Maka Si Tomni (Lakota: Surrounding the Universe) 

The Lakota People are taking a stand on June 25th 2008 and you are invited to participate in developing a national and global presence for this victory celebration event.  This event transcends histories, petitions, declarations, treaties, and litigation and discloses the Lakota Paradigm, an old viewpoint of living within the earth in a sacred manner.  The Lakota Paradigm offers a radical new interpretation of reality that is grounded, integrated, and balanced as a social worldview based in the biological awareness of natural law and a cosmology that addresses current concerns of globalization, nuclear proliferation, militarism/terrorism, climate change, technology, biological degradation, social justice and the ethics of virtues in the emerging global civil society.

The Lakota People are brave hunters/warriors like the mythic "Crazy Horse" and proud of their ancestry and heritage.  The Lakota People are capable of speaking as "American Veterans" on the meaning of war and especially in the current "Iraq" conflict as an American 1st nation people who are still treated as secondary citizens living in the confinement of a hostile reservation with no socioeconomic infrastructure in modernity.

American First Nation people have served the US military with honor 181,000 veterans currently still living, 21,947 on active duty, 3,868 deployed in theater, 47 killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The “Code Talkers” from World War II are still alive and the first Lakota Congressional Medal of Honor was just awarded to Woodrow Keeble on March 15, 2008.  In the Lakota tradition an “eagle feather” is a medal-of-honor and recognition of service to the people.

The Lakota won their litigation in the US Supreme Court and refused monetary settlement and claim the Black Hills as a spiritual responsibility of their cultural heritage based on an ancient creation story and “Not for Sale.”  There history is the conservation of the human heart in social relations in an ancient oral language.  Friendship, respect, freedom, beauty and surprising humor are their daily experience in living within the Lakota language together.  They may have been conquered and oppressed but they were never captured, and have refused to participate in the melting pot of modernity. They are also experiencing the chaos, confusion and degradation of social systems occurring in modernity.

The Maka Si Tomni Council consists of Pine Ridge Reservation community members: Mel Lone Hill, Wilmer “Stampede” Mesteth (Chief's who have led the Little Big Horn ride for the past 14 years), Bamm Brewer (Headman for the Crazy Horse Ride the past 10 years), Jhon Goes In Center (a respected scientist that has worked as a Principle Investigator with the National Science Foundation through the Sinte Gleska University in Rosebud SD), Tony Brave (Executive Director of Maka Si Tomni Productions working currently with the Oglala Lakota College) and Darrel Mesteth (descendant of Bull Bear band, 19 years in US Military), and Danny Carlson (Northern Cheyenne Tribal Councilman).  

Our objective is to offer a new 3^rd party administrative role assisting the revitalization of the Lakota language in education, development of cultural linguistic stability and sovereignty, and inspire an economic infrastructure as a nation based on a thriving Lakota language and culture.  This 1st Nation American community deserves the right to thrive in respect, freedom, friendship, prosperity and happiness.  

Any assistance that you can provide personally to further the public conversation, participate in the project directly or facilitate networking opportunities you may have in developing in this global event "Peace through Unity" on June 25^th 2008 among all people is greatly appreciated. 

Basic Background the Greasy Grass Gathering June 25, 2008

The Little Big Horn Victory Celebration in Montana, on June 25, 2008 is “Sovereignty In Action.”  This is the 15th anniversary of the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne warriors’ ride and is the largest gathering of 1st nation descendants of the Battle of Greasy Grass in 132 years.  Over 500 Lakota horseman, elders, walkers, singers and dancers, will be participating and 80% are children.  It is 1st nation people reclaiming their dignity, respect and spirituality by revitalizing their language and culture in action.

The Lakota People are a strong indigenous 1st nation culture based in a grass-rooted democracy.  In the 1800’s they defended their freedom in living and ways of being by resisting colonialism’s repressive attacks and massacre of women and children.  The Lakota settled constitutionally twice with the USA government in 1851 and 1868.  The USA broke the 1868 treaty in 1876 and attacked the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne native peoples on June 25, 1876.  Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer was killed along with 242 men in the 7^th Calvary and 28 Medals of Honor were distributed among 48% surviving members of the 7^th Calvary.  The US 7^th Calvary was defeated and 14 years latter in 1890 struck the last blow of US colonial aggression to the Lakota People at the Wounded Knee Massacre.  The Lakota People have endured the oppression and indoctrinations of government, religion and educational systems through the Department of Interior managed over the years by the Bureau of Indian Affairs that has totally mismanaged the financial trusts of 1^st nation peoples.  Yet in the midst of harsh prejudicial racism, severe economic degradation and poverty, and inter-generational trauma of political, religious and educational aggression: their language, creation stories and culture are alive.

