Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
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PINE RIDGE, SD - The Tribal Council met in Kyle yesterday and reinstated Everett Little Whiteman as Executive Director of the Pine Ridge Department of Public Safety (PRDPOS). As a consequence, the Pine Ridge Tribal Police Department (PRTPD) came very close to walking out on their jobs. We had a meeting with The Judiciary Committee of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (JCOST) and during the course of the meeting BIA Superintendent, Robert Ecoffey said if we walked off the job he would retrocede law enforcement back to the BIA and have at least thirty BIA police officers in Pine Ridge before the night was over to take over law enforcement in Pine Ridge. The Judiciary Committee promised to revisit Everett's suspension on the Council floor and refer the matter to the Business Committee of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Department of Public Safety (BCDPS) for recommendation to the Council. The Council will then affirm any recommendation concerning Everett's suspension. "That is all we asked", said a member of the PRTPD.

Nebraska law enforcement is well represented and heavily armed. There are at least thirty riot team officers with canine support. White Clay has been shut down for the past several days and travel to and through the town is restricted by roadblocks manned by Nebraska law enforcement at the state line. "It seems reminiscent of the Seventh Calvary waiting to avenge themselves for Little Bighorn at Wounded Knee. I don't know how it will all end up but the potential for bloodshed is certainly there", a member of the committee said.

Will Pine Ridge Police Department be there? A member of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Police Department answered, "We will be there. We have a heavy stake in all this. BIA is attempting to reassert it's involvement in law enforcement in Indian country. All the Tribe's are contracting law enforcement services so BIA is getting their law enforcement services budget reduces by Congress and the Department of Justice is providing additional resources for Tribal law enforcement and Tribal courts. I was told by a person who has friend in BIA law enforcement services that Everett did not retire from the BIA but is only on furlough from the BIA. He said Everett was working for Ted, the head of the BIA ( Gazulla or Casula, head of BIA's Law Enforcement Services), and it was Everett's task to destroy the Tribe's relationship with the Department of Justice by systematically sabotaging the Tribe's programs that are funded by the Department of Justice. That way law enforcement will be retroceded back to the BIA and Everett would have accomplished his goal. In all my experiences with the BIA I have found the BIA to be a leech that panders the plight of Native Americans and uses resources thus garnered for bureaucratic sustenance."

Last year BIA received over twenty million dollars that was additional to its own law enforcement services budget. The crime statistics provided by Pine Ridge justified over twenty five per-cent of the twenty million. Ted met with Janet Reno's staff and the Department of Justice agreed to take care of Pine Ridge's law enforcement requirements while the BIA retained almost the entire twenty million.

It seems the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Department of Public Safety is caught in the middle of the struggle for control of law enforcement in Indian country. We have to maintain some public relations while educating the district people to minimize the selling out and back room deals that some of our Tribal Council persons are involved in. The stake's are heavy. In 1973 there was a struggle between the U.S. Marshall's Service and the FBI for control of civil disturbances and protest in Indian country. Funny how the picture becomes much bigger then it appears on the surface, a member of the committe said.

What about this do you feel is most important that others know before tomorrow? Who gains by this move back to the BIA enforcement? "It is obvious who loses..our people..again. The only gainer from all this is BIA. By regaining control of law enforcement they perpetuate their involvement in Indian Country. The Department of Justice is assisting us in developing a more holistic approach to law enforcement services. The ultimate goal of Justice Programs is rehabilitation. BIA can only offer inadequate and understaffed detention centers. BIA is at the mercy of Congress in jurisdictional matters. Justice can help define, enhance and assert jurisdiction and sovereignty." a member of the Oglala Tribal Police Department said in answer to the questions.