Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 3, 2007 13:12:55 GMT -5
Native American leaders at Dakota Gathering tell of struggles
WINONA, Minn. — Growing up on the Santee Indian Reservation in
northeastern Nebraska, Roger Trudell remembers days of husking corn with
his grandfather as a young boy and working for area farmers as a
teenager.
"Back in them days, the farmers didn't have the equipment they
have now," said Trudell, the reservation tribal chair.
Trudell, 59, has lived his life on the reservation, with the exception
of three years in the Army and two in Omaha, Neb. He was in Winona on
Saturday for the Dakota Gathering, an annual event for Dakota Indians
from across the Midwest to reunite on their ancestral land.
Today, the Santee reservation is home to 1,300 members and faces many
problems.
Jobs on the reservation are scarce, and many lack transportation
necessary to work elsewhere.
The lack of jobs has left some of the Santee people feeling hopeless,
Trudell said.
"Right now the biggest struggle is the methamphetamine problem and
other behavioral problems," Trudell said. "Sometimes it's
hard to get people motivated. Some of the young people don't see a
future for themselves."
Currently, the tribal council is working to improve the
reservation's economic standing, but Trudell said it's hard
"trying to build an economic base out of nothing."
A group of about 10 people from the Santee reservation traveled to the
gathering at East Lake Winona, called "Otakuye Hdihunipi" by the
Dakota people, meaning "all relatives have come home."
In 1853, the Dakota American Indians were forced from the land known as
Wapasha Prairie onto reservations in North and South Dakota, Nebraska
and Montana. Two of these reservations, the Santee and Crow Creek in
South Dakota are among the poorest areas in the country.
Crow Creek, home to about 3,000 people, is in even lower economical
standing than the Santee reservation.
While growing up, Pat Big Eagle lived on the reservation during the
summer. In 1972, he moved there year-round. He now lives on the Lower
Brule reservation across the Missouri River from Crow Creek.
Big Eagle said the Crow Creek reservation is in terrible condition with
the "housing in shambles," an outdated water system and a lack
of food.
"A lot of people aren't' getting their daily nutrition,"
Big Eagle said. "There's just no food there."
The reservation's education system is also struggling. Two years
ago, the high school burned down and hasn't been rebuilt due to lack
of funding.
Despite all of its economic problems, Big Eagle still sees a brighter
side to the reservation.
"Every day people just make the best of it under those
conditions," he said. "It doesn't take a lot to make people
happy."
WINONA, Minn. — Growing up on the Santee Indian Reservation in
northeastern Nebraska, Roger Trudell remembers days of husking corn with
his grandfather as a young boy and working for area farmers as a
teenager.
"Back in them days, the farmers didn't have the equipment they
have now," said Trudell, the reservation tribal chair.
Trudell, 59, has lived his life on the reservation, with the exception
of three years in the Army and two in Omaha, Neb. He was in Winona on
Saturday for the Dakota Gathering, an annual event for Dakota Indians
from across the Midwest to reunite on their ancestral land.
Today, the Santee reservation is home to 1,300 members and faces many
problems.
Jobs on the reservation are scarce, and many lack transportation
necessary to work elsewhere.
The lack of jobs has left some of the Santee people feeling hopeless,
Trudell said.
"Right now the biggest struggle is the methamphetamine problem and
other behavioral problems," Trudell said. "Sometimes it's
hard to get people motivated. Some of the young people don't see a
future for themselves."
Currently, the tribal council is working to improve the
reservation's economic standing, but Trudell said it's hard
"trying to build an economic base out of nothing."
A group of about 10 people from the Santee reservation traveled to the
gathering at East Lake Winona, called "Otakuye Hdihunipi" by the
Dakota people, meaning "all relatives have come home."
In 1853, the Dakota American Indians were forced from the land known as
Wapasha Prairie onto reservations in North and South Dakota, Nebraska
and Montana. Two of these reservations, the Santee and Crow Creek in
South Dakota are among the poorest areas in the country.
Crow Creek, home to about 3,000 people, is in even lower economical
standing than the Santee reservation.
While growing up, Pat Big Eagle lived on the reservation during the
summer. In 1972, he moved there year-round. He now lives on the Lower
Brule reservation across the Missouri River from Crow Creek.
Big Eagle said the Crow Creek reservation is in terrible condition with
the "housing in shambles," an outdated water system and a lack
of food.
"A lot of people aren't' getting their daily nutrition,"
Big Eagle said. "There's just no food there."
The reservation's education system is also struggling. Two years
ago, the high school burned down and hasn't been rebuilt due to lack
of funding.
Despite all of its economic problems, Big Eagle still sees a brighter
side to the reservation.
"Every day people just make the best of it under those
conditions," he said. "It doesn't take a lot to make people
happy."