Kristen Hunter, cowgirl, and her friends, Danielle Hudspeth and D. Young Man II, before the Xtreme Bulls event in Rapid City, South Dakota
Second beer splashing at Civic Center investigated
By Richie Richards
Native Sun News Staff Writer RAPID CITY –– On the evening of Friday, Jan. 30, Kristen Hunter, a Lakota cowgirl from Allen, invited two of her best friends, Danielle Hudspeth and D. Young Man II, to the XTreme Bulls Tour event at the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo in place of her grandmother who was unable to go. The best friends stopped in the Civic Center to pose for pictures to memorialize their time out together. At the time, not knowing just how indelible of a night it would become. They left after the event soaked in beer with video evidence of their mistreatment at the hands of a perpetrator bent on victimizing Native women and elders. Hunter had her phone out videotaping the event; the rodeo announcer was speaking with music from The Who playing in the background, when beer can be seen coming into frame from above. Hunter can be heard saying “Oh my God!? Where did that come from? Oh my God!?” The beer landed on all three women as well as an elderly non-native couple and two Native American men seated next to them. The following day, with careful consideration and advice from family, friends and her grandmother, Kristen posted the video to her Facebook page. This video went viral. The video has been met with great skepticism and criticism as it circulated through Indian Country. Some have called the video a “fake” and have accused the women of doctoring the video for self-promotion or exploitation of the previous incident with the American Horse School. Native Sun News interviewed Hunter, Young Man and Hudspeth in response to this video and the backlash they have received. Hunter, a fulltime student and aspiring singer/songwriter of country music, has had the most emotional reaction to the negative feedback and harassment she has received from her own community. “I did not want all the media attention. I did not ask for the harassment and gossip,” says Hunter. When asked why she didn’t get up and fight back she said, “We weren’t raised like that. My grandmother taught me to be a lady and respect myself.” Danielle Hudspeth continues with similar sentiments, “Whether this was intentional or an accident, I prefer not to be victimized either way. My first instinct is not to fight. I’m more of a peaceful person who would rather solve things with civil conversations and mutual understanding.” Hudspeth is a graduate of Chadron State College with a degree in Criminal Justice and currently attending Oglala Lakota College pursuing an associate’s degree in Tribal Law. She plans on working with the juvenile justice system in the future. “Denial of racism does not bring change. We need to start the conversation of racism here in South Dakota and get educated so we are not judged for being Indian,” says Hudspeth. D. Young Man, whose activist mother Davidica has been supporting the women, is a full time student at Oglala Lakota College studying business with a dream of opening up a music venue locally. Young Man grew up as a jingle dress dancer, going to ceremonies and decided to move from the reservation to pursue education and a career in the music business. When asked about the Xtreme Bulls incident, she said, “I wasn’t quite sure how to react cause I didn’t know what happened.” Sadly she admitted, “I am sorta numb to that treatment. I’m used to it. Most places we go to, we are treated bad. The thing about it is we are good people. We are fun and polite to everybody no matter what.” Collectively, these women expressed the desire for everyone to be treated with respect. They voiced concerns regarding the over-service of alcoholic beverages at the Civic Center, and felt the need for security cameras in the arena area. This incident is under investigation. At the time this article was being written, only D. had been contacted by investigators. Kristen Hunter was most affected by this tragic event. She is a cowgirl at heart and felt she was victimized by her peers and then re-victimized by her Native American community who did not believe her story –– the story she captured on video and on her clothing. (Contact Richie Richards at staffwriter@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission Native Sun News
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