"As a Native American and a Nebraskan long associated with efforts to focus public attention on the situation at Whiteclay, I applaud the Lincoln Journal Star for its recent set of articles and editorials addressing the issues there. The articles tell an important part of the overall story associated with Whiteclay that needs and deserves telling. But, I must stress they only tell part.

In the articles' emphasis on the personal human tragedy taking place there, the public policy dimension of the Whiteclay problem is accordingly downplayed and clearly diminished. It would be easy for a reader to interpret that those disaffected by alcohol at Pine Ridge must simply exercise personal responsibility or that they must get up tomorrow and build an economy.

That would be an incomplete picture. In fact, it would be a 'whitewash' of the state of Nebraska's role at Whiteclay that would certainly compound the tragedy."

Get the Story:
Frank LaMere: State obligated to help solve problems at Whiteclay (The Lincoln Journal Star 5/31)

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