Tim Giago: Black Hills land theft a dishonest deal

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Opinion
Tim Giago: Black Hills land theft a dishonest deal
Tuesday, March 1, 2005

"Let�s analyze a case of injustice in America. Although the case was (and is) the longest ongoing case in American history, the general public is nearly oblivious to its implications of imperialism and injustice.

1980 � U. S. Supreme Court hears appeal from Court of Claims and holds that the only way Black Hills could have been taken from the Sioux was under the Fifth Amendment since Sioux had recognized title and thus vested property rights to the Black Hills.

The Supreme Court ruling when loosely interpreted says, �Ok, we stole your land and now this is what we are offering to compensate you for that theft.� The Sioux people are saying, �You stole our land and now you are offering peanuts to us. We want some of the federal lands in our Sacred Black Hills returned to us. We will never accept the money.� It is clearly a white and Indian standoff.

For all intent and purpose, this is a case that began in 1877 and is still ongoing. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun said in his brief on the Black Hills, 'A more ripe and rank case of dishonest dealings may never be found in our history.'"

Get the Story:
Tim Giago: "A ripe and rank case of dishonest dealings" (The Native American Times 2/28)