Post by blackcrowheart on Nov 25, 2006 11:39:13 GMT -5
Hidden AwaY, in the Land of Plenty: pine ridge, south dakota
> > > >
> > > > * Median income is $2,600 per year with 85% to 95%
> > > unemployment
> > > > * Infant mortality rate 300% higher than the U.S.
> > > National average
> > > > * Diabetes and Tuberculosis rates 800% higher than the
> > > U.S. National average
> > > > * Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing)
> > > > * At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard,
> > > without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage
> systems
> > > > * School drop-out rate is 70%
> > > > * Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45
> > > years old while other reports state that it is 48 years old for
> > men
> > > and 52 years old for women.
> > > > * With either set of figures, that's the shortest life
> > > expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside
> > > Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.
> > > > * And the list goes on and on�
> > > >
> > > > Hidden away, dotted throughout the landscape of America, are
> > > the Reservations of the Indigenous People of our land. Mostly
> > > unknown or forgotten by the mainstream culture of the dominant
> > U.S.
> > > society, the average United States resident knows little or
> > nothing
> > > about these people other than what romanticized versions they
> see
> > in
> > > movies and television or else in their nearest Reservation
> casino.
> > > Most assume that whatever poverty exists on a reservation is
> most
> > > certainly comparable to that which they might experience
> > themselves.
> > > >
> > > > Definitely, mainstream Americans are accustomed to being
> exposed
> > > to poverty. It has become nearly invisible due to its
> overwhelming
> > > presence everywhere. We drive through our cities now with a
> blind
> > > eye, numb to the suffering around us. Even more, we watch the
> > > televised reports of Third World countries, shake our heads and
> > turn
> > > away, rightfully assuming that our government and our charities
> > will
> > > help those in need all over the globe.
> > > >
> > > > The question begs: What about the foreign nations on America's
> > own
> > > soil, within this country, a part and yet apart from mainstream
> > > society? What about the Native American Nations on America's
> > > reservations? Few mainstream Americans know anything about the
> > > people that live on these reservations and fewer still know or
> > > comprehend the unconscionable conditions present on many of
> them.
> > > Oddly enough, the case could be made that more Europeans and
> > > Australians know and understand the cultures and conditions of
> our
> > > Indigenous people better than do the majority of mainstream
> > > Americans.
> > > >
> > > > What the Europeans and Australians know is that there are a
> > number
> > > of very fortunate Native American Nations whose people are able
> to
> > > earn a very good living due to casino income, natural resource
> > > income, or from some other sources. They also know, however,
> that
> > a
> > > staggering number of residents on Native American reservations
> > live
> > > in abject conditions rivaling, or even surpassing, that of many
> > > Third World countries.
> > > >
> > > > This report chronicles just one Nation, the Oglala Lakota
> > (Sioux)
> > > Nation of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Yet the
> name
> > > and only a few details could easily be changed to describe a
> host
> > of
> > > others� Dineh (Navajo), Ute Mountain Ute, Tohono O'odham, Pima,
> > > Yaqui, the list is long.
> > > >
> > > > Despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and
> > > against unbelievable odds, Nation after Nation of Indigenous
> > leaders
> > > and their people are working hard to counteract decades of
> > > oppression and forced destruction of their cultures to bring
> their
> > > citizens back to a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency in
> > > today's world.
> > > >
> > > > This report is not a plea for charity. It will also not detail
> > > the causes. It is simply hoped this report will serve to inform
> > and
> > > cure the massive ignorance pervading the United States about its
> > own
> > > Indigenous people. It seeks to dispel the illusions. For only by
> > > understanding, only through education, can prejudice be
> > > counteracted, mutual respect gained, and effective long-term
> > > cooperative solutions be found. Nothing can be accomplished if
> the
> > > issues remain unknown.
