Through Unity We Can Reset the Course of History
We must act now. There's no time to lose.
This Action Alert explores the involvement in horse slaughter and roundup activities on both federal and tribal lands by American Tribes, the impact of those activities on Tribal people, Tribal horses, and BLM horses of today, and actions we can take as one nation of people to protect the Horse Nation going forward.
Per USDA APHIS, the National Tribal Horse Coalition (NTHC) has been distributing information pushing support for roundups and horse slaughter to their congressional delegations, and this has been going on for well over a decade. As illustrated in their May 26, 2022, letter to the Committee Working on the Safe Act, they are adamantly opposed to the anti-slaughter legislation. More importantly is the impact of their letter and the fact that their letter is filled with misrepresentations, falsehoods, and innuendo.
If you didn’t know any better, you would likely believe that horse slaughter and round ups are activities widely needed and supported by American Tribal people. However, as shall be illustrated in this Action Alert, nothing could be further from the truth.
Similar letters dated on the exact same day and submitted to the Committee, from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) claim that their entire member base is opposed to a ban of horse slaughter, and that horse slaughter is needed, and that it’s humane. Again, nothing could be further from the truth. Yet the NTHC and other slaughter proponents rest a large part of their case on the misrepresentations distributed by the AVMA and the AAEP.
It’s important to note that, per the USDA APHIS, employees of Federal Agencies such as the USDA APHIS, are explicitly forbidden from lobbying Congress on legislative initiatives. However, substantial evidence has surfaced through investigations by WFLF SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES, showing that the USDA APHIS employees have been manipulating America’s Tribal Leaders, and pressuring them to challenge federal laws that prevent federal agencies from inspecting horse meat that could be sold for human consumption.
In 2009, the USDA APHIS, and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) targeted the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and together they held a joint conference and established a pro-slaughter resolution which remains an active NCAI policy today.
The next year, in 2010, WFLF SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES was contacted by Elder, Spiritual Leader, David Swallow of the Lakota Nation with a statement that their sacred horses were being confiscated and they were being arrested if they did not cooperate. David had called us, very distraught. He could hardly speak. He said it was an attack on the People and an attack on the Innocence of the Sacred Horses of the First Nations People. There was an injunction filed in court, but it was denied.
In the statement by David Swallow he wrote, "This is a Reservation. We are NOT living in a park or a National park. It is the land of the People. We already have the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Police, the Oglala Sioux Tribal (OST) Public Safety Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Marshals watching over us. I believe we Lakota Oyate have enough jurisdiction watching over us. Now come the Oglala Sioux Park Rangers, confiscating our Sacred Horses and arresting us if we don't cooperate. The Oglala Sioux Park Rangers are selling our horses to local ranchers (who then sell them to slaughterhouses) or the OST Rangers sell our horses directly to slaughter houses. THIS NEEDS TO BE STOPPED AND OUR Sacred Horses returned back to the People."
WFLF SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES published David Swallow's Complete Statement and Press Release the next day. Sadly, the horses were scheduled to be sold for slaughter on Mother’s Day of all Days.
David had asked for people to speak their hearts and to flood lawmaker's emails with protests. "This is something that we must do as a nation of people standing together on behalf of the horse nation," added Katia Louise.
David also added, "Our protests are filled with the tears of the Generations of Lakota's who have been abused not only by the White Society, but now by their own Tribal Government again."
Since then, there have been numerous roundups of tribal horses on reservation lands using U.S. taxpayer dollars. Time and time again, the tribal people were arrested if they did not cooperate with the confiscation of their beloved horses.
Local tribal members reported government rangers coming onto their property and confiscating virtually every horse, even from within their stalls and pens. We received reports of dozens or orphan foals that had been left stranded after their mothers were shipped to slaughter. We also received reports from families whose children witnessed their family horses, burros and little ponies being chased off cliffs by the rangers.
