Preview of "The poorest place in America" (Warning Graphic)
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- čas přidán 20. 03. 2008
- Animals and people are freezing and starving. The dogs and/or coyotes run in packs and resort to eating each other. Warning very graphic.
www.LooksForBuffalo.com
www.LakotaMedicineMan.com
Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand - Medicine Man, Treaty Delegate, Author
Russell Means Activst Actor Author
Filmed and edited by:
Lucas Brown Eyes
Lance Brown Eyes
Lakota Brown Eyes
Pine Ridge South Dakota 2008
I'm from Pennington County and I can say this video is 100% accurate. My best friend and cousin lives down there...
Just in case anybody asks who is the group drumming in this video...it is Northern Cree Singers- Grass Dance....
I grew up on pine ridge, the poorest place in america. Im 30 years old. i'm college educated. i'm a practicing man in the sacred ways of our grandfathers and grandmothers. The "medicine man" at the beginning talks about spiritual power. He is right. Most people don't know or can't know what he actually means tho. the native peoples of this land have and had the power to kill every race they wanted to without leaving their homeland. How is this possible? Its for most to never know the answer to.
It is the visitor center. We just went there today. There was this boy riding bareback, we talked to him and he is the 2nd fastest rider in the state. He is awesome. There is so much sad energy still there. There are native artists that sell their artwork alongside the road too. Take care.
@NewJura Definitely, I will have to see if I can rearrange projects. Which district in Pine Ridge?
my friend, i agree with you 1000% and i tell you this, when i was living in the states, i had a relationship with an apache man who told me '' you might be white outside, but your heart and your blood are apache'' ... i took it as the greatest compliment !!! salutations from London, UK !!! (hey, i just live here but i am Italian, not British !!! )
@Lochee1000 What is the situation in regards to access to birth control on the reservation?
I am about the truth. I admit I am not an expert on dogs and coyotes and thank you for your comment. To be honest, after googling: difference between dogs and coyotes, I still can't tell the difference. So to not mislead people, I have changed my description to read: dogs and/or coyotes on both videos. Thank you
@NewJura I was just reading the news article Is anyone filming this?
@Lochee1000 What are your thoughts about the Planned Parenthood on Pine Ridge?
who is the group drumming in this video? Sounds beautiful.
Thank you brother, keep spreading the truth, stay proud.
regardless of conditions they still smile. i wish celebreties like jolie knew bc people like her will help conciderably. the only way i found out about pine ridge is after watching spirit stallion of the cimarron (the cartoon movie) and the white soldier that captured a lakota said "oh.. a lakota." i never heard of lakotas before so i did some research. corporate america, as corrupt as we are we're also very fortunate. we had AC, heaters, etc. most of the world, even pine ridge, doesn't.
You can never judge someone if you haven't walked a mile in their moccassins.
i actually went there last year as a school field trip. very depressing seeing a majority of native american sitting outside with alchohol in his hand. i understand how this came to be and i have had very much studies on the people of the lakotah. during my time there we actually helped in a soup kitchen feeding nachos to many many veterans and indian verterans that fought for their land . god bless to every single native american. dont let the culture die you are very unique
@inotaishu1 Thank you for your opinion. I am not an expert on dogs, wolves or coyotes so I am glad they are not starving. It was really sad. An update though, the packs of dogs or coyotes have disappeared.
I am sitting here in Europe an I have to say my heart reached out for those who are living there. I just don`t get, why the US-Government is closing eyes and ears. And they call themselfs civilized.. What a joke. I am in complete shock and I even had tears in my eyes. It hurt my soul. I wish everyone living there a lot of strength to fight. I wished I could help. But I haven`t got a clue how.
Bless all of you. Keep up fighting. My thoughts are with you.
Thank You... Thank You... Thank You... for speaking and sharing Truth.
That warning was an understatement. It was difficult to watch. Very distressing.
I am part Cherokee my g grandmother's family hid in the mountains of GA and AL when the white men took the Cherokee on the walk of tears. My daughter is also part Lakota on her dad's side, both his parents died in N.Dakota at a young age. The government and WE all need to help these people.
