Today’s Zero Tolerance White Clay Blockade Raises Stakes for New Year
Cante Tenza Okolakiciye
Strong Heart Warrior Society
Free & Independent Lakota Nation
Box 512, Hill City, South Dakota 57745
605-454-0449 or 605-517-1547
December 31, 2010
PRESS ADVISORY/RELEASE CONTACT:
Duane Martin Sr. at 605-517-1547 or 605-454-0449.
TODAY’S “ZERO TOLERANCE” WHITE CLAY BLOCKADE RAISES STAKES FOR NEW YEAR
Strong Heart Warrior Society, United Urban Warrior Society, Rapid City AIM, and others take stand in aftermath of December 24th Pine Ridge Protest and Killing of Duane Martin Sr.’s Dog “Small Guy” as well as harassment from Oglala Tribal Police who prevent the creation of healthy communities.
Like Chief Big Foot, Crazy Horse, and Rain in the Face in the past, modern day warriors act to protect their people – now from the ravages of colonial society that take the form of alcohol and drugs.
WHAT: New Year’s Eve Alcohol Blockade of White Clay, Nebraska
WHO: Strong Heart Warrior Society, United Urban Warrior Society, and Rapid City American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) with support from Lakota people, activists and others.
WHEN: December 31st from 1:00PM to 11:00PM
WHY: On December 24th the Strong Heart Warrior Society led a protest against alcohol bootlegging and drug dealing on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. In retaliation, bootleggers poisoned and killed “Small Guy”, the much loved dog of Strong Heart headsman Duane Martin Sr., at his home in Sharps Corner. The Strong Heart Warrior Society, along with the United Urban Warrior Society and Rapid City AIM is taking a zero tolerance stand against alcohol bootleggers, drug dealers, and corrupt tribal officials and police who are complicit in the continued destruction of the Lakota people and who prevent a healthy Lakota nation from arising.
“We are doing the White Clay blockade to implement the real zero tolerance on alcohol and drug abuse that is influencing our people to commit suicide and other behaviors that are detrimental to a healthy Lakota community,” said Strong Heart headsman Duane Martin Sr.
Literally hours after completion of the annual prayer ride commemorating Chief Big Foot and his unarmed band of Lakota refuges who were led to slaughter by U.S. Calvary in 1890 at Wounded Knee, a new group of warriors such as Strong Heart works alcohol and drug free to heal their people from the illegal import of alcohol and drugs from white society that is killing the Lakota people.
“We want to be left alone to do the positive things for our Lakota people,” Martin said. “We don’t want to keep repeating the same history over and over.”
Cante Tenza Okolakiciye also known as the Strong Heart Warrior Society of the Lakota Nation is an ancient Lakota warrior society as well as a broad-based civil rights movement that works to protect, enforce and restore treaty rights, civil rights, and sovereignty of Native people and their communities across Turtle Island.
Strong Heart Mutual Aid Project
Cante Tenza Okolakiciye is the Strong Heart Warrior Society of the Lakota Nation, an ancient warrior society as well as a grassroots civil rights movement that works to protect, enforce and restore treaty rights, civil rights, and sovereignty of Native people and their communities across Turtle Island.
In addition to activist efforts such as the annual Blockade of White Clay Nebraska, each year Cante Tenza collects and freely distributes shoes, winter coats, school supplies, food, and other support to Oglala Lakota elders, children and families.
Cante Tenza is based on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and is led by traditional Headsman Canupa Gluha Mani aka Duane Martin Sr., a long time Lakota activist and participant in the 1973 Occupation of Wounded Knee.
Strong Heart is seeking good hearted people with integrity who would like to assist us in our critical work, both on Pine Ridge and throughout Indian Country. Mutual-aid support activities may include:
- Strong Heart Elder Care – For 17 years, Strong Heart has committed to buying propane for traditional Elders and other families in need during the harsh Great Plains winters. Mutual-aid support can help raise donations for purchasing heating oil and electric heaters for those in need.
