Is This True Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Is The Poorest Place In America? (Buffalo: loans, houses)

[Polycarp of John]

Unfortunately, I don't have any vested interest in INDUSTRIAL hemp, developed by the govt around World War II to have virtually no intoxicants and have very strong fibers for rope making.

I saw a show on Public Television PBS about the family in Pine Ridge who had tried to grow it, because they thought it might be a good cash crop for the reservation. It takes very little water, grows well in poor soil, is suited to the climate at Pine Ridge, and has its own system for enriching the soil and doesn't need fertilizers. They got a very nice crop.

The reason I'm so excited about it is that it is the first crop of anything that has grown well in the dry, poor quality soil on the reservation. It means hope, if they can get Congress' permission to grow it.

[Future Trooper]

i certainly congress does give them permission to grow it. Then they would be able to lift themselves up into better financial situations.

[Jammie]

Did I say YOU are a radical? Did I say YOU do know Russell Means?

I'm not sure why you begin your posts chastising me and I'm also not sure why you are using the diversion tactics since you have a lot of good ideas. That's generally reserved for the situations when you can't come up with answers and you actually have some interesting suggestions.

[rjl78]

Frankly I am tired of hearing about Industrial Hemp. If its so handy we would see more of it. There are a vast amount of products out there that meet the needs we face. We don't case closed.

[Future Trooper]

i agree with you. if is so handy as everyone says it is then howcome it isnt being mass produced?

[debey]

one of the reasons hemp is NOT a crop, of the future, is due to the fact that it ''goes to seed'' easily, the birds eat the seeds, head for the nearest tree belt, ''release'' a fertilized seed, and then hemp is no longer a ''desired'' crop, but a weed.

[Polycarp of John]

Sorry, Jammie. I misread what you said. But you did say it sounded like I lived where Russell Means had settled, and I haven't given my location.

In my earlier posts I said why the INDUSTRIAL hemp, that was developed by the US govt to be virtually intoxicant free and have extremely strong fibers for making rope, isn't being grown anywhere in the US at this time. Congress mistakenly put it on the controlled substances list along with the other forms of hemp that do have intoxicants. The native American family from Pine Ridge, who grew it so successfully, have been through the courts trying to get permission to continue growing it. On their last trip to a high court the judge finally understood the situation and the good that could result from growing INDUSTRIAL hemp on the reservation, and he said the courts couldn't do much to help, and it would work better to lobby Congress to take this one form of hemp off of the controlled substances list, since it couldn't be used as an intoxi ant.

[Jammie]

News for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa

It's ok. It looks like Russell has been back here off and on anyway.

Since you don't have the advantage of our local news, there is another story you may be interested in and it is in yesterday's (Tuesday's) Daily Republic and probably other newspapers.

The taxpayers spend a fortunate for law enforcement and courts on Pine Ridge. They are no investigating corruption in the police dept. and allegations of abuse. The BIA is now considering putting their own officers there. It seems the current law enforcement are tormenting their own people.

[GI_Mark]

Ok, I've heard and keep hearing about the whole Industrial Hemp thing, so I decided to look into it a little further. From all accounts the US doesn't view Industrial Hemp as a cost effective crop. The market for Industrial Hemp has been flooded by China and Canada whose labor laws are suspect at best (in this regard) and can produce the crop for next to nothing. The US imports roughly 3 million dollars worth of hemp anually and that can be grown on about 4000-5000 acres of land. The Canadian fields are estimated at about 35,000 acres and that pales in comparison to China's fields.

Bottomline is, the US government doesn't view it as profitable enough to make a difference and the demand is so little, it's not worth the potential problems that could arise from making it legal to produce. That being said, there are States like Hawaii that are doing testing, but the effort is little to nothing. It's easier and cheaper for the government to import it than it is to produce it.

I'm not saying I agree with any of this as it doesn't make a difference to me one way or another, but this is what I have found to be the case. There are still efforts by most States to make this a legal crop, but I just don't see it happening.

[Running Fast]

I can't believe some of the comments written above, including misconceptions, misunderstandings and just plain ignorance.... Sorry but a few of you riled me big time.

SD towns that surround the Indian Reservations are well known for their deep seated prejudice toward Natives. I have spent time on the Pine Ridge Rez, the last was in 2007. I have friends there. I also visited Rapid City a number of times, sometimes alone and sometimes with my friends. When alone I was treated well in stores and restaurants. When with them, I was also subjected to prejudice.

I keep hearing people point out how their taxes are paying the Indian a monthly wage only to have them drink it up. WRONG! Any money the Indian people receive come from land leases and such. Pine Ridge has few natural resources. The same goes for many reservations

'Polycarp of John' above mentioned their lack of hope, hitting the nail square. You take a people's hope away, along with their pride, and you have them tied hand and foot, which is just where the European invaders have wanted them.

As for 'Pikie', the Filipino who made comments, yes, many of you have come here and are very industrious. However, you have not undergone the extremes of prejudice our Natives have faced, and still do. Much of the money earned here in the States by the Filipino people is sent back to their homeland to help support their relatives, much as do the Mexicans. A number of them later return home flush with U.S. dollars in their retirement years. I'm sure our Indian populations would wish all non-natives would follow suit.

Your own country today holds a deep contempt for many Filipino tribes, take the T'Boli for instance on Mindanao, who are looked down on much as were our American Indians. How do I know? My son lives there among them, having given up a lucrative position here in the states to go back there with his wife to help her people. Their website can be found at: http://www.datuwalimission.org[url]. Check it out.

Okay, so I've spouted off. Moderator cut: again~advertising is not allowed