Hello my name is Autumn Two Bulls and i am from the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation. As many of you know on Jan 20, 2010 i wanted to challenge the media’s attetion about the Dakota indian reservations as well as my own (Pine Ridge). About the storms that hit us and not getting any real AIDE and why they wouldn’t put us on the news. I set up a Campaign call in to CNN. Thousands of supporters called in the 3 hour time frame and continued to work hard to get there attetion. I recieved many, many calls from all over the world asking me how they can help and i would tell them to help us bring awareness about the South Dakota reservations. And many friends and supporter have help us be heard. But there’s something i want all of you to remember. That when the storms passes the poverty, genocide, and oppression, will still exsist. The Lakota people will continue to struggle. As a nation we always used to take care of one another never leaving nobody out. But now our tribe is ran like the American government and it’s everyman for him self. But how can every person be for themselves when there’s no jobs, no hope to better your life.
I know the people in the tribal offices will read this and i want you to know that i am not trying to work against you. But it’s time now when change has to come. It can happen real soon. We all have to work together in bringing change. Cause this is not about you. I’s about a Nation who is hurting. About a Nation who has called out for a hand up not a hand out, the Lakota Nation. The Poverty will only get worse if something is not done to better the lives on the Pine Ridge reservation. Honestly i can only speak for mine at this time. Because this is where i from and i live here. I know first hand what it’s like to suffer and hurt from genocide. It’s a constant struggle just to survive here on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Children are born into poverty generation after generation. Teens die every year due to alcoholism, car wrecks, suicides, carelessness. More and More people are getting sick at a faster rate ever seen anywhere in the world. Diabetes, Cancers, and the list goes on. I am not trying to only focus on the negative but the truth needs to be spoken. We need to heal as a Nation. Our people don’t deserve this kinda of treatment. What have we done so wrong to you that you keep innocent generations like this.
We refuse to carry this Genocide. We are taking a stand now as the 7th generation. To empower ourselves to heal from the (Native American Holocust- Historical Trama 150 years of violations of human rights) I am a single mother who has recently adopted another child. I live in poverty as well so i know how it feels to want better. Because i am one of the people who knows the hurt all to well. I stepped up to help my people and started taking calls of people who needed heat. Only because i care and love my people. The calls came like you wouldn’t believe. So i called out to the world to ask for you help to help the Lakota’s on the Pine Ridge reservation. There were many families who hadn’t recieved any help from the strom that was delcared state of emergency on Pine Ridge in December and many families went with out and are still going with out.
I set up a way that the Lakota Families could recieve help with Lakota plains propane Company.They do care about us Lakota’s as they have helped many also in times of need even though they had a buiness to run. They were willing to work with me. So i gave them the list of names through email. And people call them and tell them they want to donate to a family on that list. And i then put the word out here on facebook of the way you could help us with no middle man. So you would know where your money was going. With your help we have helped over 150 Lakota families with propane, food, and eletric. That’s more than any org could do in a year. I worked alone out of my home here on the Pine Ridge reservation. My kids would also help me answer phones. So maybe many don’t know this but i would like to personally Thank All of your for supporting us and loving us. And there are still many families who need your support and love. Let’s remeber those who have been forgotten. There’s still a bigger picture of all this media attetion. It’s about conditions we have to live in all year round. We derserve a right to be treated fair. We don’t want to live like this no more. We want change for the better of the people and the future genertaions now and to come.
I felt it was very important to get the medi’s attention. I am very happy that so many up in Cheyenne River Reservation got help and they raised so much money. But i would also like to remember the people here on the Pine Rige Indian Reservation who didn’t recieve any help at all from the State of Emergency in December. I only want to help my people because i love them I am one of them.
Wopila Tanka Echichiyapi
Oglala Lakota
Autumn Two Bulls
HERE’S MY CALL IN CAMPIAGN THAT WENT OUT TO CNN-THIS WAS THE DAY THAT THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS CALLED IN TO CNN AND WE SHOWED THAT WE ALL CAN WORK TOGATHER!
Friends, Relative and supports of the Lakota Nations- Support us in this efforts to bring change. Show your support and call
To all my Relations, friends and supporters:
I have been told that your area news and the National news will not carry the story for my people unless and until CNN carries it. Each day someone has told me they have gone to CNN on Facebook, their website, or called into report our story, since the 12/20/09 State of Emergency was issued.
I am asking that we all come together TODAY, Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 6pm Atlantic; 5pm Eastern time, 4pm Central, etc. pick up your phone and call the direct line to the CNN News Room at 404-827-2658. Someone needs to post here all phone numbers into CNN. We want to inundate CNN with the voices of people who care and you must be relentless in your call. At the same time we want you to handle an email campaign listed below.
When you call, they will try to attempt to move your call to a computerized public info line.
First – tell them what state you are calling from and your name. Then ask them, When are you going to be reporting on the situation of the American Indians of North and South Dakota?
Second, do not let them try to forward you, let them know that you know that the National Guard and the Red Cross have been called into certain Reservations.
Lastly, when you hang up, pick up the phone and call again. The people of this country needs to let CNN know that while you empathize with the situation in Haiti and we know that many of you have rightfully done as the children on Pine Ridge had been doing and collecting food and money to be sent, that you are wondering why money is leaving this country while the only reporting on the AP wires has been from within the states of North and South Dakota AP Presses.
At the same time that those of you who can afford to call CNN are calling, to those of you who can multi-task or be online, please go now to cnn . com and click on the iReport button and register. If you are on or near one of the Reservations in South & North Dakota, please upload your pictures – but wait – lets all do this together for three full hours.
Do not worry about your grammar, do not worry about your spelling, simply tell the truth of the situation from your heart.
Wopila Tanka
Autumn Two BUlls
Lets Work Togather
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