Press release: Ogalala Sioux Tribal leadership
In a press release today from the Ogalala Sioux Tribal leadership, the tribe refuted any connection with the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, which ostensibly was organized, in part, to drill wells for its members.
The text of the release is as follows.
Monday, July 13TH, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE:
HOKA HEY! A CHALLENGE OR A SCAM?
For More Information Contact:
Loretta Afraid Of Bear~Cook, OST Public Relations
Ofc: (605) 867-5074 • Fax: (605) 867-6076
SD Cell: (605) 441-5692 • NE Cell: (308) 207-5732
Email: Loretta@oglala.org
Website: www.oglalalakotanation.org*****************************************************************
So. DAKOTA, Pine Ridge - President Two Bulls: The Oglala Sioux Tribal leadership has recently been overwhelmed with phone calls and electronic mail messages concerning the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge (HHMC) organized by Jim Durham of Hot Springs, South Dakota. The motorcycle run started in Key West, Florida on June 20, 2010 ending in Homer, Alaska on the 4TH of July. The organizers claim that the goal of the run is to raise money for water improvement on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Alystar McKenneh, spokesperson for the HHMC, recently reported in a July 05, 2010 television interview on KTUU Channel 2 News (Anchorage, Alaska) that the $500,000.00 prize, donated by the Lakota, will be awarded during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe was not contacted by the organizers of the event and are not aware of the existence of a half million dollars for the prize. Nor is the Tribe aware of any Lakota band donating such an amount for this event. It should be noted that the Oglala people are not the only Lakota band in South Dakota. Other bands include the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Yankton Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wapaton, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Ft. Peck Sioux Tribe, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. If the Oglala Sioux Tribe had ready access to a half million dollars the funds would more than likely be used for the emergency needs of tribal elders and children. The administration of the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Rural Water Supply System is also unaware of a plan by the HHMC organizers to improve the water system with the revenue generated from the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
An ordinance that addresses fundraising on behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe was recently passed by the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council to curtail fraudulent fund raising efforts by individuals who are essentially “scamming” the public in the name of the Oglala Lakota.
The ordinance requires non-profit organizations and individuals to contact the Oglala Sioux Tribe for approval to raise funds. The Revenue Department of the Tribe will be directed to investigate the claims of the HHMC organizers with a full report for the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. It was noted that the Red Cloud Humanitarian Fund is listed as a charitable organization to assist tribal Office of Public Relations members and citizens on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Please note that the primary agent listed for this organization has been deceased for four (4) years.
We wish to express our sincere appreciation to the motorcycle riders who rode and who believed that the needs of the Oglala Lakota were at the heart of the ride. We also express our condolences to the families of the riders who lost their lives during this event.
For more information and updates, please log on to the official website of the Oglala Sioux Tribe @ www.oglalalakotanation.org.
END OF PRESS RELEASE
# # # #
Note: Shortly after notice of this press release was posted on the Hoka Hey Facebook page, in the Discussion Board section, the Discussion Board disappeared from the page.
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Comments
Thank you Ken for doing such a great job of investigating this scam. Now lets just hope the Feds can catch up with Big Jim.
Hey Cathy sounds like you didnot ride it.
Do you even know what aotorcycle looks like.
Thank god many people did not ride in this clusterf#$%^. It does not take a scientist to figure out this scam. Funny thing when the Sioux turned them out. I knew this was bs. Too bad people use indians to get money. Its not like they have not been screwed enough.
I agree with Cathy. Your reporting of this event has been very through. I wonder what kind of burr Jack has underneath his saddle?
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The Tribe does not account for every person on the reservation, if the money was donated to the Tribe directly it would be used for something like Travel for the Council Members. I am a tribal member here and have no affiliation with hoka hey but i do think its a good thing. The Tribe is irresponsible when it comes to handling money.
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