Indian Country remembers Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who shared ancestry with the Cherokees (he had Native American blood), was actively involved in tribal communities as an advocate for Indigenous rights. He is remembered and honored for his presence, interactions, and strong support of every issue American Indians stood for and fought for. He was there with the Colorado River Native Nations Alliance to help protect a sacred site from becoming a nuclear waste dump. He was there on the front lines in North Dakota, fighting against the oil corporations during the 2016 Dakota Pipeline demonstrations–defending clean water and tribal land rights. And he will always be remembered in the hearts of the Cherokees for supporting the action of having a delegate to represent the Cherokee Nation in Congress.

       The best way to emphasize Jackson’s significant role in Indian Country is to post the following statements from prominent Indigenous figures: Founder and CEO of NDN Collective Nick Tilsen said, “Jesse Jackson was a strong and powerful ally between the Black community and the Indigenous people on this land.” Tilsen  (Oglala Lakota) also recollected the plane flight from Chicago to Bismarck, North Dakota, discussing the details of the Dakota Pipeline problem with Rev. Jackson.  After they landed, Tilsen recalls– “When we were getting ready to get off the plane, he was putting his pea coat on, and he had his scarf. He kind of started punching the air like how a boxer does when he gets ready. He started saying, ‘Hey, brother Nick, we don’t need no pipelines. We need lifelines. All kinds of lifelines and no kind of pipelines.”

       Jackson made his position known to the press and media with this release–“With promises broken, land stolen, and sacred lands desecrated, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is standing up for their right to clean water. They have lost land for settlers to farm, more land for gold in the Black Hills, and then again, even more land for the dam that was built for flood control and hydro power. When will the taking stop? When will we start treating the First Peoples of these lands with the respect and honor they deserve?”

      Cherokee Nation Principal Chief (President), Chuck Hoskin Jr., issued this statement commemorating Reverend Jackson–“His message to the Cherokee Nation was always one of interest in our history and issues and one of encouragement for Black people and Native Americans to find common cause in the name of peace, justice, equality, and prosperity. ” In mourning the loss of Jesse Jackson, the NCAI (National Congress of American Indians)–the equivalent of the Congress of the federal government, released their official statement–“Reverend Jackson devoted his life to advancing dignity and opportunity for those too often excluded from it,” said Larry Wright Jr., Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, and to all who drew strength from his message. May his legacy continue to move our nation toward fairness, respect, and equality for all.”  He will be sadly missed in Indian Country.