Latest news with #Sioux
Edmonton Journal
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Lorne Gunter: 'Half history is wrong': Park Canada plaques deemed problematic
Article content It's a testament to the even-handedness of the NWMP that, after the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana in 1876, the Sioux under Sitting Bull sought (and received) the protection of the Mounties for nearly four years until our federal government pressured them to return to the U.S. Article content Did the NWMP enforce discriminatory and oppressive laws before their disbandment in 1920. Undoubtedly. But wiping out historical recognition because it is one-sided does not correct the facts, it merely replaces them with another equally one-sided version. Article content Parks Canada's new version of the NWMP is as incorrect — or more so — than the old version that ignores First Nations. Parks Canada's new boss, Liberal Steven Guilbeault, seems as determined to use cultural extremism to do for Canada's history what he did for our economy through environmental extremism. Article content Article content Another historical 'correction' being proposed by Parks Canada seems more reasonable, but is still being resisted by lobby groups and activists. Article content At the site of the 'last spike' on the Canadian Pacific Railway, driven in 1885 between Revelstoke and Sicamous, B.C., the federal historic committee wants to add to the plaque commemorating the engineering achievement that united the country this wording: 'Many workers died building the line including Chinese labourers who played a major role in the construction of the line…' That should be acceptable; it's true. Article content But activists have threatened to protest any revision at the site that does not highlight 'systemic' discrimination against non-Whites. Article content Using the Trudeau government's 2019 policy as a guideline, federal archivists have removed or altered 7,000 pages from government websites, many having to do with historic figures, such as Sir. John A. Macdonald whose views now are deemed politically incorrect. Article content But half-history is wrong, even if it is meant to correct the faults of past historical telling. Article content
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Protestors storm parliament, and serial-offender Luis Suárez bites again, some of the historical moments on this day
President Thabo Mbeki sets the bar too high during his first SONA 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn: General George Custer and the US Seventh Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. 1904 Cape Town is flooded again within the space of a few days as streets turn into raging torrents. A considerable amount of damage is recorded, but there are no records of fatalities. 1940 A conference of editors in Pretoria agrees to voluntary censorship on military matters and keep the public in the dark about World War II as much as possible. 1947 The Diary of a Young Girl (aka The Diary of Anne Frank) is published. The book is significant in that it speaks for the voiceless (especially children, whose stories have never been told), is a witness to atrocity, and a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. Anne's words – such as 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart' – are a powerful testament to the enduring human spirit and a plea for tolerance, compassion, and peace. 1948 The Berlin Airlift begins, ferrying humanitarian supplies into the city. The South African Air Force is strongly involved. 1950 The Korean War begins. SA, as a founding member of the UN, sends an air force squadron. 33 South African pilots are killed. 1999 In his first State-Of-the-Nation-Address, President Thabo Mbeki promises to tackle crime; SA's murder rate is third highest in the world. This year (2025), it is slightly improved at 10th-highest. Lesotho is the fourth-worst. 2006 In Jeppestown, Joburg, four cops are ambushed and shot dead by a 23-strong gang of robbers. The Task Force goes in and kill eight of the gang. The rest surrender. 2014 Liverpool and Uruguay striker Luis Suárez is charged with biting at the Fifa World Cup. The serial-offender apologises and reforms. 2020 Liverpool clinches first EPL soccer title in 30 years with 7 games to spare. 2022 The 30 000-year-old intact remains of a baby woolly mammoth is found frozen in permafrost in gold-fields of Yukon, Canada. 2024 China's Chang'e 6 mission is the first to return samples from the far side of the moon. 2024 Protesters storm parliament in Nairobi, Kenya, and set it alight. Police open fire on them, killing five and wounding 31. DAILY NEWS
CBS News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
South Dakota officials push for Trump statue garden near Mount Rushmore, despite local opposition
Officials in South Dakota are pushing hard to build President Donald Trump 's proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore, but the effort has sparked a backlash from Indigenous groups who see the area as sacred. A mining company has offered to donate 40 acres less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, where massive sculptures of four of the nation's most prominent presidents are carved out of granite. "The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes," Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote in a letter to Trump. "Together, we will make this project happen in a way that honors America's heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota's natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial." But the Black Hills have long been the subject of disputes between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized that the Black Hills belong to the Sioux people, but the U.S. government seized the land less than a decade later to mine for gold. A 1980 Supreme Court decision found that the U.S. violated the treaty, but the tribes refused the $1.3 billion in compensation they were offered and maintained their rights to the land. The mining company, Pete Lien & Sons, also has had conflicts with Indigenous groups in the area, most recently because of an exploratory drilling project for graphite near the sacred Lakota site of Pe' Sla. The company also is working with theme park designer Storyland Studios to build an attraction in the Black Hills opposed by some Indigenous groups. "It's absurd for Storyland Studios and Gov. Rhoden to claim they care about preserving history while they watch Lien & Sons attempt to destroy Pe' Sla, and do nothing," said Taylor Gunhammer, an organizer with the Indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective. "They are the ones erasing and paving over history, not preserving it," Gunhammer said. Rhoden's press secretary, Josie Harms, wrote in a statement that the garden "will have no disruption to either state or tribal land" because the tract of land is owned by Chuck Lien, owner of Lien & Sons, and his family. Pete Lien & Sons did not respond to multiple requests from The Associated Press for comment. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to build the garden, to feature 250 life-size statues of historical figures in honor of the country's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Applications for sculptors are due in early July, though the administration no longer seeks to have it completed by next summer. The U.S. House has approved $40 million for the project, which is being overseen by the Department of Interior and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Senate hasn't yet approved the funding. Trump first announced the project in his first term in a July 3, 2020, speech at Mount Rushmore at a time during the Black Lives Matter movement when some protesters were tearing down statues depicting Confederate generals and others. "Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities," Trump said in that speech. "But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them." In a 2021 executive order, Trump called for statues depicting a range of prominent figures, from the likes of Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali and Steve Jobs to more controversial ones like Christopher Columbus and President Andrew Jackson. No site was selected, however, and the garden was never funded by Congress. The Department of Interior said the revived garden project is still in the "planning and discussion phase" and declined to say which sites it is considering. It's unclear if any other states are seeking to host the statue garden. When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the state's governor, she offered the mining company's 40 acres of land in the Black Hills. Her successor, Rhoden, doubled down on that offer in his letter, emphasizing the site would be "in sight of Mount Rushmore." South Dakota Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson also wrote a letter to Trump, and said he will "keep advocating for this iconic landmark to make its home in the Black Hills" in a social media post. Darren Thompson, director of media relations for the Indigenous nonprofit Sacred Defense Fund, called for more discussions with Indigenous groups in the Black Hills. "It's a very touchy and sensitive subject that I think requires input by the local Indigenous people who have claim to the land and cultural ties to the land," Thompson said.
