Native Americans in South Dakota (Pine Ridge, Rosebud: buy, casino, camping)

[ducksburg]

Originally Posted by jaada

what do you mean? move from reservation to another reservation?

How about moving from reservation to some cities like LA,NYC,Houston or simply another town?There are quite a lot non-white living in big cities.

[jaada]

Originally Posted by ducksburg

How about moving from reservation to some cities like LA,NYC,Houston or simply another town?There are quite a lot non-white living in big cities.

i am not sure of what you mean by that but mostly people stay on the reservation to stay close to their ancestors land, to their culture, to their relatives. i do not live in south dakota, i have been to LA and big cities are not my way of life. most native people i know of like being in the wide open spaces and slower pace of life kinda like the way it was before the forced colonization.

[otto-focus]

I Wonder How Many People Know The B.i.a. Was Part Of The War Department Up Till The 20's,it's Not Something Our Government Is Proud Of But The Policy Towards The Tribes Was Genocide.the Feds Only Get Involved When It It To There Advantage.the Neglect Is Shameful.our Government Has Not Kept One Treatie For Over Two Hundred Years And Has Just Taken Land From The Tribes If Something Valuable Was Found On The Res.we Stole Everything From The Tribes,it's The Responcibility Of The Government To Stop Neglecting The People Who We So Shamefully Treated And Start Doing Something To Improve The Health Care,schools And Not Give A Hand Out But Repay A Debt We Have Owed For A Long Time.sending A Peoples Children To Schools And Forbiding Them To Speak There Own Language,cutting There Hair,giving Them Names That Mean Nothing To Them Is Not Helping Them.otto

[Christine Joan]

Like so many others in the US, my family's oral history indicates that I am Indian, but my family has not been a part of a tribal culture for many generations. Here, in California, most Californians wish they were Indians (and could prove it with a tribe) because the reservations have gaming and the gaming is helping the reservations to thrive. The gaming allows tribes to earn a lot of money and enables them to educate their children, build nice homes, schools and hospitals, etc., on the reservations.

Something else must be going on that does not have anything to do with the federal government if the Indian tribes in one state are thriving while the Indian tribes in another state are slowly drinking themselves to death while living in poverty. I hope the Indian tribes in South Dakota are able to find and fix this problem. It would be a shame to lose an entire culture to alcoholism.

[Jammie]

The tribes in So. Dak. also have gaming and casinos. As with the white person, there has been so much embezzlement and theft and hoarding that the people who need it most don't generally get much of a cut out of the profits. Guess people are people no matter what color they are. You have the greedy in all races.

[ladynitenday]

Your right Jamie. No matter where you live or who you are, there are problems. My Dad used to say I was just a Blackfoot(not Blackfeet) because I wasn't pureblood, and the kids at school in Oreg would make fun of me because I was different and proud of my heritage. We can't prove our bloodline because G-Grandma and Grandpa left the res when they wanted to get married and their families wanted them to marry others. The white minister who performed the ceremony would only do it if they gave up their savage names and took white ones and agreed to never mention their wayward upbringing. Dad said Grandma cried for years over what she had given up but kept the agreement. Dad had me spend time on a Res with friends so I could connect with my heritage and I loved it. I prefer to be called Indian and to me it has nothing to do with India. A medecine man told me to be proud of who I am and everyone who is born here is a Native American, but only Indians are Indians. I guess it just depends on how you are raised and who gives you the values you keep inside.
Being part of a culture doesn't have to mean your skin is one color or another, it means how you feel, where your heart belongs or how you are raised. I have seen some people who are religious that have never been in a church and others who go every chance they can but are the closest to evil I have ever met. That is lay people and ministers too.
People will lie, cheat and steal no matter how they were raised or what business they are part of. When the devil takes hold of you, he doesn't care how you were raised or what color you are, as long as you do his work. I hope that makes sense. It's how I have been raised and what my folks drilled into me all of my life.

[Jammie]

Lady, I loved your post. I feel sorry for your grandparents because of the comment made that they shouldn't let people know of their "savage" upbringing. I never liked that in Westerns when they'd refer to Indians as savages. It sounds so cruel. It's neat that you also like to be called "Indian" because that's what the people I know wandt to be called.

It's so neat that you got to spend time on the rez to get in touch with your heritage. I find your culture so peaceful and so in tune with nature. I think we were probably raised somewhat the same way. My parents used to say, "Going to church every Sunday doesn't make you a Christian anymore then living on the farm makes you a cow."

[pejuta]

i lived in rapid city for a couple years. now in spearfish. im a nomad,originally from n.c. i am mixed white/indian. at times i had to stay at cornerstone mission in rapid city, which serves those in need. some come from rez, others live in rapid. they serve 3 delicious meals a day to anyone in need. they have limited space for sleeping. they have a food pantry and other types of help. there are many resources for a variety of help,some in particular for indians. a lot of times,people are too judgemental towards others for whatever reason. it took about a year for people,including indians to know i am a caring person. many now call me grandma or sister. there are good and bad everywhere,in every race,every level of education,belief,and financial status. look for what you want to see, experience and do. you will find your space anywhere you want to.

i see some are talking about bia. if you want to read something really hilarious,go to www.unitednativeamerica.com and read the article on bureau of white affairs.

