Health

WHITECLAY ACTIVISTS PROTEST AT DISTRIBUTORSHIP

by angryindian | August 31, 2007 at 05:10 pm | 727 views | 3 comments | 10 recommendations

This issue is another of a long line of maladies that harm Aboriginal peoples worldwide. The Sami people of Scandinavia seem to have found ways of addressing alcohol abuse as have the Incas via traditional methods. In the U.S., Indigenist alcoholism is a leading cause of death across economic lines but it is extremely prevalent amongst the poorest Indians both urban and reservation.

- The Angryindian

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EFFORTS TO STOP ALCOHOL FLOWING FROM WHITECLAY, NEBRASKA TO THE PINE RIDGE INDIAN RESERVATION MOVED TO THE PANHANDLE TODAY, BUT PROTESTORS DID NOT GET THE ANSWERS THEY WERE SEEKING.

Having been unsuccessful in attempts to blockade beer from entering the Pine Ridge Reservation from Nebraska, Protestors took a different tack Thursday. Native American activists and members of Nebraskans for Peace picketed outside the Scottsbluff Budweiser distributorship, seeking the help of Anheuser-Busch in dealing with issues north of Whiteclay, including a reduction in alcohol-related deaths.

Says activist Frank Lamere, "Many of them are our children, scores of children who are dead because of alcohol that is illegally exported into Pine Ridge from Nebraska with the misery, the devastation that goes with it."

Some 20% of all children on the reservation suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. But efforts to speak with the owner of High Plains Budweiser were met with what they considered to be a patronizing press release.

"They, like legislators in Nebraska, continue to take a powder on this issue which should raise red flags among every one of us," commented Lamere.

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phrolen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 20:16 on August 31st, 2007

angryindian, I think this is an extremely interesting issue. Please keep us posted on this developing topic

PEP

at 23:52 on August 31st, 2007

The White Clay protest has been going on for years now. In essence, White Clay isn't even really a town--check out the population. It's simply an opportunistic attempt to peddle booze as close as possible to the reservation boundaries. Here's some additional information about Camp Justice, the ongoing protest, the treaties, and murder.