Oyate Wahacanka Woecun

(Shield the People)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday March 27, 2014 Contact: Gary Dorr, Media Coordinator, Oyate Wahacanka Woecun, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Email: gfdorr@gmail.com Phone: (605) 747-4255
IDEAL, SD: The Shield the People project has begun the final phase of preparation for its Spirit Camp on March 29, 2014 near Ideal, SD. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe Spirit Camp is an action to unite together in prayer for protection from the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, and ultimately to request President Obama deny the permit for the proposed pipeline. A planned visit from Ed Schultz from the Ed Show on MSNBC is also planned. Crews from the Shield the People Project, and the Ideal, Ihanktowan, and Rosebud tribal communities have erected tipis, and a fortified wall of 1,500 lb. grass bales to surround the spiritual encampment. A cooking tent has been put up also along with a tipi that will be manned twenty-four hours a day until either the proposed Keystone XL pipeline permit is denied or the ground gets broken with pipeline construction. Rosebud Sioux Tribal President Cyril Whitey Scott said were trying to devise plans to protect the people from these things like KXL. This Spiritual Camp is the first of several concrete actions planned by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe to prevent the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from passing through the Rosebud territory. Scott further added, weve made an oath to protect you and were going to do that. The spirit camp is one of several planned actions that can be taken by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in defense of its lands to prevent encroachment by the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at approximately 12 oclock noon. The Ed Show producers and staff will be around the reservation filming for a live show and a planned documentary and will attend the opening ceremony. An ABC affiliate has also notified that they will be in the area filming the opening ceremony. The event will be streamed live with a link to be provided later on the Oyate Wahacanka Woecun Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/shieldingthepeople. The appearance on the Ed Show on MSNBC is part of an ongoing dialogue that will make known the Rosebud Sioux Tribes and the Oceti Sakowins opposition to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Tribal representatives from the Oceti Sakowin (7 Council fires), Nebraska, Montana, and South Dakota are anticipated to attend the Spirit camp opening. Representatives from the Cowboy Indian Alliance in Nebraska are also anticipated to attend. The weekend will be full of activity as the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Spirit Camp opens; the Oceti Sakowin will hold a meeting at the Fort Randall Casino on the Yankton Sioux Reservation; and there will be a grassroots meeting on the

Lower Brule Reservation to request that the Lower Brule Tribal administration rescind permission for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to build a power line across their land. This proposed power line will then cross the Rosebud Sioux Reservation and connect to the pipeline very near to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Spirit Camp Location. The power line is needed to supply electricity to one of the Keystone XL pipeline pump stations, thus making it a very important part of their infrastructure. This Spirit Camp is the first concrete action taken by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, backed by Tribal Resolution, the will of the people, and united prayers for protection over the land from the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. On April 27, 2014, the Cowboy Indian Alliance which includes the Rosebud Sioux Tribe amongst others will also travel to Washington, D.C. to make public demands of President Obama to deny the proposed Keystone XL pipeline permit. Oyate Wahacanka Woecun is a project established to make known the intentions and will of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in opposition to the social and environmental impacts of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline Project.