12/30/98
One hundred and thirty-six years ago the Dakota people were rounded up and
forced into internment camps. All of their personal possessions were
destroyed, including sacred bundles, drums, and traditional regalia.
After Military trials of each defendant lasted only five minutes, several
hundred men, women, and children were ordered to be hung in Mankato on
November 5th, 1862.
Missionaries like Bishop Whipple met with President Lincoln, who
eventually reprieved all but 38, who were hung the day after Christmass,
December 26th, 1862. Those who were given reprieves were either exiled or
imprisoned.
Is history repeating itself? For on December 20th, 1998, 38 people were
arrested and tortured while a M'dewin sweat lodge was dismantled, items
sacred to the Dakota people were disturbed, drums were broken, and
bonfires were made out of their personal property and clothing.
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are demanding a full
independent investigation into charges of brutality, torture, and use of
excessive force by government police. On the morning of Sunday, December
20th, 1998, "Operation Coldsnap", the largest police action in the history
of the state of Minnesota was carried out by the Minneapolis Police
Department, the Hennepin County Sherrif's Department, and the Minnesota
State Patrol. It was executed against non-violent people protesting a
reroute of a highway through sacred land to the Dakota people.
We are also asking for a full accounting og the cost of the assault, to
include the catering, rental of the Ryder moving vans, overtime pay,
informant pay-offs, and all other direct and indirect costs associated
with the planning, development, and execution of the raid.
Mayor Sharon Sales-Belton, Governor Arne Carlson, James Denn, and the
Minnesota Department of Transportation claimed that there were no
injuries, before all protesters had been removed, there is documentation
of injury to most everyone who was at the Minnehaha Free State at the time
of the attack.
Teargas was used and guns were drawn. Pepper spray and pepper gel was used
to torture people who had already been subdued, handcuffed, and had been
incapacitated from teargas. People were beaten. They were also denied
medical attention. Out of 38 arrests total, about 20 were in need of
medical attention. Two people were allowed to see a nurse at the jail. One
was seen by a medic on the site of the raid. Everyone was told that they
did not need medical attention.
Many violations of civil, constitutional, and human rights, by federal,
state and local police, occured that day. Once again we are demanding that
thorough independent investigations be conducted at all levels of
government to the behavior of the agencies, individual officers,
commanders, those who were arrested.
Clyde Bellecourt
AIM (American Indian Movement)
Big Woods Earth First!
Green Party of Minnesota
Bob Brown, Chair
Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community
Honor the Earth
Tom Goldtooth
Indigeneous Environmental Network
Vernon Bellecourt, President
National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media
Marv Davidov
Minnesota Institute for Social Transformation
Jim Anderson
Twin Cities Dineh Defense Alliance
Leo Ronneng
Native American Chamber of Commerce
Michael Haney, American Indian Arbitration Institute
Ron Allen, National Congress of American Indians
Jericho Organizing Collective
Native American Environmental Protection Coalition
WAMM
Food Not Bombs
National Lawyers Guild
IWW
Legal Rights Center
Jay Redhawk
Bob Greenberg
Arise! Resource Center
Chris Spotted Eagle
Dick Black
Iowa Tribe of OK
Larry Levanthal
Minneapolis NAACP
CAAR
Community Action Against Racism
BACK TO MAIN
Stop the Reroute
PAGE
