Fighting addiction on Pine Ridge reservation
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the plight of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, grappling with poverty, unemployment, and rampant alcohol addiction. The nearby town of White Clay, Nebraska, has been a source of alcohol for the reservation, despite its ban, leading to a surge in violence and health crises. The state Supreme Court is deliberating on the permanent closure of liquor stores in White Clay, a move seen by some as a victory against white oppression and by others as an economic necessity. The script highlights the community's struggle with addiction, youth suicide, and the impact of potential budget cuts on support programs.
Takeaways
- ๐ The town of White Clay, Nebraska, with a population of 14, sells over four million cans of beer a year to the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned.
- ๐ช Alcohol sales in White Clay have been a source of controversy due to the high unemployment and alcohol addiction rates on the reservation, contributing to violence and health issues.
- ๐จ The state Supreme Court is considering a permanent closure of the liquor stores in White Clay following a series of violent incidents and unsolved murders.
- ๐๏ธ Activists from the Lakota tribe have set up camp near White Clay, vowing to stay until the Supreme Court makes a decision on the liquor stores' future.
- ๐ The script describes personal tragedies related to alcohol abuse, including family members found murdered and the impact of addiction on the community.
- ๐ The Pine Ridge Reservation faces a youth suicide rate four times the national average, linked to entrenched issues of addiction and poverty.
- ๐ฎโโ๏ธ Since the closure of the liquor stores in White Clay, there has been a reported surge in bootlegged alcohol, straining the already under-resourced tribal police.
- ๐ซ Some residents and officials see the liquor stores as a form of white oppression, exploiting the vulnerability of the Native American community.
- ๐ผ Others argue that the sale of alcohol is a result of market forces and economic need, not racism, with the demand for alcohol being filled by suppliers.
- ๐ The script highlights the broader context of historical injustices, including land seizures and the impact of colonialism on the Native American community.
- ๐ There is a call for resilience and resistance against oppression, with the teepee rising near White Clay symbolizing the end of colonialism and the beginning of healing and spiritual recovery.
Q & A
What is the primary issue discussed in the script regarding the town of White Clay, Nebraska?
-The script discusses the issue of alcohol sales in White Clay, a town that has been selling a significant amount of beer to members of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, contributing to high rates of alcohol addiction and associated problems within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Why is the sale of alcohol banned on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation?
-The script does not explicitly state why alcohol sales are banned on the reservation. However, it implies that the ban is due to the severe social and health issues caused by alcohol addiction, including high unemployment rates and a significant portion of the adult population suffering from alcoholism.
What measures were taken in response to the violence and unsolved murders in White Clay?
-In response to the violence and unsolved murders, the liquor stores in White Clay were temporarily closed, and the state Supreme Court is considering whether to make the closure permanent.
What is the significance of the teepee rising in the script?
-The teepee rising symbolizes resistance and the end of oppression and colonialism. It represents the hope for healing and the revival of the Lakota spirit once the negative influences like alcohol are overcome.
How does the script describe the impact of alcohol on the youth of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation?
-The script describes a tragic impact, with a youth suicide rate four times the national average and many young people resorting to substance abuse as a means to escape their reality.
What role do the women running the intervention program play in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation?
-The women running the intervention program provide a crucial service to the community, offering support and resources to those struggling with addiction and other issues. They operate out of a basement beneath the post office and rely on grant money.
How does the script address the issue of racism in relation to the alcohol sales in White Clay?
-The script presents differing viewpoints. Some people believe there is no racism involved and that the situation is purely economic, driven by market forces and demand. Others suggest that the dynamic of white families selling alcohol to Native Americans is a form of post-colonial hangover and represents a continuing form of white oppression.
What is the current situation regarding the budget for tribal police and public services in Pine Ridge?
-The tribal police and public services are under-resourced and underfunded, with the police department having had two-thirds of its budget cut in a decade, resulting in a struggle to cope with the surge in bootlegged alcohol since the closure of White Clay.
What is the significance of the skate park named after Tiny's grandson, Tobe Eagle Boo?
-The skate park serves as a safe place for children to hang out and is named in memory of Tobe Eagle Boo, who was killed in an alcohol-related car accident. It represents a positive outlet for the youth amidst the challenges they face.
How does the script suggest the community views the potential impact of decisions by the Supreme Court on White Clay?
-The script suggests that the community is deeply concerned about the court's decision. They fear that if the Supreme Court decides against the closure, it will lead to further violence and addiction, as they feel they are not considered as human beings capable of handling themselves in the modern world.
What is the script's perspective on the role of free enterprise in the situation of White Clay?
-The script presents a perspective that free enterprise and market forces are the driving factors behind the alcohol sales in White Clay, with some individuals arguing that there is no racism involved and that the sales are simply filling a demand.
