Pine Ridge

My friend and esteemed Keloland colleague, Cory Heidelberger, alerts us to an article we ought to notice in the British Guardian. The article is about the Pine Ridge Reservation, and it is dispiriting reading.

The [Oglala Sioux] tribe's president, Theresa Two Bulls, is on air lamenting the death of a schoolboy, Joshua Kills Enemy, who hanged himself the day before. His funeral will be the second of the week, coming days after a 14-year-old girl took her own life in the same way. They are not the first…

Two days later, Two Bulls declares a "suicide state of emergency" in response to the deaths of the children and a spate of attempts by others to kill themselves, such as Delia Big Boy, who was 15 when she put a rope around her neck and came close to taking her own life. "It had a lot to do with my parents and alcohol abuse and what they say to you. The things they say make you think they don't love you," says the high school student, who is now 17. "I hear the same thing from my friends. There's a sense of hopelessness on the reservation. There's just not a sense of belonging. There's not a sense of a future.

It's more than a little embarrassing when it takes a left wing British magazine to tell South Dakotans what is happening within the borders of the Rushmore State.

Cory does us service by pointing out that, of all the persons running for South Dakota's lone House seat or the State House, he can find only a couple who have anything about Native American issues on their websites.

I would add a couple of observations. One is that non-Native Americans, and especially conservatives, are not allowed to have opinions about Native American affairs. If we say anything about Native American issues with which enrolled members of the tribes or Democrats in general disagree, we are told that "we just don't get it." It doesn't take much of that to discourage more than half of the residents of this state to keep quiet about the reservations.

I also note that, in that long Guardian article, full of indictments and innuendo directed toward the state and federal governments, there is scarcely a hint of what to do about the problems on the reservations. Consider this passage:

Conditions on the reservation are tough. More than 80% unemployment. A desperate shortage of housing – on average, more than 15 people live in each home and others get by in cars and trailers. More than one-third of homes lacking running water or electricity. An infant mortality rate at three times the US national average. And a dependency on alcohol and a diet so poor that half the population over the age of 40 is diabetic.

More federal funds for housing might solve part of that problem. It is not clear how the State of South Dakota, or the United States can remedy the unemployment problem. Infant mortality is notoriously resistant to policy, and alcohol abuse and diabetes likewise.

It's one thing to blame people for not caring. It's another thing to say what people who do care should do about the problems. Just right now we have a political culture that makes it very dangerous for people to say plainly what they think about sensitive issues. As long as that is the case, it will be difficult to get our politicians to pay attention to Pine Ridge.

Comments

[Lynn]

IMO employment could be greatly helped by two things. First, laws need to apply equitably for both on and off reservations. This is a great deterrent to companies invseting on reservations. Second, there the Native Americans themselves have to take responsibility for a good worth ethic - showing up on time and consistently. Native Americans trying to run a business on the reservation have the same problem with workers; it's not just me saying it.

As far as housing, Habitat for Humanity has built good homes for the Native Americams. Some are well taken care of, some aren't. If people have no personal investment in their home, there is often not the incentive to take care of it either.

Throwing money at the problem will not solve it. It hasn't for the last 100 plus years and wno't in the future. This is basically the Dems way to solve the problem, what they promise to buy votes at election time, and then nothing improves. Until the Native Americams decide the present way is not working and really want to try something different, things won't change.

It might sound like I'm blaming the Native Americans. Partly true. But mostly I'm blaming the gov't. It has created the dependency now rampant on the reservations. Their policies have destroyed the Native Amerian's pride and self-esteem. Two things need to happen - the gov't needs to get rid of the reservations and their separate laws etc, and the Native Americans themselves need to regain a sense of pride and self-esteem and realize that only they can improve the lot of themselves and their children.

[George Mason]

Well stated Lynn. Personal responsibility is not part of any government program or the liberal agenda. Victimhood is a simple excuse to any problem. Progress toward a better life is the result of the efforts of rugged individuals who pull others along with them. The government has made the native Americans a dependent group for too many generations. Overcoming the depedency (victim) mindset will be the great hurdle to leap if the poverty (both financial and intellectual)on the reservations is to be eliminated. Unfortunately there are people in Washington and on the reservation who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Today we have an administration in Washington that has ambitions to make the entire nation dependent upon the government

[caheidelberger]

Ken, I welcome your talking about Native Americans. I welcome any blogger's or candidate's discussion of the issue. If your (or George Mason's) ideological lenses appear to be getting in the way, I'll say so.

Folks will note that what I wrote is as devoid of solutions as the Guardian article. I don't know if there is a solution. But we won't find a solution if we don't push the issue in the press and in the candidate debates and have a public conversation. Silence is a great way to maintain the status quo.

[jhm47]

I live on a rez and see these problems all the time. However, one of the biggest problems is the lack of family support. I see 14 - 15 year old girls having babies. They lack the maturity or resources to care for these babies, so they are shunted from grandparent to foster homes to 14 - 15 yr old, and back and forth again. These babies have no chance in their lives as long as the family unit is totally chaotic. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, STD's---rampant, and it's getting worse. The sad thing is that these Natives blame all their problems on the whites, with the support of the liberal press and liberals in congress.

[KB]

Thanks for the comment, Lynn. I am generally in agreement. It certainly seems as if the reservation system perpetuates certain kinds of social dysfunction.

