WANDERING BUDDHAS

Motorcycle tour in support of Lakota people, celebrating the 150th anniversary of a breached treaty.

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« If America had been twice the size it is, there still would not have been enough. (…) They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one: they promised to take our land, and they took it. »                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                 Sitting Bull 

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According the Fort Laramie Treaty signed in 1868 between the US government and the great Sioux nation, Lakota people should live today on a territory covering significantly half the State of South Dakota, including in particular the Black Hills, sacred territory to these people. The gold rush, followed by the economical and touristic expansion of this region, have led the American government to forget the commitments made in this yet-still-in-effect treaty. Most of the resources of this territory have been privatized, and the Lakota Nation has been splitted into several small reservations, disseminated and managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

 

The recent project of pipeline crossing the Standing Rock reservation against the will of the local population is a further proof that the Lakota nation has no sovereignty on its own lands, including in the reservations that continue to decrease alarmingly.  

 

« Only seven years ago we made a treaty by which we were assured that the buffalo country should be left to us forever. Now they threaten to take that from us also. (…) They want us to give up another chunk of our tribal land. This is not the first time and not the last time. »    Sitting Bull

 

For 150 years in 2018, this injustice lingers on. Such an anniversary date deserves an awakening, although are increasingly rare those who fight to bring in the voice to this slowly muffled people. 

 

In order to give to Lakota people a chance to get respected one day the promise that has been done to them in return for the invasion they have been victims, HUMANITRAD association and the WANDERING BUDDHAS MOTORCYCLE CLUB have decided to organize a symbolic event, named THE BROKEN TREATY TOUR (BTT).

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The BTT is a « iron horse » (motorcycle) tour along the historical boundary of the Great Sioux Reservation. Several stops are planned on this 1000 miles and 8 day-long road trip : in the different Lakota reservations, on the main sacred sites - Wounded Knee, Mato Paha (Bear Butte), Mato Tipi (Devil’s Tour) -, on the stones of great nation Sioux chiefs, as well as meeting with elders, deposit of BTT documents to the Lakota universities and museums, etc.   

 

The convoy will be led by the organizers of the project, joined over the successive steps by all the bikers, whether they are Lakota or not, who want to participe to all or part of this symbolic road trip.

 

This project is supported by the Red Cloud Community, who will provide logistical and operational assistance (especially camping and cooking for the participants). The spiritual leader of this community, Floyd Looks For His Buffalo Hands, kindly offers to deliver to the commander of the convoy, to emphasize the solemn nature of this journey.

 

Several local associations and medias (One Spirit, Native Hope, Kili Radio, Lakota Journal…) have been informed and asked to participate to this traveling demonstration and will echo this  as it deserves. 

 

The minimal budget for this BTT project is estimated at $18.000. 

This amount will have to cover the communication costs (T-shirts, leaflets, posters), the travels expenses of the organizing team ( project manager, video maker, convoy supervisor), two bikes and one escort vehicle rental, gas, lodging and meal expenses for all the Lakota participants, and money for all the participants, and the realization of a film at the end of the journey. 

In case we could get a higher financial participation thanks to donations collected, the surplus would be allocated between the local associations who help the more needy people on the reservation. 

 

In order to thank those who will help us to realize this beautiful adventure, we offer them to send us their (smiling :) picture. It will be integrated (sized in proportion to their donation) to a final picture where all donors will appear on the Great Sioux Reservation Map, and we will send them this picture in HD at the end of the project.

 

Thank you for helping us to make Sioux Reservation Great again :)