Outlines
๐ช Impact of Alcohol Sales on Pine Ridge Reservation
This paragraph discusses the social and economic impact of alcohol on the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe living in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. White Clay, Nebraska, a small town near the reservation, has been selling millions of cans of beer annually to tribe members, where alcohol sales are banned. The area is one of the poorest in America, with high unemployment and alcohol addiction rates. The paragraph details the consequences of alcohol abuse, including violence, unsolved murders, and a youth suicide rate four times the national average. It also touches on the temporary closure of liquor stores in White Clay and the subsequent debate on whether this should be made permanent, reflecting the struggle between addressing addiction and respecting tribal sovereignty.
๐ Economic Forces vs. Racism in Alcohol Sales
The second paragraph explores the debate surrounding the sale of alcohol in White Clay, with some attributing the situation to economic forces rather than racism. It presents the perspective of those who see the sale of alcohol as a result of market demand and supply, rather than a racially motivated action. The paragraph also highlights the increase in bootlegging since the closure of the liquor stores and the challenges faced by the tribal police in dealing with this surge. The police are under-resourced and struggle to cope with the increased crime, which includes alcohol-related violence and domestic issues. The narrative includes personal accounts of the impact of alcoholism on families and the community, emphasizing the deep-rooted issues of dependency and despair.
๐ Resilience and Resistance in the Face of Oppression
The final paragraph focuses on the resilience and resistance of the Lakota people in the face of historical and ongoing oppression. It describes a teepee rising as a symbol of the end of colonialism and the beginning of healing and resurgence of the Lakota spirit. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of sobriety and spiritual recovery as a means to overcome the destructive effects of alcohol and to use the American system against further oppression. It conveys a message of hope and determination, with the community asserting its identity and fighting for justice and self-determination.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กAlcoholism
๐กPoverty
๐กWhite Clay
๐กAddiction
๐กEconomic Factors
๐กYouth Suicide
๐กIntervention Program
๐กBudget Cuts
๐กColonialism
๐กResistance
๐กHealing
Highlights
Alcohol and drugs are seen as means of escape from harsh realities in impoverished communities.
White Clay, Nebraska, a small town with 14 residents, sells over four million cans of beer annually to the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe.
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation faces high unemployment and severe alcohol addiction issues.
The temporary closure of liquor stores in White Clay follows a series of violent incidents and unsolved murders.
The State Supreme Court is deliberating on the permanent closure of liquor stores in White Clay.
Campaigners from the Lakota tribe are protesting the potential re-opening of liquor stores in White Clay.
High youth suicide rates in Pine Ridge are linked to entrenched issues of addiction and poverty.
The intervention program on the reservation is under threat from proposed budget cuts by the Trump administration.
Community members express fear that social issues will worsen under the Trump administration.
The skate park named after Tiny's grandson, Tobee Eagle Boo, serves as a safe haven for children.
The temporary closure of White Clay is seen as a victory against white oppression by some community members.
Local officials believe that the issues in White Clay are economic rather than racial.
The tribal police report a surge in bootlegged alcohol since the closure of White Clay.
The under-resourced tribal police struggle to cope with increased bootlegging and crime.
Community members describe the cycle of addiction and violence as a post-colonial hangover.
The teepee rising on the reservation symbolizes resistance and the end of oppression.
There is hope for healing and using the American system against oppression.
Transcripts
we look for something else we look for
alcohol we look for drugs some way to
get away from that reality you end up
with chips going to jail kids raising
themselves
it's killing themselves I don't think
there's racism involved
I think it's strictly economic you know
it's there because there's a need we
learn from Standing Rock they expect us
to be violent you know let's do know
[Music]
case after case of beer loaded up and
shipped out for many this image Monday
morning becoming a symbol of hope and
change white clay Nebraska a tiny
unincorporated town that sits on the
border with South Dakota with a
population of just 14 people it's for
liquor stores have for decades sold over
four million cans of beer a year almost
entirely to members of the Oglala Lakota
Sioux tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation where the sale of alcohol is
banned Pine Ridge is one of the poorest
communities in America over 80 percent
of people here are unemployed and up to
two-thirds of adults suffer from alcohol
addiction but at the beginning of this
summer following a spate of violence and
unsolved murders the stores were
temporarily closed the state Supreme
Court is now considering whether to make
the move permanent just a few meters
down the road a group of Lakota
campaigners have camped out since the
closure they don't plan to leave until
the final decision is made for many here
white clay has taken a personal toll
that's where they found my uncle my
uncle's dead right there what happened
to them nobody really knows
they were just found murdered and
mutilated right there and it was after a
rash of murders of people who stood in
white clay and drink alcohol and it was
such a dangerous place so violent and
dirty and you know it was really the it
was how what do you think will happen if
the Supreme Court decides against and
keeps white clay open well we expect it
for one thing when have they ever
considered us human beings they think of
us as childlike not able to to handle
ourselves in the modern world they
expect us to do something and react and
anger we learn from Standing Rock
the entrenched issues of addiction and
poverty have led to a youth suicide rate
that is four times the national average
we came to visit the reservations only