@MovieMad007 Some of us have left the reservation but it is very hard to leave. Family and culture is so important. So we have a choice, leave our relatives and way of life, stay on the reservation, try to bring them and our way of life with us or a combination of these choices. It is really hard to explain to outsiders. But in a nutshell we should be able to live our way of life and not have to assimilate into main stream America.
Great video and the honesty is the harp of the mind and when released it removes an arrow from the heart..
It's pure beauty to a dead men dancing to see how the spirit drives all things not to find death in life..
Wounded knee is one long battle against the sickness upon the souls of men...
Mother of all battles is just warming up, ridge will look like Eden before to long.
As an American Indian, not a "NA", I am awaiting the time to come back home to Pine Ridge to do my part to help us change. I was trained as a "terrorist" for the US Military, and I have been kicked off of the Res for being a "threat" to the tribal council. But one day, I know I will be needed to make all of this right. Peaceful change? Ha, wake up brothers!
@MovieMad007 Im glad you are interested in this subject. To understand what what our race stands for you have to know who Native Americans truly are. My people will not leave the reservations and move into mainstream America because it is not easy for them to leave the lands in which they have buried their loved ones. When we bury a loved one that land becomes sacred to us. We are a different people for this reason. These lands are holy lands to the people. In a sense, it's their church.
sorry if i sound rude but im just wondering why is that place like that?
I am a native from New Mexico and 2 years ago I saw this area (pine ridge rez), I couln't believe the depression and hopelessness. With respect i ask why don't these brothers and sisters leave the rez and build a life in another area of the USA? No one is holding you back, you can build a better life. No one can help a person if that person decides to take what life gives and not create something better. God has given every human the power to create a negative or positive situation.
Thank you. :)
Housing actually looks better than in the reservations in Canada...
When I started reading and learning about Pine Ridge, it broke my heart. We whites and the white government owe them something. We owe them a decent place to live and education and medical treatment facilities. I'm still learning about this...and praying. This is a big problem but our government must do something. On television I see where you can adopt a polar bear or a dog; adopt a family on Pine Ridge.
Thought provoking and people should be thankful for the life they have been given. It is the same here in this country, disrespect and poorly treated are the First Nations Natives. May some build respect rather than comparisons from your video. Crystal Raven
...The people have to stop waiting for what we are owed. We need to keep progressing and moving forward as a people. Help eachother, love eachother, but take care of your own too. we have to find balance in all aspects of life. it is only then that the people will be happy. They have to want it. This video shows a lot of realities of home, but there is also a lot more beauty than what is shown.
I say this because I have been poor, & I am also cherokee/irish w/my great grandfather orphaned on Trail of Tears. I did not drop out of school (like they said so many indian kids do) altho I was poor & hated school, my dad would've kicked my butt. Through education u can have doctors, nurses, educators, engineers, etc. So its important to make ur kids go to school whether they like it or not. Work on these things first rather than blaming the white man 4 everything. Life is not always fair.
@Ozephier We are trying to show more beauty in our videos but our Art reflects how we feel.
Mike, hello i am native american (Seneca). My friend lives on this rez above. I really appreciate what you are thinking.. Many of the Rez's could use different forms of power, true, and it would be a wonderful thing. But if you are so dog poor that you can't afford a ride into town or a simple breakfast, how do you suggest they (and others) to adopt these ways? I also have friends on a N. Dakota rez. Some floors have broken in, and children go hungry n freeze, good ideas need money 2 begin.
@badlandsnative65 This summer we drove through Allen's road construction (on the rez) and filmed it. The workers were on their lunch break or something in was 10am. And those workers were not from the rez. At 90% unemployment you think they could hire some of the local residents to do road contruction. I don't know about you but I have my boys clean their own room, I don't have someone else do it for them.
What I like to know is how come our Government always seems to have money and time for every other county poor and disaster situations. But they rarely take up a collection or donations for our own people in times of need. And when they do, it’s only for a few months. It’s been years since the disaster in Haiti and I still see donation commercials every now and than.