- Strong Heart Winter Care, School Supplies & Food Support – Each year, Strong Heart provides numerous kinds of support to the Lakota people. Each fall, Strong Heart donates school supplies to Lakota children. Each winter, we arrange the donation, transport, and free distribution of winter coats, gloves, pants, boots and other clothing. Cante Tenza also maintains a location where people are able to get free food and other supplies. Mutual-aid support can assist in food/clothing/school supply drives, raising funds for truck and trailer transport, and other activities that assist in the support of the Lakota people.
- Shut Down White Clay, Nebraska & Annual Blockade – For 11 years, Strong Heart has helped lead the efforts to shut down the continuing act of genocide known as White Clay, Nebraska. We need capable mutual-aid activists and organizers to help in this effort both from within Indian Country and world-wide.
- Lakota Oyate: Free & Independent Lakota People – Over 350 Lakota people have joined the growing movement to re-establish a free and independent Lakota Nation that rejects U.S. government puppet status and relies on traditional governance and culture. Mutual-aid support is needed to assist with sovereign and sustainable systems development (housing, energy, food, healthcare, transportation, etc) as well as legal, administrative, and web page support.
- Voices of the Strong Heart – We would benefit from mutual-aid support that helps to arrange talks, musical performances, road-shows, decolonization/anti-racism trainings and other education events that help people understand and plug into the unique work of Cante Tenza and our resistance to U.S. colonial enforcement and genocide.
For years, Strong Heart has functioned on the tightest of budgets and the smallest of donations to protect and provide to the Lakota people.
Unlike many others who raise money and support in the name of Lakota Elders and people but who keep for themselves, Cante Tenza has always been accountable to the traditional Grandmothers and oyate. Like true warriors, Strong Heart often goes without ourselves, so the people may be provided for.
In order to meet and expand our ability to protect the Lakota and other Native people, we need to grow our base of mutual-aid support. We seek people who can:
- Work with integrity and respect.
- Be trustworthy to do what they say they are going to do.
- Perform mutual-aid activities without imposing their own political, religious, or cultural beliefs.
- Work alcohol and drug free during support activities and who will not bring these substances into spaces where Native people are present.
- Provide mutual-aid work without seeking to be taught Native “wisdom”, cultural practices, or to “become” like the Lakota.
For more information contact:
Mutual-aid coordinator – Naomi Archer at 828-230-1404.
Cante Tenza Headsman – Duane Martin Sr., 605-454-0449 or 605-517-1547.
General questions can be sent to cantetenza13 at gmail.com.
On Facebook as “Lakota Oyate” and mutual-aid group is “Strong Heart Mutual Aid”
Free & Independent Lakota Oyate can be found at www.lakotaoyate.net
Youtube channel: Strongheart1972
Strongheart Preservation Movement (alabama) – http://www.strongheartpreservationmovement.com/
Guerrilla News 
January 1, 2011 at 7:54 pm
If this was white people imposing prohibition on the people of the reservation, or white people imposing prohibition white people, it would rightly be condemned as tyranny. And so it this.
January 2, 2011 at 12:14 am
I happen to agree, the problem is not in the behavior of the people but the deprivations and policies of genocide that produce them. Hence, real and long-term effective solutions are not to be found in the people becoming their own oppressors, but rather in the liberation from the circumstances of genocide. Sovereignty, self determination, separation from the United States through treaty termination, with these both the dignity of being again free human beings and the opportunity to end the deprivations that comes from that will do far more to solve this problem than further brutality to the victims of genocide will. At least that is my opinion, and one of the reasons I fully support Lakota sovereignty.
June 19, 2012 at 12:44 pm
While I totally agree, I am disappointed that this site has not had any attention in quite some time. Also, the first paragraph is perhaps somewhat misleading, as it tends to give the impression that the Strong Heart Mutual Aid Project is limited to Turtle Island. Certainly this was merely an oversight, and I would like to think that it is corrected. Additionally, the lakotaoyate.net site(s) are disabled, and correction is needed in this area if one is to communicate and/or investigate further. People tend to be more generous when they feel they can trust the recipient(s).