"When six Indian women come together of a cause- they do not join together to commit a crime, but they join together as mothers and grandmothers, and are thinking only of our Indian children, our pople and our further" Ronda Snow, Lac du Flambeau Tribal member, arrested March 26th.
Lac du Flambeau, WI- In a peaceful occupation and protest, six Indian women led a coup to remove tribal President Victoria Doud, and seven other Tribal Council members of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Indians, when they barricaded themselves in offices at the LDF Tribal Center, March 26, 2008
Now possibly facing felony charges, the Grandmothers and women of the group called Ginews, the Ojibwe word for "Golden Eagles", are speaking out against tribal government corruption and the Tribal Presidents plan to sell Indian Lands in order to get a loan for operating capital, because the tribe is on the verge of financial ruin and bankruptcy.
Four of the ten Ginews arrested, 79 year old Dorothy Thoms, 75 year old Betty Jack, 60 year old Goldie Larson, and 51 year old Ronda Snow are planning a "Ginew Grandmothers Speaking Tour", in order to stop Congressional Bill HR5521. The bill was introduced to the US House of Representatives on March 3, 2008 by Wisconsin Congressman Kagen that would allow for the sale of Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation lands, says the Ginew Grandmothers.
"We are appealing to the entire Ojibwe nation, all the tribes across the Great Lakes region, across the country and to our Canadian brothers and sisters to help us stop this corrupt tribal government from selling our lands, in order to cover-up their financial blunders." said Ginew Grandmothers.
"As is traditional, we have asked our young warriors to sound the drum: to ask all Indian people to band together to protect our lands. This is a modern day political battle but also a spiritual battle against a corrupt government that has gone so far as to attack our drum, pepper spray our children, threaten to kill and arrest our elders and sell our lands"
If you would like to host a Ginew Grandmothers event, or wish to endorse their cause to stop Congressional Bill HR5521, please contact Ronda Snow at (715)904-0256
Ginew Support Fund, P.O. Box 917, Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538 (715) 588-9309