Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe march in protest of drunk and impaired drivers on the reservation.
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA -- The Oglala Sioux Tribe, the center of many controversies involving the alcohol sales right across the state border, at White Clay, Neb., has taken a step to put a stop to the high rate of deaths due to impaired drivers on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Tribal members, along with the cooperation of the OST Tribal Police force, have created the newest Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, as it is nationally known, on the reservation. On Dec. 30, 2011, the OST MADD chapter staged a march that ventured from the center of Pine Ridge Village toward the south, in the direction of White Clay, Neb. A quarter of the way to the border town, the march symbolically turned its back on the location of several million dollars of annual beer sales, and returned to the village. Escorted and supported by the OST police department, the march was led by Lakota singers who offered songs of prayer and encouragement for the crowd of about 30 walkers. All ages were represented, from walkers as young as three years old to the very elderly, who were assisted by younger family members. Once the march returned back to the village of Pine Ridge, the crowd was escorted into the Billy Mills Community Hall where a meal had been provided by various donors and supporters of the new MADD chapter. After a prayer of thanksgiving for the meal, as well as for additional encouragement for the people who are taking the stand against impaired driving, several of the officers were brought before the crowd to be recognized and honored as representatives of the entire force. Wade Broken Nose, a well known and respected singer, spoke to the crowd, regarding the efforts and sacrifices put forth by the law enforcement officers on the Pine Ridge Reservation. “These men and women are here to protect all of us. They want nothing more than for all of us to be safe, especially our children.” Said Broken Nose. “They have a hard job, because they sometimes have to put their own family members in custody.” Bringing some of the familiar Indian humor to the gathering, Broken Nose also made the observation, “Even worse, they sometimes have to put their in-laws in jail!” said Broken Nose bringing a smile to the officer’s otherwise stoic faces, and laughter throughout the crowd. The MADD march was to coincide with another effort by the Urban Warrior Society, out of Rapid City, entitled “Getting the Warrior out Of the Bottle”, which was organized by James Swan and Duane Martin. Swan remarked “We intended to go ahead with the blockade, but I don’t know”. The Urban Warrior Society had intended to stage a blockade at the S.D and Neb. border, where several million cans of beer cross over into the Pine Ridge Reservation. The purpose of the blockade was to have been to stop vehicles and confiscate any and all alcohol, according to a previous interview with Duane Martin. The date picked for the blockade coincided with the reception of monthly government assistance checks as well as Social Security checks. According to Martin, the checks are received the Friday preceding the first, if that day falls on a weekend or holiday. On Dec. 30, 2011, it was reported that Duane was being held in police custody on undisclosed charges. According to the officers in attendance at the gathering, there is no protocol set up for citizens to detain vehicles or confiscate anything out of individual’s vehicles. The OST police force hold their own check points throughout the year as it is deemed necessary, but they do so with the authority given to them as police officers. That authority is not granted to any individuals or organization that wishes to attempt what the Urban Warrior Society had planned, as according to Martin. (Contact Karin Eagle at staffwriter@nsweekly.com)
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