> > > >
> > > > There are numerous non-profit organizations, all under-staffed
> > and
> > > under-funded, trying to work with the Indigenous leaders to
> solve
> > > various facets of the problems existing on the reservations. It
> is
> > > not the purpose of this report to promote one organization over
> > > another as a solution. If the reader resolves to take a step to
> > > help, either monetarily or through volunteer work, it will be up
> > to
> > > the reader to take the responsibility to investigate and find a
> > > reputable organization best suited to their talents, resources,
> > and
> > > vision.
> > > >
> > > > In the meantime, this report will serve simply to make public
> > part
> > > of that which is hidden away in the richest country in the
> world.
> > > >
> > > > The Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian
> > > Reservation sits in Bennett, Jackson, and Shannon Counties and
> is
> > > located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, fifty miles
> east
> > of
> > > the Wyoming border.
> > > >
> > > > The 11,000-square mile (over 2 million acres) Oglala Lakota
> > > Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American
> > > Reservation within the United States. It is roughly the size of
> > the
> > > State of Connecticut.
> > > >
> > > > The Reservation is divided into eight districts: Eagle Nest,
> > > Pass Creek, Wakpamni, LaCreek, Pine Ridge, White Clay, Medicine
> > > Root, Porcupine, and Wounded Knee.
> > > > The topography of the Pine Ridge Reservation includes
> badlands,
> > > rolling grassland hills, dryland prairie, and areas dotted with
> > pine
> > > trees.
> > > >
> > > > According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Census, the Pine
> > > Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35%
> of
> > > which are under the age of 16. Approximately half the residents
> of
> > > the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala
> Lakota
> > > Nation.
> > > >
> > > > The population is steadily rising, despite the severe
> > > conditions on the Reservation, as more and more Oglala Lakota
> > return
> > > home from far-away cities in order to live within their societal
> > > values, be with their families, and assist with the
> revitalization
> > > of their culture and their Nation.
> > > >
> > > > Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine
> > Ridge
> > > Reservation is approximately $2,600 per year.
> > > >
> > > > The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the
> > > Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > There is no industry, technology, or commercial infrastructure
> > > on the Reservation to provide employment.
> > > >
> > > > The nearest town of size (which provides some jobs for those
> few
> > > persons able to travel the distance) is Rapid City, South Dakota
> > > with approximately 57,000 residents. It is located approximately
> > > 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine
> > Ridge
> > > is Denver, Colorado located about 350 miles away.
> > > >
> > > > Some figures state that the life expectancy on the Reservation
> > > is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state
> that
> > > the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old.
> > With
> > > either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for a
> > > community anywhere in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti,
> > > according to The Wall Street Journal.
> > > >
> > > > Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150%
> > > higher than the U.S. national average for this age group.
> > > > The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and
> > > is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and
> > > disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and
> > > malnutrition are rampant.
> > > >
> > > > The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be 800%
> > > higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > Recent reports indicate that almost 50% of the adults on the
> > > Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes.
> > > >
> > > > As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the Reservation,
> > > diabetic-related blindness, amputations, and kidney failure are
> > > common.
> > > >
> > > > The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is
> > > approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > Each winter, Reservation Elders are found dead from
> > > hypothermia (freezing).
> > > >
> > > > It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine
> Ridge
> > > Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys. This
> > > infestation causes an often-fatal condition with infants,
> > children,
> > > elderly, those with damaged immune systems, and those with lung
> > and
> > > pulmonary conditions at the highest risk. Exposure to this mold
> > can
> > > cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and brain as well as cancer.
> > > >
> > > > Many Reservation residents live without health care due to
> > > vast travel distances involved in accessing that care.
> Additional
> > > factors include under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities
> and
> > > outdated or non-existent medical equipment. There is little hope
> > for
> > > increased funding for Indian health care.
> > > >
> > > > Preventive healthcare programs are rare.
> > > >
> > > > In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian
> > > Nations, the U.S. government agreed to provide adequate medical
> > care
> > > for Natives in return for vast quantities of land. The Indian
> > Health
> > > Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for
> > Natives
> > > under these treaties and receives an appropriation each year to
> > fund
> > > Native health care. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very
> small
> > > compared to the need. The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped
> and
> > > can't possibly address the needs of Indian communities. Nowhere
> is
> > > this more apparent than on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > School drop-out rate is over 70%.
