Rosebud Sioux Tribal Government Is Attempting To Sell Out Our Sovereignty Again

 Rosebud Sioux Tribal Government is attempting to sell out the Tribal Memberships sovereignty with recent negotiations attempting to assume control of the Rosebud IHS Hospital.  Information from inside sources, the plan is for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe to contract the Rosebud IHS Hospital through a contract with Avera.  Now this is getting very dangerous when we are playing with Tribal Members lives.  To present day, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has basic fundamental issues in relation to federal contract compliance.  It's not rocket science to keep a federal contract in compliance, so why can't the Tribe seem to consistently exercise federal contract compliance.

I don't know if you witness the same madness I do in the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council Chambers.  I mean the short time the Tribal Council meetings are public, and the rest is of the Tribal Government business is G7 classified to the Tribal Membership.  The Rosebud IHS hospital is in existence for one very important reason.  This reason is, the Treaty Right and trust responsibility tied to the Federal Government to provide medical care to Native Americans.  Adequate Healthcare to Native Americans. Our healthcare provided to Native Americans to include the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has historically been inadequate since its existence.

The inadequate healthcare that US Department of Health and Human Services has been so inadequate it can be deemed modern day genocide against Native Americans.  The US Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Services have policies set up to fail Native Americans.  They have policies such as priorities, Rosebud IHS has a board that makes the decisions on your health based on priorities to receive higher healthcare.  We are humans, we have rights, yet Indian Health Services has policies that classify us as less human still to this day.  We are sorted like cattle based on health condition priorities.  Our Health dangles on cost and weighed see if we are worthy of saving by getting higher healthcare.  Modern Day Genocide?  The prime definition of it.

An example is, if the Rosebud IHS board deems your health condition not a priority, you receive a denial letter for higher healthcare.  Majority of the Tribal Members do not have the resources to file an appeal based on the denial letter.  This is the grand scheme of the federal government that we do not have legal resources or Tribal Leadership knowledgable enough to take Rosebud IHS to task.  So this Tribal Member receives the denial for higher healthcare and the medical condition over the years worsens.  It worsens to the point they become a priority yet, its too late as the health condition just took ten to twenty years off the Tribal Members life span.  Can you now see the scheme and see how its modern day genocide by the Federal Government exercises in modern day?

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service back in 2014.  The Tribe has recently won this lawsuit and its a very huge win for Native Americans.  Since the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has won this lawsuit against Indian Health Service, it has been on the back burner of this Tribal Administration.  Now you have some guys in suits who come from more than 50 miles away pitching a business deal to the Tribe and, not fully disclosing the negative aspects of this plan.  

Why hasn't the Tribal President or Tribe Council Representatives provided this plan to the Tribal Membership in Community meetings or held public hearing on this plan to hear from the people.  Our Tribal Government has become a mirror to North Korea.  The People are cut out of the Government, we are ignored, our opinion or community structure no longer matters, and they throw us pieces of meat at us, and tell us we have no right to complain.  When you are dealing with our health and our lives, we have every right to voice our opinion and take a stand.

Why is Tribal Government trying to take over Rosebud IHS Hospital?  Why does Tribal Government still bring down local Rosebud IHS administration and beat them up like they can change things?  Its common sense local IHS reps have no authority to say anything, all they are is high paid federal government YES people.   We won a huge lawsuit and we just place to on the back burner and rather than make things better for the Tribal Membership, Tribal Government take the hard road again giving the Federal Government another free pass on modern day genocide.

Why isn't Tribal Government demanding its attorney's to send letters with strict timeframes to Indian Health Service to come to the table and negotiate the damages owed pertaining to inadequate Healthcare?  I mean, we won, we have the upper hand to negotiate better healthcare for the Tribal Membership.  Do you not care about better healthcare for us?  Are you wowed and have twinkles in your eyes over the men in suits coming from more than 50 miles away?  It's 2023 not 1934 anymore, we won a lawsuit against the federal government, you don't need their permission to think and make a decision for better healthcare for the Tribal Membership.  

If you put the cart before the horse, you could potentially jeopardize the negotiations of the lawsuit we won.  Did the men in them nice suits tell you Tribal Members who work at Rosebud IHS may have to retire or be forced out of their jobs as Avera will bring in personnel?  Did them men in nice suits tell you,  you could make your own Tribal Members unemployed when they have secure government jobs?  I seen this plan attempted to be rushed through and one Council Re stood up and started ask questions and questioned the process.  My question is, why isn't the other 19 Tribal Council Reps standing up asking the same questions.

Don't do this to our Tribal Members or our Tribal Member IHS employees we want to see our Government bring the federal government to the table to negotiate adequate healthcare for us.  I'm a Treaty Native, I refuse to be redirected to go file for Medicaid and sell out the limited severity granted to me and this Tribe.  You are playing with Tribal Member lives.  Ask them men in the fancy suits to guarantee Rosebud will receive the exact annual funding they are now when they take control of IHS.  The answer is no, but to them men in fancy suits its all about money they don't give an ounce of compassion about Tribal Members lives, it's all about the almighty dollar and making money.  Let's take a hard look who's behind the scenes and who's going to benefit from this plan to take over IHS.

Remember, just because you are elected does not male you smarter or possess all the answers to the issues brought before you.  90% of the knowledge is sitting right here in the Communities, the experience, knowledge, and wisdom is right in front of you.  I see blatant arrogance to the point we are viewed as less than human, trouble makers, and radicals by our own Tribal government.  The fact is, I'll round up Tribal Members with vast knowledge of federal government policy and Indian Health Service policy and let's have a meeting with the Tribal Council and see who can actually competently answer and ask the tough questions that need to be asked pertaining to winning the lawsuit, and cons in relation to taking over IHS.

I challenge the Tribal Council to stop this matter up to tabling it, we are in the middle of an election. I also challenge Tribal Government to put this matter of taking over IHS to a referendum vote on this years General Election ballot.  Let us Tribal Members have a voice in our Government when if comes to our lives.  For Tribal Government to be arrogant enough on this matter to think Tribal Members opinions does not matter is blatant disrespect to us.  This is our lives and our health not yours, you are not gods in making decisions relating to our health and lives.

They federal government will cut the administrative cost right out of the contract because they are not controlling IHS anymore.  You will lose millions in administrative overhead alone.  I mean look at our medication, the federal government bids out to the lowest bidder and we get the lowest quality of medication as it is.  Do you realistically think we are going to get top of the line medication for us by contracting IHS?  I sure know we could get top of the line medication in negotiating the settlement of the lawsuit.

Its election time, and I firmly believe incumbents are in serious jeopardy of not being re-elected.  I seen just a few Tribal Council Reps go to other communities and prove reports and information.  I former Antelope Community Chairman made sure Tribal Council attendance was reflected in the monthly community minutes.  The Tribal Law reads, Tribal Council Reps will report to which community elects you.  This former Antelope Chairman would list, the name of the Tribal Council Rep present, and 19 absent unexcused.  This fact is its true, if you want to throw you are elected at large to Tribal or Community Members then provide 20 reports as the law states you have too.  So report this IHS matter. Let the people have a voice and say in this matter as it pertains to out livelihood.

Tribal Member and Tribal Government transparency is not only important, its ethical.  

Respectfully,

Hawkeye Waln