The situation in the Ukraine, and the Lakota: Both deal with bullies in their own way

The situation in the Ukraine, and the Lakota: Both deal with bullies in their own way

 

By Joseph Budd,

Native Sun News Today Staff Writer

With the world watching every night, and the media on a 24 hours a day cycle, anything that happens today, pretty much will make headlines. As the world watched the buildup, then the invasion, people wondered, how could this happen, in modern times? More importantly, what would we do, to try and help?

For most people, it’s a repeat of history, we can only hope for a different outcome. However for the Lakota, it’s a nightmare they had to live through and for some, it still goes on.

For history folks, Ukraine didn’t officially become a nation until 1918. Before then the people were in a state of semi-occupation ranging from the Poles, the Russians, the Mongols, and even Cossacks laid claim to this land. Go back far enough, the Romans, the Greeks and other empires held parts of modern Ukraine. Europe, with wars lasting 30 years and acts to partition lands up, it took time for a national movement to bring Ukraine to the map.

For the Lakota, they too started with control of large swaths of land, with neighboring tribes vying for control and resources. As encroaching groups would force some tribes to settle further West, some inception of events changed livelihood. The Lakota would become nomadic, with the horse, and as some tribes weakened, the Lakota gained control of the Black Hills. However, like Ukraine, they had a neighbor who was hungry for land, and needed to annex it to spur growth. In this case, they had Russia to contend with. For the Lakota, it was the United States.

Russia, in their early days, wasn’t the global superpower they are now. Made up of a few states, centered on Moscow, they were like Ukraine, trying to expand and to keep Poland at arms’ length, they brought Ukraine in to the Moscow Patriarchate, for economic reasons. Before this decision was made, a war made up of Poland, the Crimean Khanate, the Ottoman Empire and Cossacks occurred, lasting 30 years. After, a leader of the Cossacks defected to Sweden, to fight the Russians, in the great northern war, a war of 21 years. The leader would die in exile, as their plans against Russia did not go well. With the occupation of Crimea, more land was opened up for the Russians and Ukrainians, however a policy, established by Tsarists, called Russification, suppressed the use of the Ukrainian language in print or in public.

The Lakota, dealing with the US, had tried to negotiate with them, being told that they would gain lands that would be theirs, after being dealt losses on the field of battle. In getting these Treaties, some would think this would be the beginning of better times. But as the history books now show, the desire for gold and the assets of land, and the ever-growing need to expand, would push the Lakota into smaller and smaller areas. At first efforts were made to try and keep gold-hungry miners out of the black hills, but it was a futile gesture. Then when the US saw they couldn’t control the influx, they sought to alter the land plans. They shrank the Great Sioux Reservation a couple times, until they Black Hills were taken, illegally. And a nomadic people were locked into reservations, smaller lands than what were promised. To “help” motivate the Native Americans, efforts were put forth to destroy the Bison. If Native Americans weren’t on their Reservations, the military could, by force if needed, escort them back. The treatment didn’t go over well, obviously.

As both people fought against their destruction, the 19^th century would see some radical changes. For a short time, Ukraine actually gained independence, after Russia was plunged into a civil war. The efforts of the communists to overthrow their country, saw the Ukraine declare itself independent. However within 3 years, and the fall of the Russian government, communist allies were able to take control in Kviv. The Country, thanks to hostile forces was reduced by half, as Poland retook the western part of Ukraine and other parts, including a group of anarchists wanted a stateless society, resulted in Ukraine becoming part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They would have to deal with a horror known as Holodomor, a forced-famine that Josef Stalin had imposed on the people of Ukraine that would withhold food until impossible production quotas were met. To this day, most Ukrainians felt this was an act of Genocide by Stalin.

For the Lakota, the changing of what had been a normal nomadic life, was rapidly occurring. They were being expected, to adapt to farming. Food brought in, from the government was also a change, as Agents had to keep track of what subsidies would go to which families. The Children, were removed from their families, and sent to schools to learn a new language, punished when they talked in the old language, forced to wear odd clothing and had their hair cut. By the time school was done, these students were stuck between worlds. Additional effects the white man would bring, involved further opening of lands, making the Lakota more dependent on the government. Some would find ways to adapt to this new life.

As the 20^th century would see two world wars and two smaller wars, Ukraine would see a major portion of the bloodshed happen within their borders. Germany, in World War two would see invading armies cross their territory, then as the Soviet Army would turn the tide, the battles would be waged in the opposite direction. Cities and towns would be destroyed, ruins, and estimated losses of Ukrainian people from the war was 6 million. This number included soldiers, Jews killed and 1.4 million ethnic Ukrainians.

With the wars, the United States would see the draft bring in able-bodies folks to help turn the tide, and Native Americans, including Lakota, were brought in to help the cause. However once the war was done, they would return to the lives they had, some would also seek to live elsewhere. America also had a few additional unpleasant ideas for Native Americans. One called Indian termination.

In the plans laid out, the Government wanted to find a way to assimilate Indians, into just another minority group within the United States, no different than say, Korean, or Nigerian, or Ukrainian. They wanted to do away with the tribes, the tribal sovereignty. To their mindset, the Native Americans were both a drain on the economy, but also there was worry with the rise of communism, the country could see a rise of support from within the borders. One project, called the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, thought that if they could move the Indians to urban areas, perhaps they could have a better chance at employment opportunities. Some would take part, while others moved on their own free will, leading to urban Indian populations in places being increased by 64 percent from the pre-termination days in the 1940’s.

In the 60’s, Eastern Europe, now well under Soviet rule, saw small forms of revolt in places. Prague, highlighted by an opening of local policy worked until it was crushed by Soviet tanks, while in the US the civil rights movement took front stage in around the country. Native Americans as well, would see efforts to get noticed, as Alcatraz was occupied for about 19 months from 1969, to 1971. In the light of the event, Lakota activists found a way to finally have a voice and push back on how things were run locally. One such event, the Occupation if Wounded Knee, highlighted events and pushed the Native American back into the national headlines.

As the late 80s, early 90s arrived, things had changed for the Ukraine, as the Soviet Union started to lose its grip on the Warsaw Pact. Eastern European countries started to break away, the Berlin Wall fell, and in 1991, Ukraine declared itself independent, becoming free from the Soviet Union. Some issues would remain, as some wished to keep close ties to Russia, while others wanted to be close to the European Union. For the Lakota, efforts to control the lands they were originally promised continue. A landmark case, won in the Supreme Court was found in favor, however, the Lakota refuse to accept it. Understandably, given they don’t want the money…they want the land.

And now to this day, Ukraine is fighting a neighbor in their country. And local activist groups, are working hard to break free of colonialism here in South Dakota.

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