Sioux Treaty Council: Impeach Steele for uranium connection

By Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council, Oglala Delegation

PINE RIDGE, S.D. -- On November 21, 2007, the Oglala Delegation of the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council filed an Impeachment Complaint on Oglala Sioux Tribal President John Yellow Bird Steele with the Oglala Sioux Tribe‘s (OST) Secretary, Elizabeth Waters.
The impeachable offenses Steele is being charged with include acts of Dishonesty, Gross Incompetence, and Unethical Conduct. These charges stem from Steele’s actions and inactions in connection with the Native American Energy Group (N.A.E.G.), a New York-based gas/oil/mining company.
BLACK HILLS SIOUX NATION TREATY COUNCIL
OGLALA DELEGATION
Pine Ridge Agency, SD
Chief Oliver Red Cloud
Floyd Hand, Jr.
Vincent Black Feather
The Treaty Council recently won a court case to have N.A.E.G. excluded from the Pine Ridge Reservation for working with Steele for several months to develop a plan to explore for and mine uranium on the reservation. Pine Ridge Reservation has been declared a nuclear-free zone by the B.H.S.N. Treaty Council and the OST Council.
“Steele must be held accountable for his actions. Our evidence will show that Steele was aware of N.A.E.G.’s ultimate goal to mine uranium here and that he allowed them to come here to formulate a plan, with no regards to the irreparable harm that it would bring to our sacred water, land, air and people," stated Floyd Hand, Treaty Delegate.
According to the Tribe’s Constitution, the Impeachment Complaint must be presented to the Tribal Council at the next scheduled Council meeting and supersedes all other issues on the written agenda. Ms. Waters confirmed that the next meeting is set for November 29, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the Tribal Council Chambers.