Go figure!
I think it is hard for a non-indian to understand the connection we have with the land. It is our mother and we want her back and vise versa.
Oh My Gosh ! Tis like another world. Heartbreaking.
But its not just the Pine Ridge Rez, just about every Rez is poor like this.
So what can we do to help?
@TheCoffeeshopguru Pine Ridge Reservation is in South Dakota USA
Northern Cree In The Backround....NICE
These lands used to be rich with buffalo herds and local produce before the buffalo were killed off and the tribes driven away.
@maessj98 yea and what was cut from the budget - Native American Housing. figures
Do you live on the rez? How do you know?
They say that a whole 1/3 of crops grown in the u.s. are thrown away because the farmers grow too much food to sell it all. What ever happened to basic human goodwill?? I am Seneca and do not know how to find *my people* to be among them and to help in ways that would make a small difference. I suppose i will live the rest of my life not knowing where the place is that i belong. but those who have plenty should pay it forward. this world is shameful.
@SoDakLaKotA the Lakota should get together and start a agricultural and renewable energy and green economy...I've heard some Lakota say "we aren't farmers", but you were over 400 yrs ago and agriculture and gathering was the main source of food of our ancestors...There are two growing businesses on PR, Lakota solar Enterprises and Native American Natural Foods, advertise to the world and they will buy from the Lakota...Other Tribes trade and sell with other countries and they are doing ok now.
@Thomas3901 Where do you get your facts? Pine Ridge reservation has 85-90% unemployment. And where did you read the wealthy tribes give a billion dollars a year to other tribes? I have letters from several California tribes and they said they ONLY have funds for to their own members. One California tribe even de-erolled half their tribe.
If only everyone could give 1 dollar (or 1 euro) it could be possible to build decent homes to everyone and giving them health care. It is easier to be strong in mind with a full belly, a warm bed and someone to share it with you.
When you have no safe place to rest how can one feel like a human being and not fall back in the animals surviving way of life ?
We humans need other peoples to live. We must care for each others.
Ok, first: I don't doubt the plight of the people there.
However it is another thing with the dogs. At least the dogs in the video don't look starved at all. They are in top shape especially when you consider that it is winter when many wolves and coyotes die (and eat their dead) as well. An if that one grey dog is feral his condition in the video marks him as a successfull survivor, not a poor victim.
Seriously, I have a question. I'm Mexican American and have traces of Kickapoo in my blood line. My husband is 1 quarter Seminole as well, but we don't live on a reservation. I understand what foreigners did to the Native Americans, but why do people generations and generations later have to pay for something that was done many years in the past? You don't see the US Government paying African Americans for stealing their ancestors for slavery. No hate plz, just looking for an honest opinion.
man, there's people starving in alot of places in this country, and there aint nobody donating or givin a fuck. i do feel the point about robbing the native americans(the country/world is fucked up) greed will destroy us
@MyTbradley I agree too. I wish America would stop being the police of the world for a little while and look at our own country and see that we are in HUGE trouble. If we don't take care of ourselves how long will it be before we can't help others?
Alcohol has been around Europe for thousands of years. It is new to the indigenous people of America. It is poison to many of us. Some tribes have made it illegal others have not. Pine Ridge has outlawed it. I don't know of anyone that uses alcohol in Pine Ridge for preservation of herbs ;-)
@pushthelimit Hello! Thankyou for your reply! You raise a point about it being very hard to leave the resv. But millions of ordinary people in the US and around the world have to make decsions like that everyday! Even i had to make a decsion to leave home! My Father is buerried in a church in my home town but I have to leave him to earn money to live! Like himself he had to move his family (Mum,sister & myself) out to Africa for 3 years leaving family behind!
@pushthelimit Some people might tell you that the coat is deceiving but it is not that deceiving. Potruding hips and slim waists can be seen easily. I guess if both dogs and coyotes have dissapeared they probably got killed. And least that is a very common way to deal with them.
Any idea how long they lived there? I mean based on the video obviously long enough to form social groups.
