How to help the Lakota from "A Hidden America: Children of the Plains" on ABC 20/20

[1776Forever]

Go here for video on the story presented tonight on 20/20 about the Pine Ridge Lakota Reservation and the people who live there. This is disgraceful and it is very hard to watch but it is something we all need to know about!

http://abcnews.go.com/US/organizations-seek-donations-improve-life-pine-ridge/story?id=14729358

Go to the site below if you want to help the Native American Lakota Tribe children featured in "A Hidden America: Children of the Plains" and others like them.

https://www.servicenetwork.com/olg/2020a/default.html

.......

One more example of how the "greatest Nation in the world" has not lived up to its image.

:hug:

[riverwalker]

1. it was an amazing program

thank you Diane Sawyer. The boy Robert Looks Twice really touched me. Such a promising young man. I hope someday he IS the President, as he dreams!

[1776Forever]

3. I hope someone that has money will replace his Grandma's rundown mobile home with the leaky molding

roof! 80% of the adults are alcoholic - can anyone blame them with no future and the horrible "war zone" they live in? So very sad:(

[tilsammans]

2. Excellent program tonight!

:applause:
If only the M$M would do more reporting like this.

[judgegblue]

4. Excellent news program from the network that brings us such crap

as "Dancing with the stars". I wonder in what percentage of wealth those kids fall. I too will think of this report when I hear some uber patriot talk of the greatnesss of this country.

[judgegblue]

5. Unfortunately this story could have been done in Appalachia

or in the rural South, or in many urban areas.

[Mimosa]

6. Right.

As a native american on both maternal/paternal sides of families, I don't have any particular sympathies for tribalised Native Americans. Tribalisation and separation fron society at large is responsible for many of indigenous people's social problems.

BTW,haven't tribe registered native americans been recipients of all sorts of government administered social aid help for decades?

[uppityperson]

8. Being given gvt surplus food is no substitute for true aid. Helping schools

educate, helping them have enough money to afford basics, helps. More funding for health clinics also helps.

Yes, "Tribalisation and separation fron society at large is responsible for many of indigenous people's social problems", so how to help change that? Sending them off to cities doesn't seem to do much. I mean, it gets them away from being a tribe, gets them into larger society, but does it help?

[Mimosa]

10. It sure helped my families.

I think I benefited by not being raised on a reservation.

[1776Forever]

13. That is fine for you but for the children who have no choice it is good to explore other ways to

bring the Reservations into a new and better way of life. This was discussed on the program and I hope if you didn't see it you can watch it when it comes back on. They discussed the "new" leaders trying to bridge the old way and the new ideas to bring more businesses and work into their lives to make them better and get away from the dependence on handouts. With 15 people and most of them children in one house it is a shame that there isn't more of a spotlight shown on these problems. I think the emphasis on the Lakota artist and dancers was fantastic and I hope the children shown in this program do get the help they need soon.

[uppityperson]

17. I am glad it worked for you. It would be nice to figure out a way for those raised

within the tribe to not be so isolated, marginalized, so forth.

[1776Forever]

11. Yes that was discussed and I am with you. There is a culture of almost child like innocence that is

beautiful about the Native Americans who still understand and follow the lessons from their ancestors that some of us who don't understand that culture can't grasp.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_childlike_innocence_mean

"Childlike innocence is the attitude of heart where one is untainted by pride, self importance and open to the good with a pure heart."

I especially admire the fact that the Native Americans believed in a "small" footprint of not using more land or resources then you really need. As it was stated the "new" leaders are trying to bridge that gap between the new and the old and come up with something can keep the "old" ways and be better for the people in "new" ways.

[uppityperson]

12. Land "stewardship" in community rather than "ownership" by one.

I don't know if I'd call it "almost child like innocence" but it is a different culture than "me me me" or "worship the almighty dollar" that is so prevalent.

I agree with what you write otherwise though. Not an easy task.

[1776Forever]

14. I guess what I was trying to say they are not spoiled by greed. It is easy to get that way once you

get older and as you say develop a "me, me, me" attitude. Thanks:)

[Mimosa]

15. Please...don't smear me because you're weepy about Indians

I don't have a 'me, me, me' attitude. If I'd been that smart I'd be rich today. I'm barely hanging on, scarcely getting by.

BUT tribally registered native americans get support and benefits from the fed government.

Native americans do have genetic predispositions to alcoholism, diabetes and several other bad conditions. That's sad. I hope we get research and a cure.

My only point was reservation life is not a good thing for most people. It's like being on a big land ghetto. With checks coming in.

[1776Forever]

16. Wasn't trying to "smear" you - sorry you felt that way. I agree with you. No offense meant. n/t

[uppityperson]

18. I wasn't trying to "smear" you and I'm not "weepy about Indians".

sorry if you took my "me me me" thing as a smear against you as it wasn't meant that way. Just that that is a prevalent attitude in most of our societies these days.

I see a big difference between living in LA and SD as far as reservations go. Yes, a lot of the same issues, but much easier to live if you don't have to deal with minus degree temperatures, for starters.

Reservations can be like a big land ghetto. What do you see as a possible solution?

[1776Forever]

23. Upittyperson it wasn't you that said that it was someone who had read the discussion we had and

thought it was about them. No problem. Sometimes that happens:( I had to tell them that I wasn't talking about them. Sorry.

