Jim Kent: Racism rears its head again in South Dakota

Opinion

Monday, April 6, 2009

"If it seems we’ve walked down South Dakota’s road of racial unrest before, it’s because we have.

One of the first stories I covered as a journalist in this northern plains state was a hate crime.

The body of Robert “Boo” Many Horses was found dumped upside down in a garbage can in the reservation border town of Mobridge. Four white youths were apprehended for involvement in his death, but subsequently released on bail under “very loose” house arrest.

The Many Horses case, the unsolved deaths of Native Americans along Rapid Creek, the unsolved deaths near Whiteclay and the numerous other race-related incidents that have occurred in South Dakota make the state a sitting target for anyone who points in this direction when speaking of “racial issues.”

Although this latest incident, fortunately, was not fatal, we are once again faced with racism.

St. Patrick’s Day; four teens and one adolescent, all white, cruise Rapid City firing a BB gun and throwing urine at Native Americans. They’re caught, released and awaiting hearings in juvenile court. Possible felony charges include malicious intimidation or harassment along with misdemeanor crimes of simple assault and intentionally causing contact with bodily fluids or waste.

The mayor’s upset; the police chief’s upset, and rightfully so. Good for them. But more importantly, the Native American community is upset. And we should all be upset."

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Jim Kent: Racism rears its head, again, in South Dakota (Indian Country Today 4/3)