In 1868 the Fort Laramie treaty guaranteed the Lakota would maintain ownership of the sacred Black Hills. However, shortly after signing the treaty gold was discovered in the Black Hills, so after years of war and intimidation the Black hills were illegally taken from the Lakota. The Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that the terms of the Fort Laramie treaty were violated and the Sioux people were to be payed for their land plus interest which totaled 106 million dollars, however, they refused the money and said “the Black Hills are not for sale.”
Within our very borders the Pine Ridge reservation has 85% unemployment, 90% live below the poverty line, 39% of homes have no electricity, and the life expectancy of a man is 48 years. These people are the rightful owners of the Black Hills.