"After reading The New York Times‘s article, “Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation,” by Timothy Williams, published February 2, 2012 and the comment section where responses were provided by many individuals living in States from across this great nation to France, Australia, British Columbia, Mexico, England, the Soloman Islands and local responses, I was motivated to provide some much-needed response concerning the Wind River Indian Reservation located in the West Central portion of Wyoming, from a perspective of a resident Eastern Shoshone tribal member.
I am very perplexed by the article and comments. I have lived most of my life on this wonderful and beautiful Reservation and have never heard of “murderers’ row.” I am sure that individual people have their own names for local places, but that is downright misleading. I find the statements, “This place has always had the gloom here,” and “There has always been the horrendous murder” unfathomable. I was born in the Reservation border town of Lander and received my elementary education in the local school district of Fort Washakie. I, as did most of the elementary graduates, attended High School in Lander and upon high school graduation, I went to college out of state. Eventually, I received a Bachelor of Social Work Degree and later attained a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Hard work, family support, and determination were the basis of my education. In growing up on the Reservation, I never found it gloomy nor was aware of horrendous murders."
Get the Story:
Larry McAdams (Eastern Shoshone): Reply to The New York Times Article ‘Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation’
(Indian Country Today 2/28)
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