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Lakota activists pepper-sprayed in protest against predatory liquor stores
August 27, 2012Women of the Oglala Lakota nation along with activists from Deep Green Resistance, AIM Grassroots, Native Youth Movement, Un-Occupy Albuquerque, Occupy Lincoln, and Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center took part in a march from Billy Mills Hall in Pine Ridge into White Clay to protest against the predatory liquor industry present there.
White Clay has a population of 14, yet 4 liquor stores in the town sell 12,500 cans of beer each day. The stores have been documented repeatedly selling to bootleggers, intoxicated people, minors, and trading beer for sexual favors.
“For over 100 years the women of the Oglala Lakota nation have been dealing with an attack on the mind body and spirit of their relatives”, says Olowan Martinez who is a main organizer of the event and resident of Pine Ridge. “The Oglala have been silenced through chemical warfare waged by the corporations who are out to exploit and make a profit off of the suffering and misery of our people. The time has come to end this suffering by any means necessary.”
Debra White Plume, a Lakota activist and resident of Pine Ridge who spoke at the event proclaimed, “A sober Indian is a dangerous Indian. We have to send a message to Nebraska and its citizens that we are not going to tolerate business as usual. This is the Women’s Day of Peace but that peace will soon be over”.
After the march and speeches members of Deep Green Resistance locked down and blockaded the road into White Clay.
Less than a half hour after the lockdown began a police officer rolled down their window and indiscriminately pepper sprayed into a crowd. Up to 12 people were pepper sprayed including the 10 year old son of a Lakota woman who helped organize the march. Also, an elder Lakota woman, Helen Red Feather, reported having her leg hit by a police car in motion. Medics with the protest treated pepper spray injuries.
At 7:39, the five activists who participated in the lock down were hauled off in a horse trailer to the Sheridan County jail in Rushville. They have since been released on their own recognizance.
Today, justice is far from complete, since White Clay continues to enable and enact the destruction of the Oglala Lakota and the people of Pine Ridge. The continued subjugation of the Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation will not end as long as the liquor stores in White Clay continue to operate.
Chants of “As long as it takes!” began by those locked down and the people standing with them in the crowd at the beginning of the lockdown. The struggle continues.
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» BLAMING THE VICTIM 101: SUBWAY OFFICIALS SAY WOMEN’S “SCANTY CLOTHES” CAUSE HARASSMENT - By Amy Tennery
Women in Shanghai held a mass subway protest over the weekend, after a blog entry from the Shanghai subway ordered its female customers to wear more conservative clothing. Miniskirts, low-cut tops and sheer fabrics were targeted in the post, which encouraged women to “cherish themselves” — presumably by wearing a turtleneck and knee-grazing burlap sack in 80-degree weather.
Feeling dizzy on a hot July day? You’re not over-heating. You’re over-cherishing.
But while pushing that whole “conservative clothing = self-respect” equation was bad enough, the Shanghai Subway Company’s blog post delivered an even more insidious message: It argued that women who wear (what is, by its estimation) inappropriate clothes are inviting sexual harassment, according to China Daily. Wearing something sexy? It means you want to be harassed, apparently. Because that’s what women do: We open our closets, look around and say, “Gosh! I wonder which shirt will get a guy to grope me on the way to work today!”
Disturbingly, this isn’t the first time that Shanghai metro officials have blamed women’s penchant for wearing seasonally appropriate clothes (the nerve!) for subway harassment and molestation. Earlier this month, China Daily reported several cases of subway molestation — including a guy who took up-skirt shots of women without their knowledge, a guy who exposed himself on the subway and another guy who ejaculated on a woman’s leg. Basically, the Shanghai subway is a non-stop thrill-ride of awfulness, and everyone agrees someone needs to do something about that.
But rather than open up a women’s-only car, which some passengers say could help the problem, Shanghai Metro decided to blame the victims. A spokesperson for the metro “explained” to China Daily:
“Women should better protect themselves and avoid scanty clothes in summer.”
Yea, ladies. Maybe if we weren’t all so whorish looking we wouldn’t be violated.
Armed with this logic, we can put an end to lots of crimes! If rich people stopped looking so rich, they wouldn’t get robbed. And houses stopped looking so flammable, arsonists would disappear. Because, as we all know, if someone does something awful to you, it’s almost definitely your fault. (Sarcasm Meter: 1,000%!)
I’m kidding, of course — but this sentiment is outrageously prevalent. And this tone-deaf inability to distinguish between welcome attention and harassment is staggering. The “Well, she was asking for it” argument doesn’t hold up because no one is ever asking for anything even remotely resembling any of the above things I described.
