Reality in Pine Ridge

Originally part of the Great Sioux Reservation established in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation now inhabits the Shannon, Jackson, Bennett counties of South Dakota and Sheridan County of Nebraska. The United States government violated the treaty and opened the land up to private interests.

Although it is only the eight largest reservation in the U.S., it is also the poorest. There is an 80% unemployment rate and 49% of families live at or below the poverty line with an average income is $3,700 a year. Many families have no access to basic amenities like electricity, running water, telephones and a sewer system. The infant mortality rate is five times that national average and teenage suicide rates come in at a staggering 150% higher than the national average. Alcoholism affects 9 out of 10 families and the death rate from alcohol-related illness is nine times the national average.

Diabetes and tuberculosis rates are 300% above the national average and a severe housing shortage (3,000 homes for 35,000 people) leaves many people in overcrowded conditions, if not homeless altogether.The average life expectancy is "48 years old for men and 52 years old for women", which experts consider the "shortest for any community in the Western Hemisphere outside of Haiti".

In addition to this, many of Pine Ridge's residents are also plagued with schools that are in the bottom 10% of school funding by the U.S. Department of Education and there are no other industry or commercial enterprises existing in the surrounding area. While the the nearby Prairie Wind Casino provides some income to the residents, it only employs about 250 people. There is also "a great deal of agricultural production taking place, yet only a small percentage of the tribe" directly benefits from this. In 2002, there were "nearly 33 million dollars in receipts from agricultural production on Pine Ridge", yet "less than 1/3rd of that income went to members of the tribe".

Now, many of you may be asking how so many horrible things can be happening in such a small area of land. While there is no clear answer or quick solution that can fix all of these social ills, there is something we can all do to help. By donating to the organization "Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation", you will be improving the lives of countless Oglala Sioux men, women and children.

While Pine Ridge isn't the only reservation suffering from extreme poverty, it is the worst case. Even though we can be quick to point the finger at who and/or what caused this, it's much more effective to help however we can. Whether it's a food drive or putting up flyers, let the people in your community know that no one should have to live like this.

Sources:
Wiki on Pine Ridge and its history
Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation
Article from the Conscious Alliance foundation, a group that runs drives for impoverished peoples across the country