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Native Sun News: Students degrade Indian school at game

Thursday, November 5, 2015

A Snapchat was posted during a high school football game between the Marty Indian School and Andes Central/Dakota Christian. Screenshot courtesy Elksoldier Hehaka Akicita

Racist caption on Snapchat denigrates Native Americans
By Richie Richards
Native Sun News Managing Editor

LAKE ANDES –– Competition during high school sporting events can be fierce and fans from both sides can be as passionate as the athletes on the playing surface. But when student and/or parent fans use racial taunts while supporting their school this becomes culture-based hate.

This abhorrent behavior from fans should be banned at every school; especially during a state-sanctioned event for the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA).

On Oct. 22, an exciting high school football game between Marty Indian School and Andes Central/Dakota Christian School was taking place in Lake Andes.

Meanwhile, on a popular social media site, Snapchat, two students from Dakota Christian School (DCS) were chatting when one posted a picture with a photo of the Marty Indian School charter bus with a caption which read, “There’s our tax dollars.”

Snapchat allows users to post pictures or videos which are viewed by a pre-determined audience and are available on the social media site for 1-10 seconds only. The photos/videos are deleted, thereafter.

This behavior can be excused as adolescence, but this type of insensitive behavior is a pandemic symptom of racism in South Dakota which is not conducive to a safe environment at high school sporting events.

The ill-spirited caption allegedly refers to the stereotype which leads non-Natives to believe Native Americans are tax-exempt and supported solely by the state and federal government. Although partially true, as many schools on reservations are funded by tax dollars, so are all public schools in America.