More Bad News from South Dakota June 2, 2006 Jill The Pine Ridge council has outlawed abortion and suspended president Cecilia Thunder Fire.
Oh shit! It’s frustrating; because I agree with Cecilia Fire Thunder I’d like to see the tribe use its freedom to differ from the state. But because they have that freedom I (or anybody else) can’t just march in and force them to stop this nonsense and open the clinic; having the power to do that would do more harm than good. It’s hard to know how to feel when people use rights that I support to make decisions that I hate.
Apparently anything other than forcing women to have babies against their will is “genocide.” Including non-Native women from the rest of South Dakota. Assholes.
C’mon. You could see this coming the moment she issued the challenge. Tribal councils don’t live in a vacuum. They’re connected to the Federal department in charge of “Indian Affairs” and the monies apportioned out and argued over. You don’t think there was downward pressure from both that and the Churches that have presences on the reserves? Add that to the infighting on councils that rivals small town councils for colourful interpretations of regulations and this was inevitable. Doesn’t mean it’s over. Opening salvo, certainly. I’d be interested to see what legal challenges, if any, can be brought around about the ‘ban’ on federally governed land. What are the standards for funding by legal suits brought by band members, one way or another? Does the Federal Dept. have to pony up?