Solidarity Statement with the Climate Strike of 2019
As President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe I take this time to express comradery with all youth and oppressed of the world who are demanding that leadership on all levels take emergency measures to reverse the human caused aspects of the climate crisis we find ourselves in.
Our ceremonies have told us to prepare for hard times. We are in those times.
The English speaking universe, with help from other spiritually deficient worldviews, has brought us all to the brink of self-extermination. Human beings at large are only now waking up to the virus that is greed, corporate personhood and the financial-extractive regime determining our geo-political-economic reality.
Enough. We must never stop pushing for balance.
This Climate Strike will show that we are millions strong who are ready to give our all to stop the damage and redirect action to directly addressing the climate crisis. Tribal Governments / Indigenous Nations have a crucial role to play in confronting those who would poison Mother Earth and deliberately sentence our children to death by putting our only drinking water at risk with the multitude of extractive projects, including the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines which trespass against the Oglala people and the Oceti Sakowin.
The young people of our world sense the danger we are all in. They are desperate and I share that desperation with them.
Indigenous nations will sacrifice all we have to give to defend Unci Maka. This is our duty.
Julian Bear Runner is serving as the 43rd President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He is second youngest president in Oglala Sioux history. Bear Runner has overcome many odds, yet is inspired to bring in a new generation leadership, working hard for the Lakota people’s survival and dignity. He is a strong advocate and voice for exercising and protecting the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s sovereignty and ensuring that the United States honors and adheres to its Treaty obligations as well as their federal trust responsibility. Bear Runner is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army
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