I am headed to Pine Ridge in July to run a natural building workshop teaching how to build homes from natural materials and waste materials, the house will be made from pallets and in filled with light straw clay an earthen plaster will be applied on the interior and exterior of the home, i build these type of houses where I live in Texas, I am looking for volunteers, and I am taking 8 apprentices to learn this method of home building, for more info click my name and go to my website, see you!!
Come on push the limit bro, you need to post Videos that are positive of your Lakota People...There are many Lakota that are successfull.
here here well said a fantastic comment i am so proud of you
thumbs up if you agree
I will not be the one to argue.I am not Native American nor First Nations. I am a follower of the spirituality of the Native Peoples. It is my belief that most in society take from Mother Earth and never give back. I will make a blunt point - dare not make bad comments on paths you have not walked on yourself. It is disrespectful to others and it shows you may not respect yourself. One day, you may find yourself barren, poor, emotionally bankrupt. Rather than argue who is poorer - be thankful.
Also (please don't feel insulted with my opinions I am very open to being criticised and I am glad for once to be involved with a decent debate on CZcams!!)
If we look for example at the attrocities of WW2 inflicted by Emp Hirohito's troops and airforce on the allies should we still be angry at modern Japan for the actions of their ancestors? I think if the Native Peoples (Sioux, Navajo and all the others) moved into mainstream America I think they would find that the ordinary Americans
Same thing in Canada with our native-american reserves up north. those people live by third world country standards.
It is a sad state of affaires that the true native peoples of America, have been forced into such poverty; they should be able to live off their own land; now that the world is supposed to be eco minded. SHame on you Mr President
It is about you. We believe we are all connected and related. If you told me the answer was: you must fly. I would ask you how do you do that. I am being very honest when I tell you how silly your answer is: change your surroundings and you will be happy. FYI we believe you can change yourself, that is it and we are led by example not empty words and lies.
ill keep my 2cents out of this conversation.
Shame on us for letting our fellow Americans suffer like this.
What are you doing to your surroundings?
@TheCoffeeshopguru friendsofpineridgereservation google it, you tube wont let me put a link .you can donate things that are needed and see ways to go there and intern as well. very sad that this is going on in America.
@pushthelimit Wakpamni, about 2 and a half mile west of Pine Ridge on 18, I am told.
Well I didn't wanted to fingerpoint. I meant it positive. I have taken bad and good turns which sometimes people don't understand, even if yu have figure it out yourself. But I do agree with you that what you think can make and break you. If you focus of thing going wrong you get what you fear. If you focus on the positive you get it and sometimes even better.
Ive been in areas even poorer that this. In the Southwest, I have seen people living in earthen pit houses. And there are wandering nomadic families on public lands. And as a missionary in southern Georgia I encountered neighborhoods overgrown by the forest and inhabited by african americans living like congo tribes in the forest, except they would make a living by drugs and theft. They had no electricity or running water. And were half nude.
The people that moved to America did bad things but doesn't mean the other Europeans would do the same.
Looks poor but I see open lands and time with our families and close ones.places to speak to our great spirit.places of peace and quit.woooooooooo
that dog straight munched that other dogs dome peice
Yes, I agree with you about the power of (Teachers) just step back , and look at what
you have...Grandfather earth, inwhich we live; Grandmother sky inwhich we share. The America Indians' were the gate keepers then, and NOW! The CULTURE is you and I making this known... HISTORY will not change (EVER). The KEY is get the American STORY told in the schools by the GATE KEEPER. The Indian's need to pick these people to travel, and tell the STORY. MY friend.
@inotaishu1 I have known them to be there for over fifty years. I couldn't imagine anyone from the rez killing them. A few comments said they wish they could rescue the dogs and kill the Indians. I will hope hey were rescued.
@CRAZYHORSE1865 it starts with one person
@TheCoffeeshopguru I would visit there first. Make sure you go to White Clay, Nebraska it is right outside of the rez. It is an evil place. Search on CZcams for Whiteclay
The Medicine Arrow People Cheyenne own the Black Hills, not the Sioux...this is fact.
dog eat dog-very disturbing that part.