> > > >
> > > > According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs report, the Pine Ridge
> > > Reservation schools are in the bottom 10% of school funding by
> > U.S.
> > > Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
> > > >
> > > > Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > The small Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge
> > > Reservation are so overcrowded and scarce that many homeless
> > > families often use tents or cars for shelter. Many families live
> > in
> > > shacks, old trailers, or dilapidated mobile homes.
> > > >
> > > > There is a large homeless population on the Reservation, but
> > > most families never turn away a relative no matter how distant
> the
> > > blood relation. Consequently, many homes have large numbers of
> > > people living in them.
> > > >
> > > > There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each
> > > family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms).
> Some
> > > homes, built for six to eight people, have up to 30 people
> living
> > in
> > > them.
> > > >
> > > > 60% of Reservation families have no telephone.
> > > >
> > > > Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage
> > > systems as well as electricity.
> > > >
> > > > Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the
> > > local rivers daily for their personal needs.
> > > >
> > > > 39% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation have no
> > > electricity.
> > > >
> > > > 59% of the Reservation homes are substandard.
> > > >
> > > > It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine
> > > Ridge Reservation need to be burned to the ground and replaced
> > with
> > > new housing due to infestation of the potentially-fatal Black
> > Mold,
> > > Stachybotrys. There is no insurance or government program to
> > assist
> > > families in replacing their homes.
> > > >
> > > > Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors.
> > > >
> > > > Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. Even more
> > > homes lack central heating.
> > > >
> > > > Without basic insulation or central heating in their homes,
> > > many residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their ovens to
> > heat
> > > their homes.
> > > >
> > > > Many Reservation homes lack stoves, refrigerators, beds,
> > > and/or basic furniture.
> > > >
> > > > Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated
> > > areas.
> > > >
> > > > The largest town on the Reservation is the town of Pine Ridge
> > > which has a population of approximately 5,720 people and is the
> > > administrative center for the Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > There are few improved roads on the Reservation and many of
> > > the homes are inaccessible during times of heavy snow or rain.
> > > >
> > > > Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always
> > > a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over
> 110*F
> > > and winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach -
> > 50*F
> > > below zero or worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always
> a
> > > risk.
> > > >
> > > > Many of the wells and much of the water and land on the
> > > Reservation is contaminated with pesticides and other poisons
> from
> > > farming, mining, open dumps, and commercial and governmental
> > mining
> > > operations outside the Reservation. A further source of
> > > contamination is buried ordinance and hazardous materials from
> > > closed U.S. military bombing ranges on the Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > The Pine Ridge Reservation still has no banks, motels,
> > > discount stores, or movie theaters. It has only one grocery
> store
> > of
> > > any moderate size and it is located in the town of Pine Ridge on
> > the
> > > Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > Several of the banks and lending institutions nearest to the
> > > Reservation were recently targeted for investigation of
> fraudulent
> > > or predatory lending practices, with the citizens of the Pine
> > Ridge
> > > Reservation as their victims.
> > > >
> > > > There are no public libraries except one at the Oglala Lakota
> > > College.
> > > >
> > > > There is no public transportation available on the Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > Ownership of operable automobiles by residents of the
> > > Reservation is highly limited.
> > > >
> > > > Predominate form of travel for all ages on the Reservation is
> > > walking or hitchhiking.
> > > >
> > > > There is one very small airport on the Reservation servicing
> > > both the Pine Ridge Reservation and Shannon County. It's
> longest,
> > > paved runway extends 4,969 feet. There are no commercial flights
> > > available.
> > > >
> > > > There is one radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
> > > KILI 90.1FM is located near the town of Porcupine on the
> > Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families on the
> Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > The death rate from alcohol-related problems on the
> > > Reservation is 300% higher than the remaining US population.
