Unsure about traveling through Pine Ridge (Sturgis, Wall: home, law school, colleges)

[uncleharley]

I drove the same trip you are talking about doing about 3 years ago and had no problem whatsoever. I stopped for gas and had lunch at a local cafe. The people I came in contact with were friendly, courteous, & industrious. You should find all the services you may need along highway 18.
I have also driven from the badlands off I-90, southwest to Hot Springs a few times. I would recommend this trip for daylight hours only. There are vast stretches that seem to have very few if any services. I expect that if some problem should arise, you would have to deal with it alone. It is pretty though.

uh

[bingoricanwhite]

Originally Posted by chip123

*~*~*~*~*~*~Hi I want you to be aware that I just watched a show on the history channel called "Gang Land". It was about a gang called the "Wild Boyz' in the Pine Ridge Reservation of S.D.they are all made up of native americans(the Sioux Tribe). It showed how violent these gang members are and how they have no regard for human life whatsoever and how unwelcoming they are to outsiders. If you even look at them wrong they will come after you. They even go as far as disrespecting their own culture. They only have a few policemen to patrol the Pine Ridge area which is about the size of Rhode Island and has about 55,000 people on the reservation and these gang members know how to fool them. They will call 911 an report a bad accident and while the cops go and check it out they are having a huge gang war across town were the police can not get to the people in time who were just brutality beat or killed in time to save them because they are across town looking for a car crash that never happened.I have also heard it a beautiful place but if you are even a bit concerned about the safety of you and your family I would not dare to step foot near that reservation! I sugest that if you are traveling with your wife, a young child and a teenager I would not detour into the Pine Ridge reservation I would find a safer place to go. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

i saw tht just now watching it as we speak tht its terrible wat has besome of the ppl whos land this is

[travel addict]

DON'T Pine ridge is a getto. I have traveled thru the res 20 times. Only had trouble twice and it was minor but I carry a .45 openly and it tends to slow things down. If my wife is with me I go around.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by chip123

*~*~*~*~*~*~Hi I want you to be aware that I just watched a show on the history channel called "Gang Land". It was about a gang called the "Wild Boyz' in the Pine Ridge Reservation of S.D.they are all made up of native americans(the Sioux Tribe). It showed how violent these gang members are and how they have no regard for human life whatsoever and how unwelcoming they are to outsiders. If you even look at them wrong they will come after you. They even go as far as disrespecting their own culture. They only have a few policemen to patrol the Pine Ridge area which is about the size of Rhode Island and has about 55,000 people on the reservation and these gang members know how to fool them. They will call 911 an report a bad accident and while the cops go and check it out they are having a huge gang war across town were the police can not get to the people in time who were just brutality beat or killed in time to save them because they are across town looking for a car crash that never happened.I have also heard it a beautiful place but if you are even a bit concerned about the safety of you and your family I would not dare to step foot near that reservation! I sugest that if you are traveling with your wife, a young child and a teenager I would not detour into the Pine Ridge reservation I would find a safer place to go. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

well...since you done seen it on the telebishun...you must know more than anyone who has been there and not experienced any problems...hyuk, hyuk, hyuk

[S.Breeman]

Originally Posted by chip123

*~*~*~*~*~*~Hi I want you to be aware that I just watched a show on the history channel called "Gang Land". It was about a gang called the "Wild Boyz' in the Pine Ridge Reservation of S.D.they are all made up of native americans(the Sioux Tribe). It showed how violent these gang members are and how they have no regard for human life whatsoever and how unwelcoming they are to outsiders. If you even look at them wrong they will come after you. They even go as far as disrespecting their own culture. They only have a few policemen to patrol the Pine Ridge area which is about the size of Rhode Island and has about 55,000 people on the reservation and these gang members know how to fool them. They will call 911 an report a bad accident and while the cops go and check it out they are having a huge gang war across town were the police can not get to the people in time who were just brutality beat or killed in time to save them because they are across town looking for a car crash that never happened.I have also heard it a beautiful place but if you are even a bit concerned about the safety of you and your family I would not dare to step foot near that reservation! I sugest that if you are traveling with your wife, a young child and a teenager I would not detour into the Pine Ridge reservation I would find a safer place to go. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That is seriously the most idiotic thing i've ever seen. I used to live in Rushville Ne which is about 24 miles from Pine Ridge and i would go there multiple times a week to visit my girlfriends sister and her nephews in pine ridge. So roughly I've been there over 50 times and i never once encountered any type of problem at all. (btw i'm white) I would walk around there, would go into all local stores, museums, pretty much everything and never once had a single problem. The people in Pine Ridge are beyond nice, you'll never have a problem with anyone there.

btw the wildboyz are just a bunch of morons, people traveling through there have no worries what so ever, whenever I watched that show i just had the urge to slap them lil ****s for the bad image they gave of there people. Be assured most people in Pine Ridge aren't like them at all....

btw if anyone is ever traveling through Pine Ridge the Lakota Cafe is delicous and the coffee shop there is amazing and the owner are the nicest people in the world.
also while there check out Singing Horse Gift Shop, it's kinda out of the way but Rosie the owner is awesome.

[S.Breeman]

Originally Posted by bingoricanwhite

i saw tht just now watching it as we speak tht its terrible wat has besome of the ppl whos land this is

most people aren't like that at all. A lot of them still practice traditional ways and are really amazing.
Don't let them idiots fool anyone, it's a safe place to go.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Just reading "On the Rez" by Ian Frazier, which is all about Pine Ridge. Life on a giant reservation is very hard for an east coast person to understand, but this book is very illustrative. I recommend it.

[mar1ssa]

Originally Posted by chip123

*~*~*~*~*~*~Hi I want you to be aware that I just watched a show on the history channel called "Gang Land". It was about a gang called the "Wild Boyz' in the Pine Ridge Reservation of S.D.they are all made up of native americans(the Sioux Tribe). It showed how violent these gang members are and how they have no regard for human life whatsoever and how unwelcoming they are to outsiders. If you even look at them wrong they will come after you. They even go as far as disrespecting their own culture. They only have a few policemen to patrol the Pine Ridge area which is about the size of Rhode Island and has about 55,000 people on the reservation and these gang members know how to fool them. They will call 911 an report a bad accident and while the cops go and check it out they are having a huge gang war across town were the police can not get to the people in time who were just brutality beat or killed in time to save them because they are across town looking for a car crash that never happened.I have also heard it a beautiful place but if you are even a bit concerned about the safety of you and your family I would not dare to step foot near that reservation! I sugest that if you are traveling with your wife, a young child and a teenager I would not detour into the Pine Ridge reservation I would find a safer place to go. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Please do not let this show give you the wrong idea about Pine Ridge. The show did not accurately portray the reservation. Poverty yes, but gang violence is not something that should be feared by tourist. I have lived there my entire life and have not had a problem nor have I met anyone who has been ganged, mugged, or murdered. I know several of the people featured on this program and can assure you that your family will not be bothered in any way during your trip. I would only caution you to watch for animals on the road they pose more of a threat than any gangs. Treat the people as you would treat anyone else and you and your family will be safe. Stop at the Red Cloud Indian school on your way through and visit the heritage center.

[the old man]

i am going to play the devils advocate for a minute-- if its so safe like you say why in the sam hill are the feds pouring millions of $$$ into fighting crime on the rez all over the state? and if there is no gang problems why do I see gang graffiti(sp) when I drive over to Martin or over to Winner?

[KindraGrass]

for one thing its not a bad place at all, i lived close to pineridge i went there all the time! so stop saying things that aint true, its a very safe town if people dont no yu from there the wont **** with yu!!!