The Lakota language constitutes their sovereignty and identity as a nation and people.  Maka Si Tomni is a non-sectarian, non-denominational, non-governmental, non-partisan grass-root organization dedicated to the revitalization of the Lakota language and creating a thriving spiritual culture based in natural law. The Lakota People face the same challenge and predicament as the Dali Lama in Tibet with the Chinese government. The Lakota language (at least 12,000 years old) is a precious priceless sacred language that is connected to living the mystery of life, water is sacred, the family and social relations is the altar and center of existence, and rocks, stars, plants and animals are legitimate-in-coexistence in daily living.  The wisdom of this way of being "as a social loving animal (two legged)" was pass down orally from grandparents to grandchildren for generations. What is amazing is that the Lakota creation stories have remained intact, not one stone has been removed, changed or violated.  They have no word for animal or good-bye, and there is no profanity in their language, its based on respect for living systems within the Web of Life.  Living was based on living in virtues: respect, generosity, knowledge, courage and wisdom.

The Lakota People have a special responsibility for the “Black Hills” of South Dakota through their creation story “The Great Race” which is very relevant in this moment of global history and the predatory chaos present in the current cultural technological globalization of the planet in modernity.  The Great Race offers a positive beginning for the deep-rooted meaning of "being human" at the end of patriarchal story of exclusion, appropriation and power!  

The Great Race Story!

The Lakota legend describes the formation of the Black Hills to the Great Race, a tremendous earth-shaking event to which all the animals of the earth were summoned for a competition to establish order out of predatory chaos.  Gathering on the prairie, the animals joined in a race around a course laid out to them.  The earth shuddered and groaned beneath their weight and pounding hooves until the ground subsided, causing a majestic pile of rocks to the inside of the track – Paha Sapa – the Black Hills.  The blood from all the wounded feet left a band of red encircling the Hills.  The Buffalo was running the fastest and as he neared the finish line, the Magpie who was riding on his back jumped off, crossed the finished line first; thus winning the race for the two-legged beings.

To support and participate:

1) Circulate this email to your social network of friends, family and associates, and introduce Maka Si Tomni to organizations who may have an interest in supporting this global project.  Educators can receive a free Lakota Ride Again DVD to utilize in a classroom setting to build a bridge between children worldwide and the Lakota culture.

2) Donate $50 and receive a copy of the Lakota Ride Again DVD: introducing the Lakota Paradigm by Jhon Goes In Center, introduction of the “Little Big Horn Victory Celebration” by Oglala Lakota Chief Wilmer ‘Stampede’ Mesteth, and presentation of the Lakota Little Big Horn and pictures of the riders.                 Maka Si Tomni website http://www.makasitomni.org

3) Join the open Wiser Earth network and the Maka Si Tomni group as an active participant or volunteer http://www.wiserearth.org/group/makasitomni

4) Be a major contributor to the “Little Big Horn Victory Celebration” by becoming a “Rider Sponsor” for $300 or “Event Sponsor” for $1,000 through the Maka Si Tomni Clearinghouse 501 (c) 3 http://www.makasitomni.org

5) Join the Maka Si Tomni Advisory Board and become a long-term participant in supporting the mission of Maka Si Tomni in bringing forth a thriving Lakota language and culture in the 21^st century.  Email: tomni08@gmail.com">mailto:tomni08@gmail.com

To explore and learn more:

1) Watch the Lakota Paradigm by Jhon Goes In Center at Maka Si Tomni Pod casts on the Internet:                     http://makasitomni.org/mst/Maka_Si_Tomni/Media/lakota-paradigm-1.mp4

2) Watch Wilmer ‘Stampede’ Mesteth presentation regarding the 2008 “Little Big Horn Victory Celebration” at the Maka Si Tomni Pod casts site on the Internet:                    http://makasitomni.org/mst/Maka_Si_Tomni/Media/wilmer-lbh-battle.mp4

3) Begin to learn about the Battle of Greasy Grass at Little Big Horn:                              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn

4) Watch OE Wilson’s, Ted 2007 winner presentation "Encyclopedia of Life" http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/83