Poor Bear Pleased by US Attorney Cold Case Murders Meeting

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

"I Felt His Heart was Sincere"
said Poor Bear of Johnson(seated)

KYLE, SOUTH DAKOTA – A community forum at Kyle on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation attracted two dozen Oglala Sioux Tribal citizens to hear US Attorney Brendan V. Johnson talk about the 39 cases of unsolved murders on the reservation that in some cases date back to the 1970s.

Johnson told the crowd, which included some of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's leaders, he has assigned three attorneys from his office to review the files of the murdered.

Between March 1, 1973, and March 1, 1976, the murder rate on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota was 170 per 100,000. In comparison, the national average, 9.7 per 100,000. This brutal era has been coined the "Reign of Terror."

Johnson held the forum in Kyle in response to two letters that were sent to him from Oglala Sioux Tribe's Vice President Tom Poor Bear and James Toby Big Boy, chairman of the Law & Order Committee of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. The letters urged him to reopen or reinvestigate the murders.

US Attorney Brendan Johnson is Greeted by VP Tom Poor Bear(l to r)

“It was a good day for us. It was the first time a US attorney who represents South Dakota ever even responded to us on these cases,”

Poor Bear told the Native News Network in a telephone interview late Wednesday night.

“I told Brendan Johnson: 'Our hills run red with the blood of our people,'”

said Poor Bear.

“I have a lot of respect for Brendan Johnson. I felt his heart was sincere to bring closure for the families. I feel now we have somebody who understands our pain, confusion and anger over the lack of investigations into these murders,”

continued Poor Bear.

“I am glad we have new sets of eyes looking at these cases. We have a lack of trust of the FBI. Back then they were accomplices in these murders. We have people who know firsthand the FBI gave the GOONS guns and bullets so Indians would kill other Indians,”

said Poor Bear.

Poor Bear was referring to the Guardians of the Oglala Nations – or GOONS – as they were referred to during the Dick Wilson administration in the 1970s. The abuses of the Wilson administration led to the 71 day Wounded Knee occupation in 1973.

During the "Reign of Terror," the GOONS openly wanted to kill members of the American Indian Movement.

“Unfortunately, so many of the FBI would close cases without notifications to the families. These families deserve closure,”

said Poor Bear.

Johnson indicated his office was looking at 39 cases. Several of those who attended the forum came forward to request Johnson to reopen additional cold cases that involved their loved ones.

“Brendan Johnson was sensitive to our plea for justice. He gave us hope. Now we have to hold the US Attorney to it. We cannot let up,”

stated Poor Bear.

posted June 14, 2012 11:30 am edt