> > > >
> > > > The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale and
> > > possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation since the
> > early
> > > 1970's. However, the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400
> > > yards off the Reservation border in a contested "buffer" zone)
> has
> > > approximately 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell
> over
> > > 4.1 million cans of beer each year resulting in a $3 million
> > annual
> > > trade. Unlike other Nebraska communities, Whiteclay exists only
> to
> > > sell liquor and make money. It has no schools, no churches, no
> > civic
> > > organizations, no parks, no benches, no public bathrooms, no
> fire
> > > service and no law enforcement. Tribal officials have repeatedly
> > > pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these liquor stores
> or
> > > enforce the State laws regulating liquor stores but have been
> > > consistently refused.
> > > >
> > > > Scientific studies show that the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer
> > > which begins underneath the Pine Ridge Reservation is predicted
> to
> > > run dry within the next thirty years due to commercial interest
> > use
> > > and dryland farming in numerous states south of the Reservation.
> > > This critical North American underground water resource is not
> > > renewable at anything near the present consumption rate. The
> > recent
> > > years of drought have simply accelerated the problem.
> > > >
> > > > Scientific studies show that much of the High Plains/Oglala
> > > Aquifer has been contaminated with farming pesticides and
> > > commercial, factory, mining, and industrial contaminants in the
> > > States of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New
> > > Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
> > > >
> > > > The Tribal nations are considered to have sovereign
> > > governmental status and have a government to government
> > relationship
> > > with the United States. The Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal
> government
> > > operates under a constitution consistent with the Indian
> > > Reorganization Act of 1934 and approved by the Tribal membership
> > and
> > > Tribal Council of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. The Tribe is
> > > governed by an elected body consisting of a 5 member Executive
> > > Committee and an 18 member Tribal Council, all of whom serve a
> > four
> > > year term.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > * Median income is $2,600 per year with 85% to 95%
> > > unemployment
> > > > * Infant mortality rate 300% higher than the U.S.
> > > National average
> > > > * Diabetes and Tuberculosis rates 800% higher than the
> > > U.S. National average
> > > > * Elderly die each winter from hypothermia (freezing)
> > > > * At least 60% of the homes are severely substandard,
> > > without water, electricity, adequate insulation, and sewage
> systems
> > > > * School drop-out rate is 70%
> > > > * Recent reports state the average life expectancy is 45
> > > years old while other reports state that it is 48 years old for
> > men
> > > and 52 years old for women.
> > > > * With either set of figures, that's the shortest life
> > > expectancy for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside
> > > Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.
> > > > * And the list goes on and on�
> > > >
> > > > Hidden away, dotted throughout the landscape of America, are
> > > the Reservations of the Indigenous People of our land. Mostly
> > > unknown or forgotten by the mainstream culture of the dominant
> > U.S.
> > > society, the average United States resident knows little or
> > nothing
> > > about these people other than what romanticized versions they
> see
> > in
> > > movies and television or else in their nearest Reservation
> casino.
> > > Most assume that whatever poverty exists on a reservation is
> most
> > > certainly comparable to that which they might experience
> > themselves.
> > > >
> > > > Definitely, mainstream Americans are accustomed to being
> exposed
> > > to poverty. It has become nearly invisible due to its
> overwhelming
> > > presence everywhere. We drive through our cities now with a
> blind
> > > eye, numb to the suffering around us. Even more, we watch the
> > > televised reports of Third World countries, shake our heads and
> > turn
> > > away, rightfully assuming that our government and our charities
> > will
> > > help those in need all over the globe.
> > > >
> > > > The question begs: What about the foreign nations on America's
> > own
> > > soil, within this country, a part and yet apart from mainstream
> > > society? What about the Native American Nations on America's
> > > reservations? Few mainstream Americans know anything about the
> > > people that live on these reservations and fewer still know or
> > > comprehend the unconscionable conditions present on many of
> them.
> > > Oddly enough, the case could be made that more Europeans and
> > > Australians know and understand the cultures and conditions of
> our
> > > Indigenous people better than do the majority of mainstream
> > > Americans.