intervention program run by two women
out of the basement beneath the post
office they rely on grant money and
worry things will get worse if a series
of proposed budget cuts by the Trump
administration are carried through I res
isn't a very good place we hear about
guns going off in the night while we're
sleeping we hear about our aunts and
uncles being shot over drugs and stuff
and do you have friends that did take
their own lives I had more than 10
friends commit suicide in what space of
time 2013-2014 are you worried this is
gonna get worse under Trump yes most
definitely get worse under Trump cuz
he's already had a lot of Native
American programs the children's come
they come through that during they're
hungry we go down to the park they're
hungry they want something to eat and
it's not their fault this skate park
named after Tiny's grandson tobe eagle
Boo is one of the few places children
can come to hang out he was killed in a
car accident he was driving he didn't
have a seatbelt on then they were they
were drunk alcohol-related he got thrown
up in a car so we started to and he
loved his skateboarding when he was in
college she give him that better
tomorrow it takes a lot of people
working together you look at these kids
to see how happy the air you probably
wouldn't know that some of these kids
parents are probably living on five
thousand dollars a year a year for most
people here the temporary closure of
white clay marked a victory against what
they described as a continuing form of
white oppression the liquor stores owned
by families in Nebraska made millions
selling beards of people here
[Music]
Lauren L poo Sheridan County
Commissioner voted earlier in the year
to keep white clay open the State Liquor
Commission then overruled the local
government it seems to me they're
looking for someone else to solve their
issues and that's probably not going to
happen a number of people that we've
spoken to people who have spent time in
white clay who are battered their own
addiction issues who have lost family
members to alcoholism describe the
dynamic there as a sort of post-colonial
hangover it's a group of white families
selling millions of cans of beer to
Native Americans do you have any
sympathy with that that dynamic they
describe what's happened there is what
happens when you have free enterprise if
you have a demand then somebody's
probably going to step in to fill that
so its market forces it's got nothing to
do with race and racism I think
absolutely right it's market forces I
don't think there's racism involved I
think it's strictly economic you know
it's there because there's a need in the
summer since white clays closure the
tribal police have reported a surge in
bootlegged alcohol like many public
services here the under-resourced and
underfunded department there had a 2/3
of its budget cut in a decade have
struggled to cope our biggest thing is
resources our officers are wore thin
down you know there's right now there's
three of us on you know it's a busy time
and I 60 miles east to west by about at
least 90 miles north to south is the
area that my three officers are covering
tonight not enough right no no how much
is the bootlegging gone up since white
clay closed tremendously man there's a
bootlegger and every one of our little
cluster housings in each of our
districts they're killing our people
over Reid money at one point in time we
was a proud nation through genocide
tactics in own
taking our land you know giving us
rations you know giving us handouts
it made us dependent we look for
something else we look for alcohol we
look for drugs some way to get away from
that reality a series of 9-1-1 calls led
us to this home where three families
with eight children live in a
three-bedroom house one uncle lies
inebriated at the doorway get up go
another family member is passed out at
the back wake up
[Music]
did you ever think about why why this
happens here sometimes yeah you know
maybe they seen it growing up something
that they learned or maybe they got to a
point in their life where they don't
feel that they can contribute anything
anymore so they they dream to forget
those things I don't know there's a lot
of different reasons why taking the
jailing helping it you know cuz we're
gonna be tomorrow I won't take them to
jail again
next night take them again you know I'm
just that's it's a revolving door all
the time
tiny in Aileen often accompanied police
on domestic violence and suicide
call-outs but here in the center of the
reservation earlier in the week no one
got to 23 year-old Tyler D Bray in time
[Music]
this is a really hard thing when our
life is cut short we don't have the
answers we don't know why and in this
particular case we didn't see this one
coming
Tyler was full of life and when I first
met him I walked by him and I went back
to him I said my god you're gorgeous and
he says I know da when a young child
says I'm gonna take my pain and leave
the pain stays here it stays here with
us but know that you loved him
unconditionally know that you were good
to him and you have no regrets for the
way you treated him Tyla suicide was the
11th in Pineridge since April before I
left Pine Ridge
I came back to count justice on the
morning the Nebraska Supreme Court heard
arguments on the white clay case the men
and women here trespassed onto private
land just outside the township to send a
message of resistance I love it when I'm
on my tree deal and not the
concentration camp the reservation no
I'm a Lakota I remember our grandpa's
always telling us don't be afraid you
know and it seems like that that fear is
what kept us kept us back and really
held us down for four generations
so this teepee rising here represents
the end of that oppression in the end of
that colonialism you know and it
represents that resurrection of the
Lakota chi-wai that alcohol and white
clay represents the destruction of that
once we're sober and we regain our
spirits then our minds begin to heal you
know we can use the American system
against the Americans who try to oppress
us even further it just takes time and
patience on our side
you
Browse More Related Video
Poverty on Native American Reservations
Poverty USA - Native Americans - 16 Nov 07
Building Resilient Communities: A Moral Responsibility | Nick Tilsen | TEDxRapidCity
Rezball: Basketball in Lakota Nation - VICE World of Sports
Kenapa Jadi Tuan Rumah Olimpiade Tidak Lagi Diminati? Ditolak Warga! IOC Busuk? | LearningByGoogling
Inside South Africa's Biggest White Slum
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)