dollars in interest a year can do a lot of good for this reservation.”

“By leaving the $400 hundred million in principle alone its like were really not taking the Black Hills settlement money, were merely taking the interest, that’s one way to look at it,” I say.

“This is what I have been working on Lola.”

“Tell me what you have and I will type it into a Word Doc and we’ll get it printed out and hand it out throughout the whole reservation.”

“I think the number one priority should be housing, since we seen how the white people live, we kind of have an idea how important it is to have a good house. I think having a nice house would get the people who never had a nice home to take pride in having their own place.”

“Back in the old days, the Lakota’s had nice teepee’s and they decorated them and their horses, and had wonderful quill work, they had pride in their possessions and they had pride in themselves. Of course, there was always the lazy, but I believe most of the Lakota were a proud people.”

“Remember Lola when we read that our Eastern Dakota brothers called the Lakota’s the “Braggers.” I believe the reason was because the Lakota was the largest group of Great Sioux Nation and where ever they went they struck fear in their enemies, they owned this vast land and this translated to a pride and a brashness that could easily be interpreted as bragging.”

“I believe you are right Sergeant Tommy Hawk,” Lola says smiling.

“If the Rosebud Sioux Tribe would spend $10 million dollars of the $18 million dollars on buying homes in ten years nearly everyone on the reservation would have a nice home.”

“Say, a home would cost two hundred thousand dollars, fully furnished, with a garage and driveway and a nice yard. One million dollars could buy ten homes and $10 million dollars could buy one hundred new homes a year. In ten years that is one thousand new homes.”

“And, if the Tribe would spend one million dollars a year on apartment complexes, for those that don’t want to own a home, heck in no time everyone would have a nice home or a place to live”

“So, that would leave seven million dollars to spend on other urgent needs.”

“I would like to see the Tribe build a Canning Center, where the people can have gardens again, and then

can their vegetables.”

“And, I would like to see the Tribe build a nice, modern fully equipped garage where the people can come and repair their cars.”

“I would also like to see a college fund of two million dollars a year, any tribal members who wants to go to college or a vocational school can go.”

“And, I would like to see the Tribe owns its own bank.”

“Lola the possibilities are unlimited to what we could do with eighteen million dollars a year, every year!”

“Besides the elders saying that you can’t sell Mother Earth, I think the other big problem you will have Tommy and Lola is the tribal leaders.”

“And, I am being generous when I say leaders,” Momma Ghost Hawk said.

“Ya, I know, I talked to a couple of them already and I got the deer in headlights looks,” I said.

“Being poor is one thing, being ignorant is another thing,” Lola added.

“Poor and ignorant now that is a deadly combination for the Indian.”

“In this day and age there is no excuse for being ignorant,” I say.

“Well, we’ll have to approach this in a logical reasonable way, that’s for sure.”

“If the Tribe went along with this plan in only six years, the interest we could earn on the $400 hundred million would equal the $105 million dollars the government awarded us.”

“It seems simple enough,” Momma said, “But change is hard coming, people are set in their ways, its not going to be easy to change their minds Lola and Tommy.”

“The President of the United States told me that there was no way in hell the State of South Dakota is going to give the land back,” I said.

“Oh, go on!” “You talked to the President of the United States?”

“Yes, Big Momma, I use to guard the White House, the President of the United friggin’ States knows who Thomas Hawk is!”

“Oh go on, really?”

“That’s true Momma, Thomas knows the President,” Lola said proudly.

“One time Momma, not too long ago the President told me that he spoke with the Governor of South Dakota and the Governor said there was no way the State of South Dakota would give the Lakota people one inch of the Black Hills back.”

“They are entrenched in their thinking just like our old people are entrenched in theirs.”

“The difference is they got all the gold Momma.”

“All we got is a outdated philosophy, based on emotional, instead, of modern day realities, that you cannot sell Mother Earth.”

“When you think about it most Lakota’s get maybe sixty or seventy years to live on Mother Earth, then they die and return to dust.”

“Mother Earth was here long before any Lakota, Dakota, or Nakota, and she will be here long after we are all gone.”

“Mother Earth can take care of herself, and it is very arrogant of us to think that we can or cannot sell Mother Earth.”

“Crazy Horse said, “A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.”

“I just cannot see us Lakota’s being dirt-ass poor from the cradle to the grave because of our own misguided thinking.”

The end

Footnote
Mario Gonzalez is Oglala Sioux and Mexican. A tribal lawyer for the Sioux, Gonzalez has devoted much of his career to the convoluted fight for the Black Hills of South Dakota—a fight that has already lasted a century. More than 30 years ago, the federal Indian Claims Commission awarded the Sioux what amounted to $105 million for the taking of the Black Hills. But the Sioux didn’t want the money; they wanted their land back. So the money has lingered in trust accounts, accumulating interest. Today, in the name of some of the poorest people in the country, about $1 billion waits untouched in accounts at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In his office in Rapid City, Gonzalez is hopeful these days; during his campaign, Barrack Obama indicated that he would be open to innovative solutions to the Black Hills case.

Gonzalez is working with a group of Sioux to put a proposal in front of the President.

Some Sioux want to take the money now, Gonzalez says. “We tell them, Our grandfathers and great-grandparents spilled a lot of blood so future generations could have a homeland that included the Black Hills. “If the tribes accept the settlement, he adds, and the money is all gone three years from now, that’s when the Sioux will become a defeated people. That’s when you will see them walking around in shame with their heads hanging.”

Over the years, it has been suggested that Congress find a way to let the principal stand but give the Sioux the interest for much-needed services—or even to buy land in the Black Hills. But both tribe members and federal officials have told me they have little confidence that the Sioux could put such suggestions into practice. Not long ago, one high-level official who has worked closely with the tribes told me it would take new kinds of leaders to get past long histories and territorial jealousies to effectively manage the money. This official has come to think that taking the money could actually tear the Sioux apart—a greater risk than the poverty they face today.

Gonzalez sees only one way forward. Soon after Obama’s inauguration, the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association established the He Sapa Reparations Alliance (He Sapa means “Black Hills” in Lakota), to educate the Sioux about the land claim and to create a proposal for Congress. That proposal could give the Sioux shared ownership and management of roughly 1.3 million acres of federal land within the Black Hills.