Native Sun News: Lakota protest set at Wizard of Oz performance

Wednesday, February 9, 2011  

The following story was written and reported by Evelyn Broecher. All content © Native Sun News.

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA — The United Urban Warrior Society will conduct a peaceful protest this week at the Civic Center’s presentation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The author of the book, L. Frank Baum is still widely known for the Oz books he wrote in the early 1900s. Little known are the editorials he published in Aberdeen Saturday Review which called for the extermination of the Lakota people six days after the Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890.

James Swan said the Society will protest at the Broadway play which is scheduled to open on Friday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. The play runs through Saturday at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

He said, “The doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday and at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday. We’ll be there, and we want to invite everyone to stand with us.”

Swan said they will be protesting the play because its author wrote several editorials, especially one written just a few days after the Massacre at Wounded Knee that called for the total extermination of the Lakota people. Swan said this call of genocide against his people was the equivalent of Hitler’s call for the mass extermination of the Jews during World War II.

According to J.S. Dill on www.dickshovel.com, an apology and pledge to the Lakota concerning Baum’s call for genocide was to be issued in 1997 at the Baum Festival in Aberdeen. Dill claims it was not issued, “Because of conflicting opinions.”

Many describe Baum as a genius who loved his children dearly. He has been heralded in various biographies as addressing today’s diversity issues through wonderful fantasy. Baum’s dichotomous legacy has inspired a broad spectrum of feelings toward him.

Linda McGovern reported for www.literarytravelor.com, “I guess MGM couldn’t have said it better, ‘Time has been powerless to put its [The Wizard of Oz] kindly philosophy out of fashion.’” Yet, in Baum’s own words he contradicts, “The best safety of the frontier settlements will be secured by the total annihilation of the few remaining Indians.”

The first national article on Baum’s call for genocide against the Lakota was published on January 29, 1990, the 100th anniversary of the Massacre at Wounded Knee, in USA Today newspaper and authored by Tim Giago, Oglala Lakota, then publisher of the original Lakota Times.

For more information about the protest call James Swan at (605) 381-8612 or leave a message at (605) 791-0746.

(Contact Evelyn Broecher at welakota@yahoo.com)