1. Reconciliation means peace with self, other and worldTo most Indian people, I imagine, the most important objective of those listed above would be that of restoration and restitution. To Dakota, Lakota and Nakota people, who have already rejected restitution for the taking of the Black Hills, restoration is the most important. Otherwise, restitution is obvious alternative for Indian Country, despite its rejection by the Sioux nations in the case of the Black Hills. Restitution was the obvious intent in the establishment of the Indian Claims Commission in 1947, which provided compensatory payment to tribes in exchange for quit-claim agreement by them to lands in question. Later on, however, some tribes did secure return of lands through legislation, such as the return of Blue Lake lands to the Taos Pueblo, Mount Adams to the Yakama, and lands in Maine to the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy nations. The year-long effort in Minnesota was “focused on specific communicative events and experiences of reconciliation between and among the Dakota and non-Indians in the State of Minnesota” over the lingering resentment on the part of Indians about the so-called “Indian War of 1862,” and the hanging of 38 tribal leaders at Mankato. The report was impressive, but didn’t address any mutual agreement on outcomes in terms of restoration and restitution. Both the South Dakota and Minnesota reports described changes in attitudes and promises to improve contents of books and materials in the schools to reflect more accurate historical accounts of the treatment of Native peoples, and both reports told of a general air of good will that resulted from the year of reconciliation. It is a shame that the issue of return of certain Black Hills lands to the united Sioux nations was not taken up in such an atmosphere that the South Dakota YOR reportedly engendered. Perhaps a movement of support could have been developed among people of good will to support the tribes’ quest for the restoration of those sacred lands. If a plan such as the late Oglala scholar/activist Gerald Clifford had proposed, and as was proposed in the resulting Bradley Bill, could have been made to non-Indians in the atmosphere of reconciliation, it may have generated significant support. The Year of Reconciliation in South Dakota was not a waste of time, energy or cost. In time, with a more progressive Congress and a less organized Yahoo element at large, perhaps the Black Hills restoration can again be pushed by the Tribes, along with a new effort for reconciliation. Charles "Chuck" Trimble, was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and is a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. He was principal founder of the American Indian Press Association in 1970, and served as Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians from 1972-1978. He is retired and lives in Omaha, NE. He can be contacted at cchuktrim@aol.com and his website is www.iktomisweb.com. More from Charles Trimble:
2. Reconciliation means honor and respect
3. Reconciliation means understanding
4. Reconciliation means restoration and restitution
5. Reconciliation means educating
6. Reconciliation means healing and forgiveness.
Chuck Trimble: Firebomb incident at Pine Ridge still a mystery (1/24)
Charles Trimble: Nebraska's Ponca Tribe loses a great leader (1/16)
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Charles Trimble: Gyasi Ross is a great new writer among us (12/12)
Charles Trimble: Stop treating Indian students like the victims (11/29)
Charles Trimble: Thanksgiving out among the colonized people (11/23)
Charles Trimble: Doing right for the 'Children of the Plains' (10/24)
Charles Trimble: Two Oglala Sioux men earn places in history (10/10)
Charles Trimble: Injustice in removal of Cherokee Freedmen (9/12)
Charles Trimble: Don't mess with this 84-year-old Dakota lady (9/6)
Charles Trimble: US manipulation of tribes goes back centuries (9/2)
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