Biography
Michael "Rattler" Markus is water protector and Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, SD. Rattler's Lakota name is Mato Tanka, meaning Big Bear. On January 23, 2017, Rattler was charged for the work he engaged in as Akicita to protect Land, Water, People, and Treaties against militarized police and mercenaries working for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). DAPL was illegally constructed to go through the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, extreme harm to sacred Native sites and the environment and numerous violations of human and environmental rights.
On October 27th, 2016 militarized police illegally raided 1851 Treaty Camp of DAPL protestors and water protectors. Barricades were lit on HW 1806 and the 134 bridge to keep the militarized police from further endangering the unarmed encampment. The only thing lit on 134 bridge were logs; no property damage occurred there.
The Standing Rock 6 [Rattler, Little Feather (Michael Giron, Akicita), Bravo (Brennan Nastacio), Angry Bird (Jimmy White, Akicita) and Dion Ortiz] were arrested. Charged with civil disorder, Rattler took a non-cooperating plea deal for 3 years for nonviolent conduct as a Water Protector. Rattler was released from FCI Sandstone on January 6, 2021 to a halfway house. Michael Mateo Markus (Rattler), former US Marine Corps, age 45, was one of five Standing Rock NoDAPL Water Protectors federally charged for setting fire to a barricade on Backwater Bridge to delay law enforcement reaching the protest camp. Sentenced to 36 months federal prison plus 2 years supervised release.
