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LAKOTA, DAKOTA, NAKOTA SPIRITUAL GROUP
JAMESON ANNEX
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE PENITENTIARY
P.O. BOX. 5911
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA 57117-5911
WE, of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Spiritual Group here at Jameson Annex, South Dakota State
Penitentiary (S.D.S.P) send our heartfelt greeting to all our peoples and friends.
The Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Spiritual Group is a spiritual group house here at Jameson Annex and is
comprised majoritively of Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota. The majority of Native American prisoners
housed here are young and have yet to experience the full extent of their culture and spirituality. We
are simple men striving to enlighten ourselves and our youth to many positive aspects of learning our
ceremonies, and ways so that we may apply them in our everyday life. We feel it is imperative to
encourage rehabilitation to all our brothers, which reduces recidivism.
The goals of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Spiritual Group are to take the necessary steps to
rehabilitate our membership and youth with the resources available to us. (At the present time we have
no programs that are geared towards the Native American prisoners.) We will strive to educate
ourselves, learn our sacred ceremonies, learn humility, patience, generosity, respect, courage/bravery,
brotherly love, forgiveness, and compassion. We hope that through these teachings we will be better
men for our families, communities, and society.
We of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Spiritual Group are attempting to promote awareness of our
struggles in an attempt to gain understanding from all interested people. We face many obstacles in our
efforts to achieve our goals of proper education, religious equality, and relief from racism
( from prison administrators and staff).
Our most difficult hurdle is in gaining an understanding from the prison administration and
public of the immediate importance and necessity of allowing us to hold and participate in programs that
are geared toward the Native American.
Programs such as Lakota Language Classes, Lakota Singing Classes, Drug & Alcohol
Classes/Treatment, Wacipi (pow wow), and Spiritual Conferences where Medicine Men and Spiritual
Advisors (male & female) come to Jameson Annex and speak to our youth about the sacredness of
keeping our heritage and traditions alive and in their purest form.
There is a total lack of positive programs for the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Spiritual Group members,
especially our youth. If we continue to forsake our youth and forgo implementing positive programs,
we can definitely look forward to a hardened convict with larceny and violence in his heart returning to
the reservations and communities. Just snatching our youths liberty is not going to work.
Repercussions of this method will prove devastating in the future.
It is with great respect and honor that we thank you for hearing our words. We humbly extend our hand
in friendship and brotherhood. Aho!
PILAMIYA!
MITAKUYE OYASIN !
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" In Remembrance "
Sept 11, 2001
"Our prayers are with all those who have been injured and the families who have lost loved ones " |
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