> > > >
> > > > What the Europeans and Australians know is that there are a
> > number
> > > of very fortunate Native American Nations whose people are able
> to
> > > earn a very good living due to casino income, natural resource
> > > income, or from some other sources. They also know, however,
> that
> > a
> > > staggering number of residents on Native American reservations
> > live
> > > in abject conditions rivaling, or even surpassing, that of many
> > > Third World countries.
> > > >
> > > > This report chronicles just one Nation, the Oglala Lakota
> > (Sioux)
> > > Nation of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Yet the
> name
> > > and only a few details could easily be changed to describe a
> host
> > of
> > > others� Dineh (Navajo), Ute Mountain Ute, Tohono O'odham, Pima,
> > > Yaqui, the list is long.
> > > >
> > > > Despite nearly-insurmountable conditions, few resources, and
> > > against unbelievable odds, Nation after Nation of Indigenous
> > leaders
> > > and their people are working hard to counteract decades of
> > > oppression and forced destruction of their cultures to bring
> their
> > > citizens back to a life of self-respect and self-sufficiency in
> > > today's world.
> > > >
> > > > This report is not a plea for charity. It will also not detail
> > > the causes. It is simply hoped this report will serve to inform
> > and
> > > cure the massive ignorance pervading the United States about its
> > own
> > > Indigenous people. It seeks to dispel the illusions. For only by
> > > understanding, only through education, can prejudice be
> > > counteracted, mutual respect gained, and effective long-term
> > > cooperative solutions be found. Nothing can be accomplished if
> the
> > > issues remain unknown.
> > > >
> > > > There are numerous non-profit organizations, all under-staffed
> > and
> > > under-funded, trying to work with the Indigenous leaders to
> solve
> > > various facets of the problems existing on the reservations. It
> is
> > > not the purpose of this report to promote one organization over
> > > another as a solution. If the reader resolves to take a step to
> > > help, either monetarily or through volunteer work, it will be up
> > to
> > > the reader to take the responsibility to investigate and find a
> > > reputable organization best suited to their talents, resources,
> > and
> > > vision.
> > > >
> > > > In the meantime, this report will serve simply to make public
> > part
> > > of that which is hidden away in the richest country in the
> world.
> > > >
> > > > The Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Indian
> > > Reservation sits in Bennett, Jackson, and Shannon Counties and
> is
> > > located in the southwest corner of South Dakota, fifty miles
> east
> > of
> > > the Wyoming border.
> > > >
> > > > The 11,000-square mile (over 2 million acres) Oglala Lakota
> > > Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American
> > > Reservation within the United States. It is roughly the size of
> > the
> > > State of Connecticut.
> > > >
> > > > The Reservation is divided into eight districts: Eagle Nest,
> > > Pass Creek, Wakpamni, LaCreek, Pine Ridge, White Clay, Medicine
> > > Root, Porcupine, and Wounded Knee.
> > > > The topography of the Pine Ridge Reservation includes
> badlands,
> > > rolling grassland hills, dryland prairie, and areas dotted with
> > pine
> > > trees.
> > > >
> > > > According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Census, the Pine
> > > Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 40,000 persons, 35%
> of
> > > which are under the age of 16. Approximately half the residents
> of
> > > the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala
> Lakota
> > > Nation.
> > > >
> > > > The population is steadily rising, despite the severe
> > > conditions on the Reservation, as more and more Oglala Lakota
> > return
> > > home from far-away cities in order to live within their societal
> > > values, be with their families, and assist with the
> revitalization
> > > of their culture and their Nation.
> > > >
> > > > Recent reports point out that the median income on the Pine
> > Ridge
> > > Reservation is approximately $2,600 per year.
> > > >
> > > > The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the
> > > Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > There is no industry, technology, or commercial infrastructure
> > > on the Reservation to provide employment.
> > > >
> > > > The nearest town of size (which provides some jobs for those
> few
> > > persons able to travel the distance) is Rapid City, South Dakota
> > > with approximately 57,000 residents. It is located approximately
> > > 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine
> > Ridge
> > > is Denver, Colorado located about 350 miles away.