Cory: Are you an enrolled member of a Native American tribe? If not, I expect your powers to authorize conversation on certain topics will be limited. You are always civil and reasonable, but look what happened to Harry Reid when he made a questionable but plausible comment about Barack Obama's complexion and speech?

I didn't think your post was wrong. We should be talking about these things. But you would perhaps admit that, in the current political culture, we frequently punish people for doing precisely that.

[chas jewett]

as an enrolled member of the cheyenne river sioux tribe, living on the reservation, i thank you for discussing this serious issue. i think it's unfortunate though that you say as a conservative you aren't allowed a voice. i think it's unfortunate that democrats AND republicans don't come together to try to solve the problem. Senator Thune is the only leader with a Dakota person working for them. Neither party can claim indian country. My dad also a tribal member was a Goldwater Republican. I've been a republican, a democrat and now an independent. I too am frustrated with the state of our peoples at the bottom of the heap. i am going to be focusing on that prolonged poverty at countycoup.blogspot.com. It's systemic and its societal--none of these problems will be solved anytime soon.

[KB]

Thanks to jhm47 and chas jewett for the comments. Chas: I only wished to indicate the difficulties that must be overcome in order for honest discussions to take place. One of them is certainly "identity politics" or what we used to call "sociological representation," i.e., the idea that only members of a particular group have authority to speak on that certain issues affecting that group.

This was most evident with regard to Native Americans in the debates over Indian mascots in sports. I think that getting rid of such mascots is a mistake. For many American children, images of Native American warriors on football jerseys was the only clue that such persons as Native Americans exist. I think that such images could have been reformed in a way that preserves the dignity and presents the history of the tribes. We didn't go that rout, and I am willing to defer to the wishes of Native peoples on that issue. But whenever the argument got hot, and it does, frequently, people on my side of the issue are told that we "just don't get it." That was a way of closing off debate.

[felicianojoel]

.....What money...was given to these people...????....what sort of living for existence projects where given....???.....thats all you good at point and surmise to where and what the cause is...give them REAL homes...REAL lively hood projects that will support a well meaning full life...not to be neglected...like NOW 2010 as they are neglected in this winters snow storm....no food,no water,no electricity ....if if was not for organize groups...only a fraction of token help was given...IN THIS AGE AND TIME...2010....If they really wanted to HELP..it should had been done so ...long ago...NOT EVEN US HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES treat our indigenous people like this...you really dont get it...it has to be adjusted to their own ways...NO corporations....NO INDIVIDUAL...self successes Intrapreneurship....its all share and give...first give the REAL homes they dont have to pay with rent and bills...NEXT JOBS THAT ARE ACCEPTED to them...and it still does not mean they will be self supporting...the money and funds...goes to the people...not to chiefs or elders...or groups...you line them up in every district and hand out according to numbers of family...write their names ink them like voters and move on to the next sector...and do so again every 3 months...dont expect them to do your will...its to their will or calling that makes them who they are...this are nature people...their ways dont conform to the modern world....

[Dianne]

I just today, learned of the plight of the people on the Pine Ridge Reservation. We don't get any information regarding our native Americans down state in Michigan where I live. I got some info from a friend who is a member of the Little River Band of Ottowa Indians in Manistee, Michigan who told me that they are trying to collect things that are needed to be sent to Pine Ridge. What I'm wondering is whether or not the NAVASEMI of Detroit and the NAIA of Detroit are doing anything to get goods and supplies out. If they are, I've not heard about it. There's been nothing on the local news I(TV, radio, news). I've also not seen or heard anything on Fox, CNN or any of the other news networks. There's not much I can do. I'm on a fixed income but I could collect clothes, blankets, etc., but can't afford shipment costs. If we can (and we have) - the community at large can band together to get trucks to send things overseas to Haiti, etc., etc., I don't understand why nothing's being done around here. What I can do is write, but to whom? There's a lot of things that are just beyond wrong. I'm hearing horror stories about people on the Reservation not being able to get in to see a doctor for at least two weeks, regardless of how sick they are (that's happening on the reservation here in Manistee and others in the state. If it's happening here, then I'm sure it's happening all over. This is criminal. The media needs to get the word out. People need to start paying attention. I will write senators, congressmen and the news media, etc, but I'm just one person. This is an issue that should be front page, repeatedly. I can't believe that in this day and age our Native American People have to be "certified" and card carrying to "prove" who they are. That's criminal too. We are all brothers and sisters, people, human ones yet the way our Indian people are being treated, or I should say, not treated is not just criminal and unjust, it's flat out sinful -regardless of what religion a person may be in. I'm incensed, outraged.

That's my "two cents". Somehow, there's got to be a way to make things right, and in our lifetime.

Thanks for listening to my ranting. Just know that I care and these things that I'm finding on the internet and from my friends on the reservations up north really, really upsets me.

Dianne

[Dianne]

I have to read more - all I can find on the internet and talk to people on the reservations and those involved in the pow wow's that are going on right now.

[Krystyn Knights]

DIANNE: I agree fully with what you are saying, the news does NOT get out very well on this. I full-heartedly think the tribes with the Casinos, the tribes that are doing well should go to Pine Ridge and TEACH these people, show them how to get back their honor.
I also think the government agencies should go in there and see that they have proper housing, proper education, proper birth control for girls, they just need a lot of help, not all financially, but in so many other areas.
I myself am on a too limited budget to do anything for them, but my heart bleeds.
Krystyn