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March 25, 2006
Surprise Plot Twist!
Recently South Dakota passed a law forbidding abortion in all cases except when the mother might die. The law hasn't been tested in court yet, and there are aspects of it that don't make sense, but it certainly gives notice that the war on abortion has begun.
But in a surprise twist, I read on ginmar's livejournal blog last week, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, which holds tribal lands inside of S.D. and is led by a woman, is considering opening a Planned Parenthood clinic on sovereign native lands.
Napoli suggested that if it was a case of “simple rape,” there should be no thoughts of ending a pregnancy. Letters by the hundreds appeared in local newspapers, mostly written by women, challenging Napoli’s description of rape as “simple.” He has yet to explain satisfactorily what he meant by “simple rape.”
The President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Cecilia Fire Thunder, was incensed. A former nurse and healthcare giver she was very angry that a state body made up mostly of white males, would make such a stupid law against women.
“To me, it is now a question of sovereignty,” she said to me last week. “I will personally establish a Planned Parenthood clinic on my own land which is within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Reservation where the State of South Dakota has absolutely no jurisdiction.”
The Oglala Sioux Tribe is among the poorest in the nation, and people who care about this issue are joining in to contribute to this effort. From ginmar again, here are the addresses to send encouragement and contributions.
Oglala Sioux Tribe
ATTN: President Fire Thunder
P. O. Box 2070
Pine Ridge, SD 57770
OR: and this may be preferred, due to mail volume:
ATTN: PRESIDENT FIRE THUNDER
PO BOX 990
Martin, SD 57751
Posted by jnfr at March 25, 2006 12:43 PM