SHORT OVERVIEW OF HISTORY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OPERATION MORNING STAR
A Few Photos of Past OMS Activity to the Oglala Sioux Tribe
Photos of Christmas Trip to Cheyenne River Sioux in 0/6 We delivered a brand new donated BIG SCREEN TV to the Sacred Heart Battered Women's Shelter on the Rez. Donated by students from Blue River Community College along with 60 box's of other needed items, clothes, appliances, furniture, and food.
The 06 Christmas trip was made possible by the Conservative Jewish Congregation of Beth Shalom Congregation in Kansas City, They financed the rental and fuel costs for the Penske Truck used for that trip. It is a LOVING Jewish Congregation under the leadership of Rabbi Scott White. I call them "Jews after the example of Jesus"! :)
A donation in late 0/6 of 23 NEW wood burning stoves and piping from Victorian Sales allowed us to deliver "HEAT" to homes without. These went to Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Standing Rock Tribal Members in 12/06 and 2/07...in 2007 because when we returned to CRST in Oct. 0/7, the stoves delivered in Feb. 0/6 were NOT delivered to those in need.
According to the Property and Supply workers under Galan Means, the reason they were not delivered was because the stoves were "to heavy"! With permission of Tribal President Joseph Brings Plenty, I "repossessed" the HEAVY stoves with the help of two men from the substance abuse treatment center, and we delivered them to the families and elders on the original list. The two stoves "missing" apparently went to Means and a "rich" well to do tribal member names Ted Minor.
The semi used in this was from Dave Jungeblat of "Fright Limo". I drove it all by myself and yes, I have a Class A CDL! :) Thanks also to Local 41 of the Teamsters and OOIDA for allowing for "radio publicity".
Unfortunately, the night that all the items were unloaded in the high school auditorium, I eft to visit friends in Manderson, there was a theft of some of the best items when 3 pick up trucks and a van came and loaded up. It was an "inside job" by those who were either friends or relatives of the Two Bulls family. One of the "thieves" was Mary Fast Wolf of Red Shirt. There were witnesses and I have the names of those involved. Also, there were families prevented by the Two Bulls family from receiving "gifts". LAST TIME TO RED SHIRT!
Both organizations assistance made possible the use of TWO "18 wheelers" which were fully LOADED and which totaled OVER 80 Thousand Pounds or 40 TONS of food, appliances, clothing, wood burning stoves, toys, etc!
The Christmas Trip in 0/4 went to Pine Ridge Residents. The full semi-load made stops at Allen at the Tribal Secretary's home, Donna Soloman, in Porcupine at Wilson Coleman's home, and in Manderson at Wilda Black Bear's home.
Over a 11 year span, at least 13 fully loaded 22-26' box trucks and 10 pick-up w/18' flat bed trailer loads "collectively" went to the homes of Mildred Alkire in Manderson, Darwin Apple in Manderson, Arlette Loud Hawk at her home in Oglala Oglala, Wilda Black Bear in Manderson, to Loneman High School in Oglala to feed and "house" the '99' Tornado Victims with Family Size Tents. All of the above residents live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Besides trips during the year, EVERY CHRISTMAS OMS made a delivery of toys, food, wood burning stoves, appliances and clothes to a Lakota Community since it's inception.
Operation Morning Star raised over $6700 dollars when I was a "radio talk show host" at KCXL 1140 (they stole my OMS web page) and used that money to purchase, deliver, and set up over 60 large 5 room family size tents for families who's homes were either destroyed or damaged by these tornados in the community of OGLALA! We got a special deal from Target.
Deliveries of food and clothing have gone to the Community Buildings in Pine Ridge under the "watching eyes" of Eileen Janice...and Mary Long and Ima Jean Charging Elk at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation (3 full loads). Appliances, wood burning stoves, furniture along with food and good quality clothing were in these "give away" loads.
Close to 20,000 donated garden plants such as tomatoes, squash, beans, peas, watermelon, cucumbers, peppers etc., have been delivered to the Pine Ridge and Rosebud "Sioux" Reservations on two trips, one this year to Rosebud and in 2001 to the CAP Office in Manderson on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Also, gardens planted, mini chicken farm put in place, 1 commercial and over 3 dozen non commercial sewing machines have been given for "work".
Over (not enough) 70 families and individuals have been "adopted" by OMS supporters and myself personally. Moneys were sent to the grocery stores and propane companies in the name of the families at the Sioux Nations Grocery and PTI Propane and other locations at Eagle Butte on the CRST Rez, at PR or direct to individuals or families or Elders.
Also, Operation Morning Star supporters sent monies to the Standing Rock Rez propane company during the bad winter of 2002 when they ran out of monies for propane for tribal members and elders, some who froze to death!
There have been over 45 new and 70 used wood burning stoves delivered as well as chain saws, axes, and wood splitters, a work trailer in the last 13 years.
We also built a food pantry in Manderson at the home of Mildred Alkire. It was lost in a fire. She was a recipient of a used donated commemorative "Smith and Wesson" van which was given her while I was a radio talk show host. She and her granddaughter Nikki came to Liberty to receive this "gift" and drive it back to Pine Ridge where it now sits broken down because she has no money to fix it.