> > > >
> > > > Some figures state that the life expectancy on the Reservation
> > > is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state
> that
> > > the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old.
> > With
> > > either set of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for a
> > > community anywhere in the Western Hemisphere outside Haiti,
> > > according to The Wall Street Journal.
> > > >
> > > > Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150%
> > > higher than the U.S. national average for this age group.
> > > > The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and
> > > is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction and
> > > disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and
> > > malnutrition are rampant.
> > > >
> > > > The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be 800%
> > > higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > Recent reports indicate that almost 50% of the adults on the
> > > Reservation over the age of 40 have diabetes.
> > > >
> > > > As a result of the high rate of diabetes on the Reservation,
> > > diabetic-related blindness, amputations, and kidney failure are
> > > common.
> > > >
> > > > The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is
> > > approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > Each winter, Reservation Elders are found dead from
> > > hypothermia (freezing).
> > > >
> > > > It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine
> Ridge
> > > Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys. This
> > > infestation causes an often-fatal condition with infants,
> > children,
> > > elderly, those with damaged immune systems, and those with lung
> > and
> > > pulmonary conditions at the highest risk. Exposure to this mold
> > can
> > > cause hemorrhaging of the lungs and brain as well as cancer.
> > > >
> > > > Many Reservation residents live without health care due to
> > > vast travel distances involved in accessing that care.
> Additional
> > > factors include under-funded, under-staffed medical facilities
> and
> > > outdated or non-existent medical equipment. There is little hope
> > for
> > > increased funding for Indian health care.
> > > >
> > > > Preventive healthcare programs are rare.
> > > >
> > > > In most of the treaties between the U.S. Government and Indian
> > > Nations, the U.S. government agreed to provide adequate medical
> > care
> > > for Natives in return for vast quantities of land. The Indian
> > Health
> > > Services (IHS) was set up to administer the health care for
> > Natives
> > > under these treaties and receives an appropriation each year to
> > fund
> > > Native health care. Unfortunately, the appropriation is very
> small
> > > compared to the need. The IHS is understaffed and ill-equipped
> and
> > > can't possibly address the needs of Indian communities. Nowhere
> is
> > > this more apparent than on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > School drop-out rate is over 70%.
> > > >
> > > > According to a Bureau of Indian Affairs report, the Pine Ridge
> > > Reservation schools are in the bottom 10% of school funding by
> > U.S.
> > > Department of Education and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
> > > >
> > > > Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average.
> > > >
> > > > The small Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge
> > > Reservation are so overcrowded and scarce that many homeless
> > > families often use tents or cars for shelter. Many families live
> > in
> > > shacks, old trailers, or dilapidated mobile homes.
> > > >
> > > > There is a large homeless population on the Reservation, but
> > > most families never turn away a relative no matter how distant
> the
> > > blood relation. Consequently, many homes have large numbers of
> > > people living in them.
> > > >
> > > > There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each
> > > family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms).
> Some
> > > homes, built for six to eight people, have up to 30 people
> living
> > in
> > > them.
> > > >
> > > > 60% of Reservation families have no telephone.
> > > >
> > > > Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and sewage
> > > systems as well as electricity.
> > > >
> > > > Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from the
> > > local rivers daily for their personal needs.
> > > >
> > > > 39% of the homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation have no
> > > electricity.
> > > >
> > > > 59% of the Reservation homes are substandard.
> > > >
> > > > It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine
> > > Ridge Reservation need to be burned to the ground and replaced
> > with
> > > new housing due to infestation of the potentially-fatal Black
> > Mold,
> > > Stachybotrys. There is no insurance or government program to
> > assist
> > > families in replacing their homes.
> > > >
> > > > Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors.
> > > >
> > > > Many Reservation homes lack adequate insulation. Even more
> > > homes lack central heating.
> > > >
> > > > Without basic insulation or central heating in their homes,
> > > many residents on the Pine Ridge Reservation use their ovens to
> > heat
> > > their homes.
> > > >
> > > > Many Reservation homes lack stoves, refrigerators, beds,
> > > and/or basic furniture.
