Institutionalized Racism in South Dakota

PRESS RELEASE
December 27, 2004

The Christmas season brings thoughts of kinship and respect and hope for humanity. Hope that springs to the hearts of minds is but a dream to Native Americans living in South Dakota.

For years, government official after government official has promised to address institutionalized racism, but promises without action are meaningless. Recently the mayor of Rapid City pledged to address problems related to racism against American Indians, his answer to this centuries old problem was to name another in a long line of commissions who will issue a self serving report. The time for commissions and reports is over. The time for action is now.

The chief law enforcement officer in the United States is the U.S. Attorney General; he and his staff are legally obligated to support the US Constitution and various Federal statutes and laws. Dealing with issues and other problems related to racism are within the course and scope of authority of the US Attorney, including dealing with issues of disparate treatment by members of the US Attorney's staff.

The Native American Heritage Initiative joins its Executive Director, Charles Yow, Senior Partner, Red Cloud Law Firm, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge, SD in his demand that equal protection under the law include Native Americans in both word and deed and this right can no longer be delayed, or hindered by the US Attorney's office in Rapid City.

Native Americans are subjected to ferocious prosecution for the most minor of offenses, while crimes against Native Americans are routinely ignored. In South Dakota a Native American accused of any offense is prosecuted for two offenses; the primary offense is being a Native American. When Native Americans seek justice as victims of crime, the offenses against them are often ignored because the US Attorney's office in Rapid City is too busy prosecuting Native Americans for their race and ethnicity to bother prosecuting criminals for their criminality.

We call on John Ashcroft to impanel a Federal Grand Jury to investigate complaints related to the US Attorney's office in Rapid City because of its blatant failure and refusal to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct a complete and thorough investigation of crimes committed against Native Americans and the US Attorney General's prosecution of crimes against Native Americans, especially in the areas of jurisdiction controlled by Assistant US Attorney Bob Mandell.

Charles Yow, Sr., Esq.
Executive Director
Native American Heritage Initiative