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| Ebony and myself, a girl I met at the Little Wound Feeding Program at Little Wound High School |
Let me share with you some of the beauty found in South Dakota and some of the pain that also follows it. Ebony, a girl that I met at the Summer Feeding Program in Kyle, South Dakota. She's a precious child of God, that has seen more of her share of hurt and pain than any of us can fathom. While I was visiting her, we at Breakfast and Lunch together for the entire week and she brought such innocence to our conversations. One of the days, she didn't come to Breakfast, so I asked her friend, Melena, where she was. It was very hush hush, and I obviously was concerned. I learned later that her Grandmother had scolded her and yelled at her. Exchanges of words happened, and I wouldn't be surprised if other physical actions weren't exchanged. I served as a listening ear to her the next time I saw her the following day. The pain and warfare in this land is horrific. The psychology of poverty, the governmental restrictions and regulations prohibit any of these children from escaping a cycle of alcoholism, drugs, and abuse. One of the girls in our High School group ate with her during an advisor meeting I had to attend. Ebony asked Alexis if she had a best friend. Then Alexis asked Ebony if she had a best friend and without hesitation she pointed to me across the room.
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| Badlands National Park, Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota |
Even though the stories these people share are sad and truly depressing, their land is beautiful, and their history is even more beautiful. Their desire to preserve what has always been theirs, and their desire to continue the tradition of storytelling in the Lakota Sioux Tribe. They are open to outsiders and "whites" to come in an partake in ceremonies such as Sweat Lodges, Sun Dances, and other spiritual opportunities to continue the tradition.
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| Indian Joe at Mount Rushmore, the roots run deep on this photo |
This might be one of my most frustrating stories from all of my trips to South Dakota. The beautiful land you see above is often stolen by the American Government, without reason and without consideration of consequences. In 1941 Mount Rushmore was completed, a carving of four-white-American Presidents into stolen Black Hills Land from the Ogala Lakota Sioux Tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation. Now millions of people are attracted to this monument, creating quite a business of tourism, that benefits the National Park Services-which is a great organization-but not one Indian sees this money, not one reservation or tribe sees any benefits to this attraction built on their stolen land. Indian Joe, pictured above, was very close to our group this week and toured with us, providing a Lakota Sioux perspective on everything. Although he is proud of the Black Hills where these monuments are located, he feels betrayal and frustration towards the American Government for the hate and crime associated with this monument. I can't help but feel frustration and betrayal while looking in his eyes also.
They made us many promises, more than I can remember,
but they never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they
took it. -Red Cloud
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