THREAD about Camp Mniluzahan, one of the most unique Indigenous-run, volunteer-run, and consensual+ mutual-aid based projects I know of.

#LandBack

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After an impromptu creation on forested tribal land just west of Rapid City, the camp has become highly organized with:

➡️ Large, warm army tents
➡️ A food pantry+mess hall
➡️ Meal train+transportation systems
➡️ Downtown drop site for local+mailed in donations

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The camp does not have structured leadership, strict admission policies, and steps that residents must take to continue receiving services like some nonprofits do. The goal is to keep people alive and safe, treat residents with dignity and avoid criminalization.

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The camp is not a charity or nonprofit. It centers around Lakota values, communal decision making and mutual aid. Volunteers serve as advocates, offering assistance to homeless people who want it, but not forcing anything on them.

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The camp is on land that used to belong to the massive Rapid City Indian Boarding School property. It’s one of two parcels that the Department of Interior entrusted to the Oglala, Rosebud + Cheyenne River Sioux tribes in 2017. The sovereign land is right outside Rapid City.

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Sunny Red Bear on helping homeless ppl: “Advocates do not force anything upon anyone but they just say, here's my arsenal of resources, take what you need, let me know how I can help you ... We hold a safe, welcoming space for them to figure out what it is they want.”

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Camp volunteers say some residents have become sober at the camp. They’ve connected residents who want to work on addiction issues, finding permanent housing, etc. to resources in Rapid City.

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The camp says it formed because there are gaps in services for homeless people in Rapid City. They say they have nothing against the existing services and regularly connect residents with them.

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Many of the residents became homeless after experiencing trauma and losing love 4 themselves+from others, said volunteer Hermus Bettelyoun.

“We’re just trying to give that back to them, show that love+compassion, giving them some place (to live) + showing that ppl do care.” 9/x
.@DarkMark on the camp’s connection to #LandBack, the movement to return land to Indigenous ppl: “The very fact that one of the things that we’re doing w/ our land is to take care of our most vulnerable population kind of shows you the priority+trajectory of that movement.”
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The camp is Lakota-led but there are residents and volunteers of all backgrounds. 11/x
Hermus Bettelyoun on the vibe at the forested camp: “It’s real peaceful, it's so beautiful, all you hear is the wind ... You hear laughter and joking. It’s something that really warms you up.”

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More from For later read

There is some valuable analysis in this report, but on the defense front this report is deeply flawed. There are other sections of value in report but, candidly, I don't think it helps us think through critical question of Taiwan defense issues in clear & well-grounded way. 1/


Normally as it might seem churlish to be so critical, but @cfr is so high-profile & the co-authors so distinguished I think it’s key to be clear. If not, people - including in Beijing - could get the wrong idea & this report could do real harm if influential on defense issues. 2/

BLUF: The defense discussion in this report does not engage at the depth needed to add to this critical debate. Accordingly conclusions in report are ill-founded - & in key parts harmful/misleading, esp that US shldnt be prepared defend Taiwan directly (alongside own efforts). 3/

The root of the problem is that report doesn't engage w the real debate on TWN defense issues or, frankly, the facts as knowable in public. Perhaps the most direct proof of this: The citations. There is nothing in the citations to @DeptofDefense China Military Power Report...4/

Nor to vast majority of leading informed sources on this like Ochmanek, the @RANDCorporation Scorecard, @CNAS, etc. This is esp salient b/c co-authors by their own admission have v little insight into contemporary military issues. & both last served in govt in Bush 43. 5/

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**Thread on Bravery of Sikhs**
(I am forced to do this due to continuous hounding of Sikh Extremists since yesterday)

Rani Jindan Kaur, wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had illegitimate relations with Lal Singh (PM of Ranjit Singh). Along with Lal Singh, she attacked Jammu, burnt - https://t.co/EfjAq59AyI


Hindu villages of Jasrota, caused rebellion in Jammu, attacked Kishtwar.

Ancestors of Raja Ranjit Singh, The Sansi Tribe used to give daughters as concubines to Jahangir.


The Ludhiana Political Agency (Later NW Fronties Prov) was formed by less than 4000 British soldiers who advanced from Delhi and reached Ludhiana, receiving submissions of all sikh chiefs along the way. The submission of the troops of Raja of Lahore (Ranjit Singh) at Ambala.

Dabistan a contemporary book on Sikh History tells us that Guru Hargobind broke Naina devi Idol Same source describes Guru Hargobind serving a eunuch
YarKhan. (ref was proudly shared by a sikh on twitter)
Gobind Singh followed Bahadur Shah to Deccan to fight for him.


In Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh states that the reason he was in conflict with the Hill Rajas was that while they were worshiping idols, while he was an idol-breaker.

And idiot Hindus place him along Maharana, Prithviraj and Shivaji as saviours of Dharma.