[se7en kingstah]

What up ya'll just another native speaking his voice......I will be heard.........
Me I think Things on the rez life ain't never gon change for shyt ya know.......how do I know......been hurr all my life and shyt only gets worse it dont get less. I guess I should let ya know now that I ain't a good influence on my peeps.......I know whats its like and still do know whats its like to be around rez life gangstas.....hahhaha be for reals though most fake ya know.....most just posing tryna be somebody something ya know? I ain't gon lie I started a gang hurr on the rez life.....yeah thats all Im gon say but if ya want to know more about it ya gon have to e mail me......cuz I don't like really talking bout it.........Yeah man I done some bad things I should be locked up for right now....but Im not And I thank God for that everyday......things are rough hurr.......so Im left to struggle wit it.........I repp my hood and set till the day I die.....but I don't consider myself a gangsta .....just a Hustler >>>>..Dats how I be making maw money my paper My dough......those who know me from the Pine Ridge Rez know who I be and what I do..............I even hustled my **** in school ad never got caught ......not braggin but I consider maw self lucky.....Thurr be no jobs hurr.....and the ones dat r hurr are already taken or pending......So I make my money in other ways....Im a do maw own thing ...Im gon take my own self out of poverty.........can't say that I am proud of what I do but its the only way to feed myself....I can't be in that poverty level again I just can't.......its to hard when yo poor and living on the rez......you jus can't do it.....it tears you apart limb from limb...It got me to a point whurr I jus lay thurr crying like a lil girl cuz I couldn't do shyt bout it but think bout it .....I've been thurr and will say that I know exactly how it feels to be poor...and I mean poor as **** ......wit no electricity.....no food....no shoes ......no heat....no nothing.....nothing...... just you and your breathing man......that shyt be rough on a native ........BuT I got smart and went back to school and made it now Im in college and still living on the rez still hustlin...still reppin for my peeps......Im a Rez Lifer...........prolly be hurr till I die...which I hope one day isn't true......Shyt tough now days.......but I can't say that they ain't to rough for me.....but many of my family have it rough my immediate fam......shyt they all poor as **** and me...well thats another story.......Im a Mu'****ing Hustler and wouldn't change that for the rez world ya know? I am gon do whatever it takes to make it out this rez life........I am to determined.....to focused on one thing and thats strifing my way outta da rez life......like I be doing now......you see my story will be heard by the time I die and end up six feet under I be preparing for maw own death for seven years now.......crazy but true....I don't know when Im gon die so I let God figure that out furr me. If I died today It only make me more famous tomorrow ya know whatta I mean .......I got my whole life and story written down I got everything possible to tell my story when others can't in my own words and how it really is and was......Im ready for death in other words....my lil bro died ........my big sis be locked up for second degrre murder...my mom be an alcoholic wit no job a drop out..not even A GED......one of my other lil brother is 19 years old and still be a freshman in high school....one of my lil sisters is already a diabetic and she only be 20 years old........My other lil sister will be eighteen.....dropped out still ain't going back to school....she be out in the streets some whurr....but I don't know and to be truthful I stopped even caring whuur she might be at now......might be dead but I ain;t know...all I know is she thought she could be independent and do her own thing at the age of 16 and still doing it.......she ain't listen to nobody........My two youngest brother and sister already have smoked weed and God knows what else....and they still be in elementary...flunking already....I already see it before it happens they ain't gon to make it past high school let alone evn make it to high school....the reality iz plain and simple whurr I be from iz drugs, alcohol, addiction, death, drama, destruction, hate envy, lies, and almost every other negative things you can think of is right hurr on da rez......but Im used to it....something bad happens....no prob it be normal.......that be they problem.....we got enoughof our own as it iz .....but let me tell you that thurr is light in all this darkness and very few....and I mean very few will find it in this lifetime>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> till net time Im out peace for all my native strugglin on reservation across the United States....


Just gonna posy a lil poem I wrote for ya ight so hurr it goez>>>>>>>>

Da Rez Life For Lizzzyfe ya'll!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I grew up in a crucial reality placed called the Rez/ One of many but I tell ya'll each one is a tough test/ Beer cans, broken glass, bits of paper and plastic everywherre itz such a mess/ The alcohol and drugs only gets worse it doesnt get less/ you know the place ya don't even have to guess/ A lot of anger, depression, suicide and rez life stress/ With all this happening it's left me a reason to strive to be one of thee best/ To change for a better man is my only vision quest/ Our ways and culture tradition is what so many of us youth lack/ Its like our ancient ways are gone forever and we can never bring them back/ Im so tired of trying to get myself back on but most my homies are falling off track/ A bum wit no fututre I can't let myself end up like that. It's time for a young Native leader to step up and help bring our culture back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jammie]

Funny, I've lived around the Sioux all my life and have a few friends who are Sioux and I've never heard a one of them talk the way you talk. First of all, saying "Yall" is more of a Texas term and not a phrase that any of us use in So. Dak. HMMMMMM, me thinks something is wrong here.