The Navajo Elders issued a declaration saying, “We strongly urge the Navajo Nation and U.S. Government, Bureau of Indian Affairs, DOI, USDA, to stop the desecration and destruction of the Diné Way of Life and Spiritual Foundation by recklessly promoting and supporting the roundup and mass execution of our relative, the horse.” The Nohooka Dine' published a Resolution in opposition of the roundups.
The Navajo Government justified the eradication of its sacred Navajo horses by mimicking USDA, BLM and livestock industry assertions that the horses are supposedly “destroying the lands”; however, as stated by President Shelly during The 2012 Navajo State of the Nation, he admits that "other livestock grazing, not horse grazing is to blame..." “Our specialists have said sand dunes are growing and the land is being overgrazed. For example, we have nearly 170,000 sheep in Fort Defiance Agency, while our land can only support about 7,800 sheep.” These facts are just the tip of the iceberg. The NN Department of Agriculture estimates that the Navajo range is overrun with domesticated livestock by more than 40 percent.
In 2014, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation halted a planned roundup of 3000-4000 wild horses from across their reservation due to the overwhelming objection to the roundup by their Tribal Members. Sadly, a total of 422 wild horses were removed before the roundup was stopped, and they were reportedly shipped to slaughter in Canada.
U.S. agency employees continue their efforts to influence & pressure tribal leaders to this present day. For example, in 2021 it was reported that a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist by the name of Pat Hnilicka, advised the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes, to refer to wild horses, “as invasives, as weeds in a sense, because they … spread,” he said.
Although less publicized, the roundups on reservation lands have continued, and the situation has escalated. In 2021, the Wyoming Legislature passed a Bill allocating $500,000 from state general funds for efforts to manage wild horses in the state, including on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The new Wyoming Legislation enables the state to bill the federal government for the grazing of “trespassing horses”. It also allows the Wyoming Attorney General to file a writ of Mandamus seeking to compel the federal government “to take action to remove excess wild horses as required under federal law from affected nonfederal lands". Plus it authorizes the governor to negotiate with federal and tribal officials to manage wild horses.
As of May 20, 2022, the Wind River Tribal officials said their government agencies already allocated $100,000 to remove wild horses under the new WY legislation, and that 1000 animals have already been removed and sold.
Most recently, the Chairmen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, and the Colorado River Tribes requested BLM roundups on reservation land, after referring to donkeys as "pests and nuisance burros". Approximately 275 wild burros in the area have become the target of this BLM roundup.
The Wild For Life Foundation, (WFLF) and its SAVING AMERICA’S HORSES Initiative is voicing extreme concern over the government’s aggressive removal of wild horses and burros from their native lands, both federal and tribal. Likewise, the ongoing manipulation of tribes by US government agencies and their employees must stop.
New polls show that 83% of American citizens oppose horse slaughter, and 74% oppose wild horse and burro roundups. A more detailed look at the issue indicates that most Native American people are also opposed to horse slaughter and roundups.
If the tribal people of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, can stand together against the roundup and slaughter of their horses, and succeed, other tribal people can too, and so can the nontribal people of America.
It’s time to stand as one Nation of people on behalf of the Horse Nation and bring these ruthless and barbaric government activities to an end once and for all.
In an effort to save, protect and preserve wild and domestic equines, as opposed to the promotion of horse slaughter and widespread roundups throughout the American West, Wild for Life Foundation’s President, Katia Louise is calling on members of the public who care about the horses to join in a united stance for the horses with Saving America’s Horses by going to www.savingamericashorses.org and clicking on the join button, which will help raise awareness and provide ongoing education on this critical issue. Ms. Louise says, “Making your voice heard will ultimately bring these unjust, cruel and barbaric practices to an end.”
Together We Are Their Voice and They Need to Be Heard
Click to see the last newsletter from SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES featuring Action Alerts Part One and Part Two.
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Thank you!
The Team at SAVING AMERICA'S HORSES
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