Both.
Exactly! but not just natives but all humans. We are assuring our own death sentence with the things we do to earth...
forgotten souls so sad
Would anyone living in this reservation be happy with some development? I mean in the way of decent housing and community facilities. I don't mean with huge factories or anything. Things like this don't get reported on UK news. I mean even with a big modern house - that won't take the culture away from your hearts and whats in your mind will it?So long as you keep your dances and celebration cermonies alive isn't that whats important?
Damn, and I though Compton and San Bernardino were ugly
To blame the government or anyone for your personal situation and deciding to just take what life gives you is tragic. To be poor in the richest and greatest country in the world is a tragic choice. The US is not perfect but better than any other country in the world in terms of opportunity. Natives included.
please refer to my page (pushthelimit) to view the full version of this documentary.
Yeh! Freedom for the dogs!
Look I was raised up dirt poor..nobody helped me or gave me anything..nobody made me drink, do drugs, or sit on my fat one doing nothing, drawing welfare or getting food stamps..I was raised by my father who always made a garden, raised chickens, etc for our food in which he worked me like a boy helping him..free education = key to get out of poverty..I can live anywhere even a paste board box & not sit around whining & getting high blaming others..btw my father's grandfather was 100% cherokee!
That is funny when people argue over who is poorer. Then I go to your website and there is this huge guy wearing a gold cross as big as his chest. ROFL
up until twenty years ago twenty thats how old i am... and finally then things are trying to be changed. ... im not dwelling but i will mevwr fotget what happened even yo my mom..... thete is postive things that do take place and i wish others can see how not all my people gave into what happenes bit grasped it and made them stronger to figjt for what we do have...... and dor the better good for the up coming generations
@CRAZYHORSE1865 - one voice is only the beginning. Do not lose hope.
@swansonlloyd We have alot of Natives doing very well here in America, take a look at the Videos on my Favorites...I agree the Natives that do drink need to put it down and work to better their lives...Not all Natives are like this, I'm sure there are Whites the need to stop drinking too.
Like I said, no hate, was an honest question. And yes, seriously. My husband's grandmother lived on a reservation, but moved off and continued to live a healthy and successful life. If I'm not mistaken, that's 2 generations in the past, so maybe I exaggerated some, but if she was able to live a successful life, why can't anyone else? And YES, I do pay because some of our tax dollars go to fund some Native Americans. I didn't mean to sound harsh, it really was just an honest question. Chill
Historical Archaeology is based on Historical America; All the universities study this culture; the caretakers of North America was the mighty Indians... EDUCATION IS THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN STRENGTH....I am only one person, and my family dislikes me. So, tradition will fading. knowledge is Power; so power to the people...........
Very distressing video. I am from the UK watching this. What I don't understand is why do the Native peoples on the Resv just bite their lips about their beliefs and just try and move with the times into main stream America? So they can at least benefit from the rights given to all Americans. Rather than trying to survive on the Reservation. Please don't insult this question, it is a genuine point of interest as i think its an important issue for the US! I realise pride is a big part of this.
@zakoneandonly - some Lakota prefer to be called "Indian."
@mafoa2008 todos los pueblos nativos an desenterrado el hacha de guerra.Pero utilizando el arma mas poderosa de nuestros tiempos..el internet y la musica . Te aseguro UNA COSA QUE LAS INJUSTICIAS NO QUEDAN EN SACO ROTO COMO ANTIGUAMENTE.Y INTERNET LLEGA A TODO EL MUNDO..UN SALUDO DESDE ESPAÑA.GRAN GUERRERO
theyll say something negative... and honestly whats always shown about us today is something negative.... shouldnt be like that... come live here for a summer see the good and bad before u make a judgment.....
It's odd, is it not, to see one extreme and then another. Look at Hollywood and then look at Pine Ridge. Does it make sense that these two places are in the same country? I wish I understood why this Reservation is like this. Does the government not know? Can the government not step in? (Not that they would.) And other than giving money, what can people do to help? As a matter of fact, how is the school system up there?