Red Crow Speaks. . .

Floyd Red Crow Westerman is an Indian actor, singer, songwriter and advocate. He made his big screen debut in the movie "Renegades" and is best remembered for his role as elder/leader Ten Bear in "Dances With Wolves". His songs like "Custer Died For Your Sins" and "BIA Blues" have helped spread the American Indian Movement's message throughout the world. He has had featured roles in "Northern Exposure", "L.A. Law" and many other television series and movies. He performs with countless musicians including Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and Don Henley in large benefit concerts for Indian self-determination, human rights and environmental protection. He toured the world with Sting to publicize the plight of the Rainforest People who are dying along with the Rainforests and, as caretakers, must be protected if the rainforests are to go on providing for all life on Earth. Red Crow has been an ambassador of good will representing the International Indian Treaty Council from the time of its inception.

The following is an excerpt from a speech he gave at the World Uranium Hearing:
I would like to quote a very prejudicial doctrine that was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1823. It was written by the Church. This doctrine should be denounced by this Hearing in some formal way. I think that from this Hearing we should create a United Indigenous Nations Council, such as the United Nations. We shall be the United Indigenous Nations. We should denounce this prejudicial doctrine that was created by their Church, Catholic Church, in 1823.

Here is the doctrine:
"This doctrine handed down by the Supreme Court in 1823, in which it said that the Indian Nations do not have title to their lands, they only have title of occupancy, because they weren't Christians when the Europeans first got here. That the first Christian Nations to discover an area of heathen and infidel lands has the ultimate dominion over those lands and the absolute title."

This is a doctrine that we should, the Indigenous Nations, should go to the Pope and also to the President of the United States to withdraw and renounce this document and to establish a new basis for relationship between indigenous peoples and other peoples of the world.

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