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MINNESOTA - The Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community and their supporters will be gathering at the Four Sacred Oaks Ceremony for Protection of this sacred site. The Four Oaks Spiritual Encampment is located near the corner of Highway 55 and 54th St. behind the Veterans Administration Offices. The gathering is Thursday, December 2, 1999 at 4:00 p.m. central time zone, USA.

Unless it is stopped, the Minnesota Department of Transportation's reroute of Highway 55 plans to desecrate this sacred site with bulldozers in the near future. The Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community has just returned from Pipestone, Minnesota, where ceremonies were held to tell them how to protect the trees. Sundance Chief, Harry Charger held these ceremonies in Pipestone, and interpreted what it is that needs to be done to honor this place for what it truly is, a sacred site.

We are inviting the Media and the public to document this so that the truth will stand, and the people of the world will understand why we struggle to protect this land, trees, water, and burial sites. No pictures will be allowed to be taken during the ceremony.

This is for the future generations and the sacredness of all life.

For more information contact, Jim Anderson, Phone: (612) 910-0730 Camp Cell Phone: (651) 398-5249.

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National Congress of American Indians
Resolution #PSC-99-127

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Title: Protection of Sacred Sites and Request for Federal Environmental Agency to Do a Comprehensive EIS

Whereas, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution, and

Whereas, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest and largest national organization established in 1944 and comprised of representatives of and advocates for national, regional, and local Tribal concerns: and

Whereas, the health safety, welfare, education, economic and employment opportunity, and preservation of cultural and national resources are primary goals and objectives of NCAI, and

Whereas, the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community is a non federally recognized tribe that has a history of living at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, and

Whereas, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was passed in 1990 and does not include non federally recognized tribes, and

Whereas, the state of Minnesota has not acted in good faith, and has spend federal funds on a highway and light rail that will destroy sacred sites, and

Whereas, the state of Minnesota has violated the civil rights of tribal members and supporters from the Four Oaks Spiritual Encampment, including women and children.

Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that NCAI does hereby request the Department of Justice to investigate the civil rights violations of tribal members and supporters of the Four Oaks Spiritual Encampment, and

Be it Further Resolved, that NCAI does hereby request the Environmental Protection Agency to do a full supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on the site.

Certification

The forgoing resolution was adopted at the 1999 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, in Palm Springs, Calilfornia on October 3-8, 1999 with a quorum present.

[**Note: This resolution was faxed to us and was signed by Susan Masten, President of NCAI.]