Activism Viola Hatch

1 activism

1.1 national indian youth council
1.2 american indian taskforces
1.3 american indian movement (aim)
1.4 wounded knee
1.5 hair-length , school appearance protest
1.6 repatriating native remains
1.7 walk survival
1.8 bear butte defenders
1.9 longest walks

activism

as 1960s emerged, growing sensitivity minority rights born, spurred supreme court decisions such brown v. board of education, gideon v. wainwright, loving v. virginia , legislation including voting rights act of 1957, civil rights act of 1964, voting rights act of 1965 , fair housing act if 1968. turbulent time, pan-indian movement developed predominantly goals of having government return native lands, right social ills, , provide funds cultural education. red power movement , american indian movement both born out of pan-indian awakening, , viola involved beginning.

she had returned chicago , married donald hatch, union organizer. hatch opened senior , youth centers, worked homeless , vista volunteers, , urged political involvement native peoples. became involved in both local , national level organizations indian rights. hatch worked field operative oklahomans indian opportunity (oio), organization developed ladonna harris (comanche) under federal office of economic opportunity programs.

the creation of oio first effort in state of oklahoma western plains tribes in state work 5 civilized tribes. field operatives, viola, began organizing tribal head start programs, programs deal high indian drop-out rates, native economic development programs , tribal human services.

national indian youth council

in 1961, conference on 800 participants held in chicago, illinois educators , anthropologists, , frustrated native americans 13–20 june produced “declaration of indian purpose: voice of american indian” – policy created indians indians. delivered policy president john f. kennedy, went on form national indian youth council (niyc) in gallup, new mexico later summer, translate words actions. founding members of niyc – herbert blatchford, navajo nation; gerald brown, flathead indian reservation of montana; sam english, ojibwe; viola hatch, arapaho of cheyenne-arapaho tribe of oklahoma; joan nobel, ute; karen rickard, tuscarora; melvin thom, walker river paiute tribe of walker river reservation, nevada; clyde warrior, ponca tribe of indians of oklahoma; della warrior, otoe-missouria tribe of indians of oklahoma; , shirley hill witt, mohawk – included 3 members oklahoma. although niyc claimed have hundreds of members, core group of ten fifteen people shaped organization. viola has continued serve on board inception through 2015.

the goals of national indian youth council beginning honor , preserve customs , lives of native people. focus includes preserving traditional religious practices , sacred sites; elimination of barriers full political participation native citizens; promotion of public education tribe members honors indian contributions overall culture , respects positive image reinforcement of native traditions, customs , people; employment training , placement; protection of treaty rights, including tribal sovereignty, hunting , fishing rights , environmental conservation; , promoting international coordination , support protection of rights of indigenous people throughout western hemisphere.

american indian taskforces

when nixon elected in 1968, indian activists unsure of policies be, in spite of campaign promises. remembered termination policies of republican predecessors , demanded clear policy proving self-determination had arrived. president-elect requested native leaders compile document briefing him on policy, desires , solutions, needs, , priorities. january february, 1969 task force met , prepared document, become basis of special recommendations on indian affairs delivered nixon on 8 july 1970. after completion of report, task force composed of many of best known indian leaders in country, including hatch 1 of 6 women on task force, met in washington, dc in november 1969 present ideas. on 10 november, met vice president spiro agnew , on 12 november, presented statement congress. recommendations indians needed involved in own governance, consulted, allowed design , implement processes, , able express grievances , propose legislative , policy solutions. asked sovereignty respected, state governors required honor treaties , federal statutes, , asked congress establish system of redress if federal programs, designed benefit of native americans, not in fact benefiting them, there mechanisms obtain justice.

a second task force, created in 1968, american indian policy review commission charged review of federal indian law , policy make recommendations of obsolete laws repeal, consolidations of redundant provisions, or amendments of existing provisions provide conformity throughout code. hatch, frances wise, roberta black , numerous other native leaders reported on failures of department of justice , fbi respond and/or investigate civil rights abuse claims indians against state , local law enforcement officers. task force concluded work in 1976 , made full report congress.