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Why Trump's National Garden of American Heroes is so controversial
South Dakota officials are pushing to establish Donald Trump 's proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills, near Mount Rushmore. The proposed site, a 40-acre donation from a mining company, has ignited significant opposition from Indigenous groups who consider the area sacred due to historical land disputes. The Black Hills were recognised as belonging to the Sioux people by the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, but the land was later seized, leading to a 1980 Supreme Court ruling affirming the treaty violation. Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier in 2025 to build the garden, which would feature 250 life-size statues of historical figures for the country's 250th birthday. The US House has approved 40 million dollars for the project, overseen by the Department of Interior, but the Senate has not yet approved funding, and the project remains in the planning and discussion phase.
Al Arabiya
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
South Dakota Eager for Trump's Statue Garden Near Mount Rushmore Despite Local Opposition
Officials in South Dakota are pushing hard to build President Donald Trump's proposed National Garden of American Heroes in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore, but the effort has sparked a backlash from Indigenous groups who see the area as sacred. A mining company has offered to donate 40 acres (16 hectares) less than a mile from Mount Rushmore, where massive sculptures of four of the nation's most prominent presidents are carved out of granite. 'The Black Hills mark the perfect location to achieve your vision for the National Garden of American Heroes,' Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wrote in a letter to Trump. 'Together we will make this project happen in a way that honors America's heroes, takes advantage of South Dakota's natural beauty, and incorporates the most iconic monument to our greatest leaders: Mount Rushmore National Memorial.' But the Black Hills have long been the subject of disputes between South Dakota and its tribes. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie recognized that the Black Hills belong to the Sioux people, but the US government seized the land less than a decade later to mine for gold. A 1980 Supreme Court decision found that the US violated the treaty, but the tribes refused the $1.3 billion in compensation they were offered and maintained their rights to the land. The mining company, Pete Lien & Sons, also has had conflicts with Indigenous groups in the area, most recently because of an exploratory drilling project for graphite near the sacred Lakota site of Pe Sla. The company also is working with theme park designer Storyland Studios to build an attraction in the Black Hills opposed by some Indigenous groups. 'It's absurd for Storyland Studios and Gov. Rhoden to claim they care about preserving history while they watch Lien & Sons attempt to destroy Pe Sla and do nothing,' said Taylor Gunhammer, an organizer with the Indigenous advocacy group NDN Collective. 'They are the ones erasing and paving over history, not preserving it,' Gunhammer said. Rhoden's press secretary, Josie Harms, wrote in a statement that the garden will have no disruption to either state or tribal land because the tract of land is owned by Chuck Lien, owner of Lien & Sons, and his family. Pete Lien & Sons did not respond to multiple requests from The Associated Press for comment. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to build the garden to feature 250 life-size statues of historical figures in honor of the country's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Applications for sculptors are due in early July, though the administration no longer seeks to have it completed by next summer. The US House has approved $40 million for the project, which is being overseen by the Department of the Interior and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Senate hasn't yet approved the funding. Trump first announced the project in his first term in a July 3, 2020, speech at Mount Rushmore at a time during the Black Lives Matter movement when some protesters were tearing down statues depicting Confederate generals and others. 'Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities,' Trump said in that speech. 'But no, the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country and all of its values, history, and culture to be taken from them.' In a 2021 executive order, Trump called for statues depicting a range of prominent figures from the likes of Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali, and Steve Jobs to more controversial ones like Christopher Columbus and President Andrew Jackson. No site was selected, however, and the garden was never funded by Congress. The Department of the Interior said the revived garden project is still in the planning and discussion phase and declined to say which sites it is considering. It's unclear if any other states are seeking to host the statue garden. When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was the state's governor, she offered the mining company's 40 acres of land in the Black Hills. Her successor, Rhoden, doubled down on that offer in his letter, emphasizing the site would be in sight of Mount Rushmore. South Dakota Republican US Rep. Dusty Johnson also wrote a letter to Trump and said he will 'keep advocating for this iconic landmark to make its home in the Black Hills' in a social media post. Darren Thompson, director of media relations for the Indigenous nonprofit Sacred Defense Fund, called for more discussions with Indigenous groups in the Black Hills. 'It's a very touchy and sensitive subject that I think requires input by the local Indigenous people who have claim to the land and cultural ties to the land,' Thompson said.
