Members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe will go to the polls on August 13 to determine whether to legalize alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

The tribe set up a website, www.ostreferendum.org, to provide information to voters. It states that the polls will be open from 9am to 7pm on August 13.

The site also contains a copy of a proposed Alcoholic Beverage Code. The document is not final but it gives voters an idea of how the tribe might regulate the sale of liquor on the reservation.

Supporters believe liquor sales will boost revenue for the tribe. Opponents say it will only lead to more alcohol and social problems.

The reservation has been dry since 1889 except for a brief stretch in 1970. President Bryan Brewer has publicly oppose the sale of liquor.

A majority of tribes in the Lower 48 allow liquor on their reservations, although many limit it to gaming facilities or tourist businesses.

Get the Story:
OST Election Commission announces date for vote on legalizing alcohol on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (The Sheridan County Journal Star 7/26)

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