from june through august, 1974, task force of indian law students, indian lawyers, , tribal representatives, assessed how tribal legal systems utilized strengthen tribal governing bodies , implement judicial decisions. there 3 participants oklahoma on task force—hatch sole tribal representative , 2 cherokee nation student participants, robert steven lowery , david ricketts-kingfisher. seventeen reservations visited goal of determining how best implement newly passed indian self-determination , education assistance act. administration of wide range of government services had been carried out federal agencies become responsibility of tribes, report first step in determining tribal readiness so. analysis important one, federal government had been responsible complexities of overlapping jurisdictions of indian affairs. tribal governing bodies moved assume roles, had aware of state, federal, , municipal implications, treaty provisions. report highlighted numerous deficiencies in tribal governing documents , tribal court systems , recommendations eliminating deficiencies.

american indian movement (aim)

the american indian movement (aim) founded in 1968 group of anishinaabe included dennis banks, mary jane wilson, george mitchell, , pat ballanger. in 1969, while visiting occupation of alcatraz, banks, recruited john trudell (santee sioux), became aim s primary spokesperson next decade , russell means (oglala lakota), became aim s primary strategist. many dozen chapters sprang in oklahoma in 1970s, led carter camp (ponca). goals of movement self-determination of tribal people , development of framework address critical issues —racism, illness, poverty, high unemployment, sub-standard housing, inadequate educational opportunities, , abrogation of treaty agreements— facing them.

on 12 september 1972, forty fifty indians aim movement, including camp , hatch, took on office of state indian education director, overton james (chickasaw) in oklahoma city, protest way federal money indian education allocated. in oklahoma, 150 school districts having 10 percent or greater american indian enrollment, annually received $2 million johnson-o malley subsidies. activists claimed funds being spent on general expenses of schools , not native students. negotiations bia broke down , facility occupied until 14 september, when compromise reached freeze spending on johnson-o malley funds fiscal year until external audit of expenditures undertaken.

partly because of involvement aim, partly through work oio, hatch sent few months after bia incident take charge of situation had developed in schools @ hammon, oklahoma. because of long-standing prejudice against native students, lack of desire preserve native heritage or present in positive light, little support administrators, high dropout rates, , improper use of johnson-o malley subsidies in hammon public school system, cheyenne students , parents in favor of creating institute southern plains. barney bush (shawnee) , other aim activists came support of parents , students in standoff , boycott of hammon schools. peggy dycus (sac & fox) in charge of running southern plains school, had trouble obtaining utilities, or house rent, had been branded aim radical. hammon public schools opposed creation of new school, under pressure keep own enrollment or lose both johnson-o malley funds , run risk of being consolidated school district. institute s goal teach students in own cheyenne language, teachers cheyenne , understood cultural identity of students. hatch obtained grant of $30,000 bia, enabled 65 students of ages enroll in institute. graduated 3 students in 1974, before institute forced close.

wounded knee

in january 1973, dennis banks began gathering aim members major civil rights campaign expose corruption on pine ridge indian reservation, poverty , broken treaties there, several uninvestigated deaths. on february 28, 1973, 150 activists, including don , viola hatch, hold press conference morning @ wounded knee, woke find surrounded guardians of oglala nation (goons), had been sent newly elected president of oglala sioux, dick wilson. goons joined fbi personnel , 60 members of u.s. marshals special operations group brought in bureau of indian affairs.

the 71-day occupation of wounded knee had begun. aim activists unprepared armed conflict or lengthy siege, , had negotiate food, clothing , arms smuggled in encampment. 7 march 1973, 300 marshals, 100 fbi agents, 250 bia swat team agents, 150 goons , 150 non-indian vigilantes had amassed intercept , thwart movement of goods or people compound. nightly meetings held activists update them on happening , sing, drum, , pray. don hatch recounted henry crowdog, adopted hatch family, playing guitar , singing lakota songs. eventually, electricity, water , food supplies cut off federal marshals , national guardsmen, in attempt break standoff. under heavy gunfire, frank clearwater, cherokee, , buddy lamonte, oglala lakota, killed. on 7 may 1973, occupation ended when federal officials agreed investigate wilson regime, abuses on reservation, , treaty violations.

in 1998, viola returned south dakota on 25th anniversary of event participate in commemoration of wounded knee. 2 days of festivities held, honoring had been there in 1973 — had passed on , still living — renewing ties , holding educational meetings.

