Hill City – The Lakota Tetuwan Judiciary Council and the Cante Tenza Strong Heart Warrior Society of the Independent Lakota Nation have issued a Notice of Complaint to the Rainbow Family and the Rainbow Gathering denying them entry into the Sacred Black Hills.

Using Article I of the 1868 Treaty of Ft. Laramie known as the “Bad Man Clause”, Lakota warriors will exercise sovereign jurisdiction over their traditional territory to remove any encampments and hold the Rainbow Family in custody until they can be handed over to United States officials for treatment. Monetary damages will be sought.

The Cante Tenza Strong Heart Warriors and the Tetuwan Judicial Council are also pointing a finger at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Oglala Sioux Tribe Government who once again illegally refused to consult traditional elders before entering into negotiations with the Rainbow Family group.

This action highlights the complete breakdown of government with Pine Ridge Reservation resulting in one government for those connected to the BIA system, and additional poverty, violence, and lack of representation to traditional and grassroots Lakota people.

The United States Forest Service and the Department of Justice are also being scrutinized for their failure to recognize and protect sovereign Lakota lands in the Black Hills- especially during ceremony time when so many Lakota are traveling and participating in Sundance and other ceremonies necessary for Lakota health and survival. A gathering of the Rainbow Family may have over 20,000 people and is known for the rampant nudity and drug use that accompany such gatherings. This would disrupt and dissuade Lakota ceremonial practices in the Black Hills.