Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

The recent march for young Boo Many Horses that included two renown American Indian Movement leaders, namely Dennis Banks and Clyde Belcourt, was a spark in the dying embers of our human spirit here on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

The moving and motivating words shared by these two experienced leaders at the Mobridge City Park to those who were able to participate in this Justice for Boo march are being echoed throughout this land base touching and re-igniting our battered and scarred spirit.

Battered and scarred not only through racial prejudices from those who chose to hate us (and it is the right of those who chose to hate us as long as their hatred does not violate our God-given right to exist as Native Americans), but more importantly, battered and scarred by the gross neglect of the leadership on this reservation.

Ask these questions in search of your answers: Is racial damnation by those who chose to hate us responsible for the fall of this reservation's leadership -- their intense insensibility to your daily needs, your having to beg and wait for hours on end only to hear "Toksha," which never comes to pass and to beg your own elected district councilman to turn the other way and have Councilwoman-at-Large Reva Gates to meet a few of those needs after begging the chairman of this tribe on your behalf?

Is racial prejudice responsible for the recent rash of teen age suicide, the taking of lives of tribal members by youngsters, the increase in gas huffing among the elementary grade schoolers, the distribution of hair spray and like products to their own tribal members, the harassment and arrest for non-occurring offenses, incarcerations for non-related offenses, stealing casino monies through embezzlements or providing such monies to non-enrolled adopted children or blood relatives, unduly ostracizing district members by breaking their own tribal laws, gross misuse of federal (taxpayer) funding by the tribal council and program directors which was to provide quality-life issues to this reservation membership, thus preventing the aforementioned damnations?

The truest statement made relevant to young Boo by a tribal member was, "I am also to blame for Boo's death because I did not even bother to greet him or put my hand on his shoulder when he was only inches away from me, and now I have to live with that." So how many of us are guilty of this same sentiment?

Interested tribal membership, especially the youth of this reservation, need to plan marches against poverty, alcoholism, suicides, corrupt leadership, suicides, teen pregnancy, domestic abuse, elderly abuse, embezzlement of funds, jail conditions, poor job performance, insensibility to youth, destroying one another and etc.

Interested tribal membership needs to fill the tribal council chambers to speak out the truth and hold the elected leadership ACCOUNTABLE, RELIABLE and RESPONSIBLE to their oath of office.

Boo Many Horses' memory will be best served by eliminating prejudiced attitudes of tribal leadership to their own constituency in all levels of their offices.

I challenge the youth to begin eliminating racial prejudice on their own back yards by focusing on reinforcing their prejudices on the vary damnable obstacles mentioned above that have shackled this once mighty Nation for the past 20 years and begin eliminating these council-made pestilences.

Adeline Toledo Defender
McLaughlin, S.D.