hair-length , school appearance protest

on 20 september 1972, viola s son, buddy hatch, expelled fifth grade school principal because haircut did not meet school dress , appearance code. hatch filed civil rights lawsuit claiming hair-length rules of school violated parental rights raise children according religious, cultural, , moral values . united states court of appeals tenth circuit determined hair length not constitutionally protected federal question , should handled through state procedures . other challenges before it, hatch s case, arguing free speech , free exercise of religion, failed because law requires proof established tenet of religion exists, not preference or custom.

however, 10th circuit did remand case lower court further evaluate allegations of violations of establishment clause , whether hatch s son dismissed without proper hearing in violation of due process. disciplinary measures taken schools cannot interfere right of child obtain education per universal declaration of human rights. case resolved hatch claiming victory in setting fairness precedent students.

repatriating native remains

in 1989, national congress of american indians (ncai) held conference request smithsonian institution return , repatriate 19,000 remains native americans. tribal representatives acknowledged while anthropological studies of skeletal remains provide important , beneficial scientific information, once measurements , samples have been completed, wanted remains returned proper resting places. hatch vocal tribal repatriation of ancestors , worked other indian leadership secure passage of native american graves protection , repatriation act of 1990.

walk survival

in midst of federal trial, hatch continued activism, organizing women’s healing walk family , mother earth los angeles, california st. augustine, florida. walk took place 11 february – 11 july 1996 , made in remembrance of indian prisoners incarcerated @ fort marion prison in florida. between 1875 , 1878, 72 cheyenne, kiowa, comanche, caddo , arapaho leaders , families interned in prison , 1880s joined hundreds of apaches prisoners of war. 2 years after george armstrong custer s defeat @ battle of little bighorn, first prisoners allowed leave.

the walk first such commemoration of native prisoners indian people , focused on cleansing rites protest nuclear dumping , desecration of burial mounds , other sacred sites. closing ceremony @ wind river indian reservation in wyoming featured arapaho sundance.

bear butte defenders

in may 2002, city of sturgis, , group of private businessmen, submitted application governor william janklow community development funds build sports complex , shooting range 4 miles north of bear butte, sacred place used thousands of years arapaho, cheyenne, sioux, , 30 other tribes ceremonial purposes. janklow approved application , authorized funds of $825,000 housing , urban development (hud) funds without obtaining consultation tribes or verifying proposal met requirements of national historic preservation act national historic landmarks, or national environmental policy act.

in 2003, northern cheyenne, rosebud sioux, crow creek sioux, yankton sioux tribes , defenders of black hills filed injunction in rapid city, south dakota u.s. district court halt project , spending of federal funds it. viola , husband don among coalition of defenders protect bear butte , participated in demonstrations. in december 2003 hud funds returned , in january 2004 project abandoned.

in february 2006, long-term planning meeting of intertribal coalition defend bear butte, met in sturgis, south dakota international partners, tribal members , leadership, , other supporters develop strategies protect sacred site. hatch , husband attended representatives southern cheyenne , arapaho tribes. mato paha preservation fund organized several meetings , celebrations educate tribes throughout great plains region regarding preservation efforts.

longest walks

on 30th anniversary of original longest walk, five-month walk san francisco, california washington, dc, walk sponsored dennis banks raise environmental awareness. original walk began on 11 february 1978, 2,000 participants , ended in washington dc on july 15, 1978. 2 dozen people had walked entire 2,700 miles in event had been planned aim movement protest 11 pieces of legislation. more 100 native american tribes supported walk , goals of protecting tribal sovereignty, native land rights , indigenous water , environmental rights. 2008 walk, traveled through oklahoma 3 may 13 may, viola served lead walker, oklahoma coordinator, , hosted benefit dance honor banks , husband don hatch.

in 2012, longest walk iii, walkers left alcatraz island on 18 december 2011 , arrived in washington, dc on 18 may 2012. hatch hosted walkers @ home in canton, oklahoma on 1 april 2011. third walk, focused on plight of 36-year incarceration of aim member leonard peltier.

the 2013 longest walk iv reversed path of previous walks , left washington, dc on 15 july 2013 , arrived @ alcatraz island on 21 december 2013. purpose of fourth walk reaffirm tribal sovereignty , spiritual relationships native lands. hatch , family again supported oklahoma portion of walk.