Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Whiteclay, NE - It was a long, hot day, Saturday, July 3, 1999, in Whiteclay. The marchers included President Harold Salway, BIA Superintendent Robert Ecoffey and former Tribal President John Steele, The Wounded Knee Aim Chapter was also well represented. Former President John Steele was among the nine arrested after breaking through the line at the boarder set up by the Nebraska State Police.

Following negotiations for their release by Dennis Banks, President Salway, and BIA Superintendent Robert Ecoffey, those arrested were taken to Whiteclay and then transported back to Pine Ridge by Tribal Police. After obtaining a promise from Captain Parker of the Nebraska State Patrol to return the nine arrestees, the marchers walked back to Pine Ridge.

Dennis Banks talked to the Tribal Police after the negotiations commending them for staying calm in the face of confrontation and helping to keep the situation from becoming violent. Banks said people in the march were angry and looking for a fight but the Tribal Officers maintained composure and professionalism and as a result, no one got hurt in the confrontation.

Tribal Officers held the line and avoided altercations between the marchers and Nebraska State Patrol. The Nebraska riot squads included several escalating lines of defense. The last one was comprised of snipers on the rooftops of the buildings in White Clay.

Nebraska is one of the few states that have what is called a "Jail Break", or "Fleeing Felon", law. The law provides law enforcement or detention officers with the option of shooting fleeing felons. That gives Nebraska law enforcement more latitude in the use of deadly force. Neither the tribal police nor South Dakota law enforcement are authorized to use deadly force for that purpose.

Given the use of violence that resulted in property damage last week, Nebraska obviously felt justified in positioning snipers on rooftops to defend property in White Clay.