James Czywczynski, the current owner of the Wounded Knee site has told the Oglala Sioux Tribe they have until September 2 to purchase the land. If no one steps forward to purchase the land for the tribe, Czywczynski says he will hold a public auction for the land.
“I feel that I have given the tribe every opportunity to buy the land or for someone associated with them to do it. They say they have multiple buyers ready to purchase it for them, but they have not taken the steps to get it done,” he told Brandon Ecoffey, managing editor of Native Sun News. “When I met with President [Bryan] Brewer and the descendants I thought it went well and something would have come from it... but I have heard nothing.”
That meeting took place at the newspaper’s offices July 14 between the Horn family, Brewer and Czywczynski. It was then that Brewer asked Czywczynski if he would consider selling the site with the tribe’s blessing and donating half the proceeds to the Survivors of Wounded Knee organization.
At the close of the meeting, Czywczynski said he would consider the offer.
Shortly after the meeting in Rapid City Czywczynski told ICTMN he sent an email and packet to the tribe and Brewer asking them to pay the entire $4.9 million asking price if they wanted to obtain the land and the deed.
Czywczynski has also been telling ICTMN that he has had offers from several interested parties that want to donate the land to the tribe, but as of yet, none of those parties have been able to raise all of the money or make good on their promises to buy.
“I have put other potential buyers off while I entertained the groups working on behalf of the tribe, but I can’t wait any longer,” he told Native Sun News.
Brewer doesn’t believe Czywczynski will have any buyers with the arrangement not to donate half of the proceeds to benefit the site. He also says a deadline is nothing new.
“This isn't the first time he has said this, he set a deadline and we watched and waited and he had no buyers. No buyers are going to purchase this land because they will never be able to use it,” Brewer said.
Brewer also has not received an email or a package from Czywczynski about any counter offer.
“I have received nothing. I have not heard from him other than the letter I received from him that thanked us for having the meeting in Rapid City. I have not received anything else yet,” he said.
For over a month since his interview in the UK’s DailyMail in which Johnny Depp announced an interest in purchasing the site of Wounded Knee, there is still no word from Depp or his publicists about his comments to buy the land.
There was however a recent rumor about a sighting of Depp on Pine Ridge. President Brewer said it was only a rumor though.
“That was a crazy rumor. There were rumors going all over. There was no Johnny Depp, at least not that I know of. There were rumors he was with me. He wasn't with me. Every girl on the reservation was calling me to say ‘please give him my telephone number.’ I don't know who started those rumors, but it spread like wildfire. I have a whole list of numbers I am supposed to give to him,” Brewer said. “It really would be great if he could come to our reservation.”
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“I feel that I have given the tribe every opportunity to buy the land or for someone associated with them to do it. They say they have multiple buyers ready to purchase it for them, but they have not taken the steps to get it done,” he told Brandon Ecoffey, managing editor of Native Sun News. “When I met with President [Bryan] Brewer and the descendants I thought it went well and something would have come from it... but I have heard nothing.”
That meeting took place at the newspaper’s offices July 14 between the Horn family, Brewer and Czywczynski. It was then that Brewer asked Czywczynski if he would consider selling the site with the tribe’s blessing and donating half the proceeds to the Survivors of Wounded Knee organization.
At the close of the meeting, Czywczynski said he would consider the offer.
Shortly after the meeting in Rapid City Czywczynski told ICTMN he sent an email and packet to the tribe and Brewer asking them to pay the entire $4.9 million asking price if they wanted to obtain the land and the deed.
Czywczynski has also been telling ICTMN that he has had offers from several interested parties that want to donate the land to the tribe, but as of yet, none of those parties have been able to raise all of the money or make good on their promises to buy.
“I have put other potential buyers off while I entertained the groups working on behalf of the tribe, but I can’t wait any longer,” he told Native Sun News.
Brewer doesn’t believe Czywczynski will have any buyers with the arrangement not to donate half of the proceeds to benefit the site. He also says a deadline is nothing new.
“This isn't the first time he has said this, he set a deadline and we watched and waited and he had no buyers. No buyers are going to purchase this land because they will never be able to use it,” Brewer said.
Brewer also has not received an email or a package from Czywczynski about any counter offer.
“I have received nothing. I have not heard from him other than the letter I received from him that thanked us for having the meeting in Rapid City. I have not received anything else yet,” he said.
Johnny Depp Sighted?
For over a month since his interview in the UK’s DailyMail in which Johnny Depp announced an interest in purchasing the site of Wounded Knee, there is still no word from Depp or his publicists about his comments to buy the land.
There was however a recent rumor about a sighting of Depp on Pine Ridge. President Brewer said it was only a rumor though.
“That was a crazy rumor. There were rumors going all over. There was no Johnny Depp, at least not that I know of. There were rumors he was with me. He wasn't with me. Every girl on the reservation was calling me to say ‘please give him my telephone number.’ I don't know who started those rumors, but it spread like wildfire. I have a whole list of numbers I am supposed to give to him,” Brewer said. “It really would be great if he could come to our reservation.”
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4 millions for an actor that has a fortune seems to be a small price, but the reason not to support the first nations by buying the land might be the publicity Deepp would get from doing it.
If he bought the land for the Oglala he will be forever linked to the first nations in a positive way, though this seems to be something good, he might be reluctant to forever be related and given with more responsibilities than those he wants to actually get from his character Tonto.
In the end, he is managing a public image (his public image) and he might be considering the benefits of buying or not the land and the impact it will have for him as a Hollywood Star.
Looks like theres gonna be another wounded knee stand off. Telling the poorest most exploited people in the country that they have to buy their own land from some european is unquestionably immoral and sickening. The idea itself boggles the mind. Would you pay someone who stole your wallet to give it back to you?
Nobody has a right to own this land apart from the Tribe. It was stolen from them, it holds their ancestors, their tribal memories. Give it back to them and show that you can be human too xx Sue Worbey from Cornwall in England, and truly saddened by the fact that I am descended from the race that treated these wonderful peaceful people so cruelly.
How can they take what is yours?? Resist, brothers!
All the words in the world can't express my outrage at this situation. What can I do?! The US government should purchase the land to set up as a National Memorial to the NATIVE PEOPLE of this country. We have memorials for the Holocaust survivors, the War Veterans, and many others, duly so. Is it because they would then have to admit to the genocide they have committed against these people both then and even as we speak! What can WE as concerned citizens do?! Someone tell me please!
Just give it back to them. No one owned the land until the white people came. I am white and I feel that this is so wrong for so many reasons. It is a place of a sad part and tainted history that should be kept to teach the new generations that see it. Not turned into a Theme park, not turned into hotel/casino. But turned back into what it stands for, a land that was stolen from the Native Americans. They should be able to own the land and build, if they wish their own memorial to the fallen.
^^^^ This. Well said.
The land was stolen from them generations ago, as was the land of several tribes. Telling them that they have to buy it back is just disgusting and sickening. My hope is that a group of people get together and help purchase the land back for the rightful owners.
When we say "whiteman" we must understand first what we are talking about we are talking about "the white system of government, If you want this you have to buy back what I have stolen" This is one of the philosophies among others. I am most nations in one. lol I am Blackfoot,french, Irish, German, Scottish, Spanish,English. We have to remember that the ones who came here from England were mostly criminals and we can not expect criminals to keep their word when they do not keep their laws. I would think the best solution is for the tribe to open a trust account at a bank to request funds from the American People and Other tribes. This is both lawful and a way that all peoples, black, white,mexican, spanish, asian and Native etc. can help if small donations from even the poorest of people around the nation could help pay for Obama to run then why cant we help you purchase this sacred lands?
Please let something right happen here. This man needs to let the people have thier land back! I pray he does the right thing!
If Johnny Depp purchased it, I would nominate him for president.
In addition to my comment (nominating Johnny for president), if I were him, if I had that kind of money, I would approach the tribes with a solution like going half and half, 50/50 split. They pay, or what ever they can provide, and I would the other half. In that way, OST will have access to the land without much worrying about having to ask for permission to keep the land open to visiting. I know the situation, I know WHERE Wounded Knee is, and OST should not have to ask permission at all but you have to consider that if it does get sold to a private owner, that owner would have every right to fence it off and close off the sight. And if this man can get that kind of money for that small piece of land, there is no way in hell he is going to just hand it over to OST, especially if he knows OST wants that land back. It looks like he raised that price so high because he thinks the tribes are going to pay it. Which is ridiculous. OST should get the land appraised.
~ Stephanie MatoKoKepa
i hope this man has nightmares of the tragedies that have happened on that land..i hope his family suddenly sees the ancestors that walk the grounds of wounded knee..i hope that his family can smell the native amercian blood that was poured out on that ground.i hope that this family hears the screams of the women, children, and elders that were slaughtered at wounded knee, in their waking day. i hope that until this family returns this stolen property back to the original owners, that this family does not know one minute of peace.
Questiom,,,,, who sold the land to that idiot european in the first place? The government? The most greedy, murderous bunch alive!!
I agree with Rocki Herrejon's idea. I also think donations and trust would work. What happened at Wounded Knee must never be forgotten. Treaty violations should be compensated for. I think all Native American Indians should sue the United States Government for all the injustices done. Giving back the land would be the beginning of owning up to what happened and still occurs. It's so sad! I feel such a deep sorrow.
laynie
I have posted my opinion before on this matter. If the land is not worth the $4-5 mil. this guy wants, who is going to buy it? Supposedly, it's only worth about $7,000. Without being a multimillionaire who doesn't care about his money, who can buy land without an appraisal, at least? No bank will lend you millions for a property worth thousands. I see most people posting from emotion, which I understand, but practically, really now...who is going to do this? This owner is nuts and money hungry but that doesn't mean the rest of the world is too. Ideas about a trust, etc., have merit. Explore the practicalities, the law and other options. Do something real to find out what the real options are. Bottom line.
Wounded Knee is not for sale or purchase. It is stolen property and should be returned to the Lakota. The US government stole it and sold it. The US government should and could retrieve it from that extortionist under eminent domain, as a national landmark and then return it to the Sioux Nation because it was stolen from the Sioux and is a Sioux national landmark.
Alternatively, let the greedy hog with the unwritable name die, and stuff the deeds and "title" in his coffin, because no one is going to offer him the money he wants. That land has no market value, not even the few thousand dollars other similar acreages in the vincity are valued at, because no new private owner would be more able than that Czwxykz to "develop" it or use it, standing as it is in the heart of the Pine Ridge rez. Not even a private Oglala owner. That land belongs to all Oglalas and, beyond them to all Lakota and other Sioux.
Erik Abranson
why should they have to buy when it already belonged to them
I guess there isn't much for me to write where as mostly already been stated: Same as the black people as they were the white mans slaves,used and abused,tormented,raped,mixed children involved.I say this because the government fears integrity,black people didn't need schools they were easily taught with out books,they learned via mother earth same as the Native Americans did. It took me many years to learn to read,write and math.thats why I had no fear of being my white fellow man as a victim.Another reason the white man steals into the night and takes the Native American children so as to stop their ingrown integrity via mother earth.I have learned so much in such a short time from the Native Americans then I have in way too many years to count in our American schools.Dreadfully speaking we learn about politics,control and who is the real boss of the USA? Again how to be selfish rather then watch your friends back,money has become a serious issue,it's no longer a need but in fact greed takes over the mind as well as the whole soul.We could all take up collections while we picket this mixed up world? If we all get together maybe come up with some suggestions?
Why should Native Indians give anything to those greedy 'law making, law breaking' selfish 'idiots'............ Money is a gimmick for GOLDS, LANDS STOLEN FROM NATIVE FIRSTS TO BEGIN WITH..........
I read an article not too long agp that the Lakota could use eminent domain to get it back . If that's true ,they should do it and put up a memorial them selves for their own public use.