The solution I believe is to try and back them with things like we do overseas say in Afghanistan and Iraq, for which I can support the building of schools but want to bring our troops home. With the corruption of the Afghan Government it is sinful how the misuse of our tax payer money is being spent:

From 9/11 To Osama Bin Laden's Death, Congress Spent $1.28 Trillion In War On Terror
Sam Stein - Huffington Post
05/ 2/11 12:45 PM ET Updated: 05/ 2/11 12:45 PM ET

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-war-on-terror-costs_n_856390.html

"Broken down individually, the government has spent $806 billion for Iraq, $444 billion for Afghanistan, $29 billion for enhanced security and $6 billion on “unallocated” items. The vast majority of all the money appropriated has gone to the Department of Defense, and of that money more and more is being spent on Operation & Maintenance (O&M) funding, which went from $42 billion in FY2004 to $79 billion in FY2008. Only $67 billion (or 5 percent) went to the State Department or USAID. Only $8 billion (or 1 percent) went to veterans' care, via the Department of Veterans Affairs."

...

I also think Bill Gates and his wife should get involved, wouldn't hurt, and build a new school. Did you see that? Terrible with asbestos throughout the school! Also we need to have support from local South Dakota resources to do what is right there and maybe they could give a small portion of surplus money they get from Credit Card Companies in their state. Why not make this into a tourist spot near by with local Native American goods from their artists and dancing throughout the year? Did you see the blankets and the shawls they made? They are gorgeous!

I would hope the Lakota can save their heritage and stop the problem with the high alcoholic rate. I believe this generation there can make a huge difference! There are 40,000 people approximately there on the reservation - it wouldn't take much to make a huge difference in their lives. And yes as so many have stated it just isn't there we need to invest in our country in every place that is suffering not just there!

[GentryDixon]

29. Shame on you.

The stipend they may receive from our Government does not make up for the atrocities that we have perpetrated on them.

Take a trip to the Dakotas or Skull Valley in Utah.

I have no idea where your people come from, but to dismiss the plight of the natives is beyond my comprehension. I have seen it first hand, and yes, I support with what dollars I can.

[emilyg]

7. Yes.

[1776Forever]

9. Yes of course it could have been many places in the U.S. This program did look at the reasons

behind this problem at the Reservation and it was stated very clearly that they have more red-tape then a nuclear site when it comes to breaking free of their dependent culture and working out new avenues of businesses to help change their situation as a lot of the country needs right now. It was striking to see the devastation and hear about the 80% of the adults that have drug and alcohol problems also.

[Liquorice]

20. Diane Sawyer did do a story on the children of Appalachia. It was very interesting and sad. nt

[dameocrat67]

19. I didnt like the documentary

it looked to me like the success of this one child was justification for allowing all the others on the reservation to live in squalor. looked to me like this was made for smug successful people. just rescue good poor people who are successful like me, and let the others die.

[Divine Discontent]

21. thanks for posting this.

here's to a better future for them, and our country, too. when we shed light on problems we encourage people to seek and be a part of solutions in their own small ways and hopefully a report like this can galvanize leaders to solve the worst issues.

for the kids!

[Liquorice]

22. I really appreciated this show. The trials of these kids (and adults)

is usually hidden from view, and I think Diane Sawyer did a good job bringing their issues into the open.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. This is one of the saddest places I have ever seen in the USA

On the Pine Ridge reservation, families live in abandoned cars. The poverty is just unreal. We should be ashamed as Americans that we have allowed this to happen.

[1776Forever]

25. Yes it is so sad. Here is information from 2005 and I bet it is worse now:

From wikipedia.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Ridge_Indian_Reservation

In 2005 in an interview, Cecilia Fire Thunder, the first woman president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, noted the following: "68 percent of the college graduates on the reservation are women. Seventy percent of the jobs are held by women. Over 90 percent of the jobs in our schools are held by women."<37>

As of 2011, population estimates of the reservation range from 28,000 to 40,000. Numerous enrolled members of the tribe live off the reservation.<38>
80% of residents are unemployed (versus 10% of the rest of the country);
49% of the residents live below the Federal poverty level (61% under the age of 18);
Per capita income in Shannon County is $6,286;
The Infant Mortality rate is 5 times higher than the national average;
Native American amputation rates due to diabetes is 3 to 4 times higher than the national average;
Death rate due to diabetes is 3 times higher than the national average; and
Life expectancy on the Pine Ridge is the lowest in the Western Hemisphere, other than in Haiti; Men - 48 years, Women - 52 years.<39>

[swilton]

26. Why is Diane Sawyer narrating this program

and not a host/hostess of native ancestry....The Diane Sawyer role in this programming contributes to the notion that indigenous people must have a 'great white father' or mother in this case to rescue them and tell their story.

I'm certain that if ABC news looked around they would find plenty of native journalists who were more than willing and capable to cover such a story.

[Number23]

28. I have to say, I was thinking the same thing

Not that the journalist had to have been of native ancestry (which would have been nice) but that Sawyer came across as completely out of her element.

And you're right, I'm sure they could have found a Native journalist (or 100) for this story as well as permanently in their newsrooms.

[Number23]

27. Those children are beyond beautiful