Dakota Coalition Historic Preservation Training/Conference Held at Royal River Casino

FSST Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) JB Weston and consultant/grant writer Franky Jackson hosted a Dakota NAGPRA Coalition (Native American Graves Protection Repatriation Act) Conference at the Royal River Casino January 17-18, 2012.  There was an awards banquet on the evening of January 17th.  Fifteen individuals from the Dakota Tribes of NE, MN and SD were awarded a plaque and Native American designed blanket.

 (Pictured to the left from l to r: Franky Jackson & FSST Treasurer Ryan Kills-A-Hundred)Those honored for  their support and participation with NAGPRA were Rick Thomas, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Wanda Wells, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Sam Allen, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Raymond Redwing, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Melvin Houston, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Cora Jones, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, John Louis, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Jim Hallum, Santee Sioux Tribe, Dianne Desrosiers & Jim Witted, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Clark Zephier & Richard Dion-Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.

FSST was awarded the NAGPRA Documentation grant from the National Park Service which is under JB Weston’s office. In its eleven years of funding the FSST is the first Tribe in the Great Plains Region to be awarded the documentation grant. This event kicked off a two year project in which the FSST, Crow Creek, Santee and Yankton will be partnering with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The overall goals of the NAGPRA project is to: 1) increase the capacity of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Yankton and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe to more fully engage in NAGPRA and 2) consult with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science eventually resulting in the successful repatriation of NAGPRA materials affiliated with the Dakota tribes.

The funding will allow the partnering tribes to develop a Dakota NAGPRA database to be used as a tool in identifying holdings and collections taken from Dakota aboriginal territory. (Pictured the the right: JB Weston FSST-THPO)A part time position of data entry clerk will be funded for two years assisting with this deliverable.  In addition the partnering tribes will be working with staff from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in establishing a culturally sensitive Care and Treatment Plan for their newly publish Sioux Collection that contains over 1,250 items. “We are excited to be working with the DMNS to ensure Dakota values are taken into consideration when developing a management document such as this”. As a coalition we will come together to offer guidance to DMNS on management issues for the entire “Sioux” collection not just items on display but other culturally sensitive items that are being warehoused by DMNS. “Through cross cultural exchange we hope to educate DMNS staff on culturally sensitive issues related to tribal consultation and the collection itself and in turn we hope to acquire a better understanding from museum staff on the technical nature of handling and preserving collections for generations to come” quote from Franky Jackson      

 Another major objective of the project is to establish Consultation Principles amongst the partnering tribes. “We have an opportunity to put in place procedures which will speed up the repatriation process as well as define a process on how we tribes work together”; Quote from JB Weston.       

 The grant requires training and hosting a conference/training for Tribal Historic Preservation officers, elders, boards and committees.  The agenda included: Overview of NAGPRA, State Burial Codes vs. NAGPRA, Comprehensive Agreements, NAGPRA Activities, Denver Science Museum, Blood Run, Iowa and discussions of projects on Dakota reservations. Trainer Kade Ferris, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Archeologist from Turtle Mountains Band of Chippewa, ND, was the trainer.  The participants were given time to share their NAGPRA stories with the other tribal representatives.

Veterans Rick Thomas, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska and Bucky Pilcher, Winnebago Tribe posted the flag and staff for the opening ceremony. Rick Thomas gave the blessing and prayer and closing prayers, in the Dakota language.

The agenda for the banquet held at Royal River Casino: Posting of the colors by Flandreau Indian School ROTC, Flag Song & Honor Song-Many Lightning’s Drum Group, Opening Prayer, Meal, Presentation of the Awards-emcee’s Kade Ferris and Franky Jackson. Entertainment was provided by Jackie Bird.

Tribes represented were: Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Ponca Tribe, Winnebago, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Yankton Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and Lower Sioux Tribe.  ROTC members from Flandreau Indian School were: Robert Eagle Feather, Mission, SD, Angel Mora, Seattle, Washington, Destiny DeCora, Omaha, NE, Adoralenn Plante, Crow Agency, MT, Kevin Lahi, Zuni, NM, Aimee LeBree, MN Historical Society and Maria Niveszebno, Anthropologist, University  of Arizona.