> > > >
> > > > Most Reservation families live in rural and often isolated
> > > areas.
> > > >
> > > > The largest town on the Reservation is the town of Pine Ridge
> > > which has a population of approximately 5,720 people and is the
> > > administrative center for the Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > There are few improved roads on the Reservation and many of
> > > the homes are inaccessible during times of heavy snow or rain.
> > > >
> > > > Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always
> > > a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over
> 110*F
> > > and winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach -
> > 50*F
> > > below zero or worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always
> a
> > > risk.
> > > >
> > > > Many of the wells and much of the water and land on the
> > > Reservation is contaminated with pesticides and other poisons
> from
> > > farming, mining, open dumps, and commercial and governmental
> > mining
> > > operations outside the Reservation. A further source of
> > > contamination is buried ordinance and hazardous materials from
> > > closed U.S. military bombing ranges on the Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > The Pine Ridge Reservation still has no banks, motels,
> > > discount stores, or movie theaters. It has only one grocery
> store
> > of
> > > any moderate size and it is located in the town of Pine Ridge on
> > the
> > > Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > Several of the banks and lending institutions nearest to the
> > > Reservation were recently targeted for investigation of
> fraudulent
> > > or predatory lending practices, with the citizens of the Pine
> > Ridge
> > > Reservation as their victims.
> > > >
> > > > There are no public libraries except one at the Oglala Lakota
> > > College.
> > > >
> > > > There is no public transportation available on the Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > Ownership of operable automobiles by residents of the
> > > Reservation is highly limited.
> > > >
> > > > Predominate form of travel for all ages on the Reservation is
> > > walking or hitchhiking.
> > > >
> > > > There is one very small airport on the Reservation servicing
> > > both the Pine Ridge Reservation and Shannon County. It's
> longest,
> > > paved runway extends 4,969 feet. There are no commercial flights
> > > available.
> > > >
> > > > There is one radio station on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
> > > KILI 90.1FM is located near the town of Porcupine on the
> > Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families on the
> Reservation.
> > > >
> > > > The death rate from alcohol-related problems on the
> > > Reservation is 300% higher than the remaining US population.
> > > >
> > > > The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale and
> > > possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation since the
> > early
> > > 1970's. However, the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400
> > > yards off the Reservation border in a contested "buffer" zone)
> has
> > > approximately 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell
> over
> > > 4.1 million cans of beer each year resulting in a $3 million
> > annual
> > > trade. Unlike other Nebraska communities, Whiteclay exists only
> to
> > > sell liquor and make money. It has no schools, no churches, no
> > civic
> > > organizations, no parks, no benches, no public bathrooms, no
> fire
> > > service and no law enforcement. Tribal officials have repeatedly
> > > pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these liquor stores
> or
> > > enforce the State laws regulating liquor stores but have been
> > > consistently refused.
> > > >
> > > > Scientific studies show that the High Plains/Oglala Aquifer
> > > which begins underneath the Pine Ridge Reservation is predicted
> to
> > > run dry within the next thirty years due to commercial interest
> > use
> > > and dryland farming in numerous states south of the Reservation.
> > > This critical North American underground water resource is not
> > > renewable at anything near the present consumption rate. The
> > recent
> > > years of drought have simply accelerated the problem.
> > > >
> > > > Scientific studies show that much of the High Plains/Oglala
> > > Aquifer has been contaminated with farming pesticides and
> > > commercial, factory, mining, and industrial contaminants in the
> > > States of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New
> > > Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
> > > >
> > > > The Tribal nations are considered to have sovereign
> > > governmental status and have a government to government
> > relationship
> > > with the United States. The Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal
> government
> > > operates under a constitution consistent with the Indian
> > > Reorganization Act of 1934 and approved by the Tribal membership
> > and
> > > Tribal Council of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. The Tribe is
> > > governed by an elected body consisting of a 5 member Executive
> > > Committee and an 18 member Tribal Council, all of whom serve a
> > four
> > > year term.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >