Home About us Financial Status Report July 2008

July 2008

Defenders of the Black Hills
Financial Status Report
July, 2008

Defenders of the Black Hills is a group of volunteers without racial or tribal boundaries whose mission is to preserve, protect, and restore the area of the 1851 and 1868 Fort Laramie Treaties that were made between the United States and the Great Sioux Nation. The organization monitors an area that includes all of western South Dakota, and parts of Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Kansas and Colorado.

Established in August, 2002, Defenders is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under the corporate laws of the state of South Dakota, and has federal tax exempt status under the Internal Revenue Service with tax identification number 32-0117272. All monetary donations are tax deductible.
 
The organization is solely operated by volunteers. At the annual Board meeting in Nov., 2007, a decision was made to discontinue the monthly activity meetings due to the expenses of monthly mailings and meeting expenses. The first vehicle used by the organization was donated in 2003 due to travel requirements to attend meetings or give presentations. Honoraria is often given for presentation of information and contributes almost half of the revenue. In order to provide transportation to meetings on the various reservations, or in Canada, the Nuclear Free Future monetary award was used to purchase a newer vehicle. Other expenditures often include travel expenses to attend international meetings at the United Nations in New York or Geneva, Switzerland, in support of the Teton Sioux Nation Treaty Council. More information about the work of Defenders may be found on the website at www.defendblackhills.org or by sending inquiries to PO Box 2003, Rapid City, SD 57709.
 
Policies for the organization are established by an eight (8) member Board of Directors who meet annually. Activities are carried out by the Coordinator.
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Charmaine White Face, Coordinator; Oglala Tetuwan
 
Garvard Good Plume, Assistant Coordinator; Oglala Tetuwan
 
Janice Badhorse Larson, Secretary; Kul Wicasa Tetuwan, Director, Lower Brule Treaty Office
 
Brian Brademeyer, Treasurer, Black Hills Regional Director, Native Ecosystems Council
 
Brett Shelton, Esq., Board Member, Oglala Tetuwan
 
Jeremy Nichols, Board Member, Director, Rocky Mountain Clean Air Coalition
 
Jake Kreilick, Board Member, National Forest Protection Alliance
 
Clifford White Eyes, Sr., Board Member; Sicangu Tetuwan

 

Annual Expenditures
Category                         2007                 2008*
Copier/Copies                 $ 2,238               $   773
Postage/Mailings                1,690                    473
Phone/Internet                  2,367                  1,468
Supplies                            1,788                    591
Meeting Expenses              3,794                     968
Legal/Fees                               0                    705
Transportation                   7,076                  1,085
Other**                             9,324                 2,592***
Total Expenditures:        $28,277                $ 8,655 
 
Annual Revenues
Grants/Honoraria             $ 7,750              $   2,400
Online/Donations                 8,645                 3,528
Special/Other****             10,000                        0
Total Revenues:               $26,395                 5,928
 
Notes:
* 2008 data is through June 30th.
** Other Expenditures (2007) includes car purchase of $7,232.
*** Other Expenditures (2008) includes international airfare of $1,746.
**** Special/Other Revenue (2007) is $10,000 Nuclear-Free Future Award.

 

Mission Statement

"Defenders of the Black Hills is a group of volunteers without racial or tribal boundaries whose mission is to preserve, protect, and restore the environment of the 1851 and 1868 Treaty Territories, Treaties made between the United States and the Great Sioux Nation."

Speaking about radioactive fallout, the late President John F. Kennedy said,

"Even then, the number of children and grandchildren with cancer in their bones, with leukemia in their blood, or with poison in their lungs might seem statistically small to some, in comparison with natural health hazards. But this is not a natural health hazard and it is not a statistical issue. The loss of even one human life, or the malformation of even one baby who may be born long after we are gone, should be of concern to us all. Our children and grandchildren are not merely statistics toward which we can be indifferent."

July 26, 1963 upon signing the ban on above ground nuclear tests