But just in case there’s any confusion, I’ll happily clear the air for the fellas out there:
Guys? Hi. Here’s the thing — no matter how short a skirt one of us ladies might be wearing, please do not take a photo of our crotch when we’re not looking. We don’t like that. Also — quick side note — please don’t expose your genitals in a public place. I know, that deep V-neck we had on made it look like we wanted you to do that! Super confusing. Our bad. But yea, don’t do that. Unless someone explicitly says, “Hey! Show me your genitals!” (maybe not those exact words, but you get what I’m saying), do not do that.
Glad we cleared that up.
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» Hundreds Descend on Rapid City Hospital in Support of Cheyenne River Elder
Nearly 700 protestors from Native communities across the United States, and members of the American Indian Movement met in Rapid City, South Dakota the morning of May 21 to march in support of Vernon Traversie, a Cheyenne River tribal member.
Traversie, a blind, 68 year old, who underwent double bypass heart surgery at Rapid City Regional Hospital (RCRH) on August 26, 2011, was left with a bizarre pattern of wounds on his abdomen, well below and on the lower left and right sides of his surgical wound.
Those who have personally seen the wounds describe them as horrific – claiming they resemble deep burns in the shape of three ‘K’s.’ According to Cheyenne River tribal member Cody Hall, a friend of Traversie’s, the wounds resemble brandings.
“This looks like a hate crime,” Hall, who organized the rally, said in a phone interview with Indian Country Today Media Network. Hall said the point of the rally was to raise awareness of the many incidences of underlying racism against Native people that have occurred in Rapid City over the years. The group also wants to support Traversie in his struggle to deal with this recent incidence.
Traversie, who did not attend the rally due to health and safety concerns, was the subject of a YouTube video interview in which he asserts that a nurse who did not want to be identified, initially drew his attention to the marks. Later, he says a home health care worker photographed the wounds. The pictures and video were then posted to Facebook on the “Justice for Vern Traversie” page and went viral as they were passed throughout Indian country.
“We have organized to send a message for once and for all that we are not going to stand for anymore hate crimes or racial violence in this region. It doesn’t matter where you are from; once you get to Rapid, when an Indian steps out of their car, they are labeled as a target,” Hall said.
The protest, which organizers are calling the Justice for Vern Traversie March, began with a call to Indian country. Native marchers and supporters poured in from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, California, Oklahoma, Montana, and Colorado. The group met at Memorial Park and wound its way to RCRH, where speeches were made and the marchers demanded a meeting with hospital authorities.
Seven members of the Indian delegation, including Hall, AIM leaders, Dennis Banks and Clyde Bellecourt, Madonna Gilbert, Tom Cheyenne, Dorothy Ninham, and Vice-President of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, Tom Poor Bear, met with a group of hospital officials led by Tim Sughrue, hospital CEO. Two Native American patient advocates, employees of RCRH, were also in attendance.
According to Hall, the march was very peaceful – exactly as it was planned. He was less enthusiastic about the meeting with hospital officials.
“It was really just a slap in the face,” he said. They already had a protocol set up when we sat down. The CEO pretty much insinuated that Vern is lying. Every time we asked a pointed question, they called on the Privacy Act and refused to answer. They claimed they have never had any discrimination problems, but you could tell it was a touchy matter. They just kept saying they couldn’t comment.”
Banks and Hall met with Traversie a couple of days before the rally, and Banks said he believed “something terrible happened to him.” The hospital “evaded every issue we brought up,” he added in a phone interview with ICTMN.
Rapid City has had a long history of violent encounters between police and Indians, but Hall commended the police today. “At first there was some tension because they weren’t expecting such a lot of people and I think they were a bit panicked, but for the most part, they handled the situation very professionally. We didn’t come to start trouble – just to get answers, and I think they respected that.”
Autumn Two Bulls travelled to Rapid from Pine Ridge with her family to join the march. She believes it was a good experience. “After 500 years, this needless violence is still happening here. We want to walk freely in our own land. It was intensely powerful to hear our warriors crying out and to see young and old alike marching together. It is beautiful to see them speaking out against the violence in our country.”
Two Bulls told ICTMN she was touched by the humility and respect demonstrated by one police officer who stepped into the crowd. “He told us that he supported us in our efforts to stop the hate crimes,” she said. “He told us, I understand because we are all human beings.”
RCRH released a statement made by CEO Sughrue shortly after the rally denying that any malpractice took place. “We are deeply committed to providing excellent care to everyone, regardless of race. No one at RCRH would stand idly by and allow abuse to occur in this hospital.”
The statement concluded that, “In the absence of a written release, we are severely restricted from commenting on the care of any patient. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the specifics of any case if allowed to do so by the patient or their representative.”
Nevertheless, Banks said he thought the march was a great success. “This gathering brought with it a new spirit. There were lots of AIM people here today,” he said. “Young people in action are on the move, working for a better future. They are going to need the help and advice of their elders.”
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hos before embryos by The Sugar Monster on Flickr.
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Snobby coffee bear. (watercolor, ballpoint pen)
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