This is a petition for the return of the Black Hills to the Lakota People. It was wrote by "Association for Endangered Peoples - Austria". Please feel free to send it to the following addresses. You find a download as a doc-file (21kB) or as pdf-file (4KB) . It is from the book "Der Lakota-Report" von Peter Schwarzbauer (Verlag für Amerikanistik, 8. Auflage, 2001).
Association for Endangered Peoples - Austria Prinz - Eugenstraße 52/1/5, A - 1040 Wien, Austria
to: President George W. Bush White House Washington D.C. USA	to: Senator Bill Bradley US - Senate Washington D.C. 20510 USA	to: Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs US - Senate Washington D.C. 20510 USA	to: Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs House of Representatives Washington D.C. 20510 USA

PETITION ON THE RETURN OF THE BLACK HILLS TO THE LAKOTA PEOPLE
WHEREAS	the BLACK HILLS are the sacred center of the aboriginal territory of the Sioux - Nation and as such hold deep religious significances for the Sioux - Nation and are central and indispensible for the free exercise of the Sioux religion, and
WHEREAS	the BLACK HILLS are within the Sioux treaty territory, as affirmed by the treaties of September 15, 1851 and April 29, 1868, and
WHEREAS	the Sioux - Nation views the BLACK HILLS as inalienable and has never voluntarily surrendered or ceded the BLACK HILLS, and has resolved not to accept money in exchange for extinguishment of title to such lands and for extinguishment of the right to practice traditional religion in the BLACK HILLS area, and
WHEREAS	the Sioux - Nation never has been accorded a forum within which to seek the return of lands and has pressed its claims to the BLACK HILLS vigorously and continuously for more than hundred years, and
WHEREAS	it will further the interests of the United States to enter into a just and honorable Sioux - Nation BLACK HILLS land settlement, recognizing and refirming its domestic and international committments to Sioux - Nation self-determination, economic security and religious freedom, and acknowledging the traditional and historical belief of the Sioux in the sacred character of the Earth and in the BLACK HILLS in particular, as well as their right to freely exercise such beliefs,
NOW THEREFORE	we the undersigned hereby demand that the BLACK HILLS be returned to the legal owners - the Lakota people. In case of any legislative action we ask the responsible bodies and persons in the US-Congress to hold all necessary hearings as close as possible to the reservations of the Sioux - Nation, so that the affected members of the Sioux - Nation have a realistic chance to participate therein.
Attention please! In case you are sending the petition to the addresses above please send a copy also to the "Association for Endangered Peoples - Austria" (address is also above) and to the tribal president of the Oglala Lakota: President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Tribal Building, Pine Ridge, S.D. 57770 USA.Thank you very much!!!

Pictures of the treaty (Fort Laramie, 1868)			Wording of the treaty (Fort Laramie, 1868)
picture 01	picture 02	picture 03	additional informations