Thursday, June 29, 2006

News from Pine Ridge

Two Associated Press News articles regarding Pine Ridge

Organizers of beer blockade don't plan arrests
By CARSON WALKER

PINE RIDGE, S.D. - American Indians supporting a planned blockade of beer sales from Whiteclay, Neb., gathered Wednesday in nearby Pine Ridge for a prayer meeting before walking two miles south to Whiteclay to start the effort."I just hope they have enough people to man the blockades," said Mark Vasina of Nebraskans for Peace, an activist group that has tried to end alcohol sales in the border town."If they can establish probable cause when they stop the vehicle, that fits with South Dakota's citizen arrest law," he said.Blockade workers said they didn't plan to arrest anyone but would confiscate any beer purchased in Whiteclay.The plan was to set up checkpoints just inside the reservation. Volunteers in Whiteclay planned to use radios to tell checkpoint workers which vehicles should be stopped and searched for beer.Alcohol is banned on the 16,500-member reservation. But four stores in the tiny town of Whiteclay sell an estimated 4 million of cans of beer every year, mostly to Indians.

The stores have been a source of tension for years, and tribal members have tried to stop alcohol sales in Whiteclay through the courts, the county and the state licensing board.A half-dozen law officers gathered in bright sunshine between the village and the reservation boundary Wednesday morning. The reservation was just "a stone's throw away or a beer-can throw away," joked one of the officers, who are from the Nebraska State Patrol, Sheridan County, Neb., and the Oglala Sioux Tribal Police department.Authorities said they count not comment, but Alex White Plume, tribal vice chairman, has said they would maintain order but not take part in the blockade.Whiteclay was quiet late Wednesday morning, with some American Indian facing north toward the officers and Pine Ridge in the distance.In Whiteclay, Joseph Elk Wing of Whiteclay and Tucker Wayne of Pine Ridge said they had not heard anything about the planned blockade. "We don't take beer across that line," said Wayne.Inside one of the four stores that sell the beer, State Line Liquor co-owner Clay Brehmer was looking over videotape to try to identify a possible shoplifter. Brehmer the activity in anticipation of the blockade was "a bunch of hoopla" with the goal of drawing media attention.Vasina said the blockade was the only option remaining.A service of the Associated Press(AP)

Indian Activists Give Up Beer Blockade
By CARSON WALKER

The Associated PressWednesday, June 28, 2006; 10:56 PM

PINE RIDGE, S.D. -- Activists on Wednesday gave up plans to seize beer from motorists driving into the dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation after a tribal police official said it would be illegal and dangerous and promised to help find a different way to fight alcoholism.

Supporters of the blockade had described it as their only option after failed efforts to get the courts and county and state officials to stop the flow of beer from tiny Whiteclay, Neb. Alcohol is banned on the 16,500-member reservation, but four Whiteclay stores sell an estimated 4 million of cans of beer every year, mostly to Indians.


Indian activist Russell Means, background center, sits in the cab of his vehicle which stalled on the Nebraska-South Dakota state line and stopped traffic across the road leading from Whiteclay into the Pine Ridge reservation, Wednesday, June 28, 2006, during a planned beer blockade protest announced by Indian activists. The activists' plan was to set up checkpoints just inside the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, and stop vehicles who were suspected of transporting beer from Whiteclay, Neb., into the reservation. Alcohol is banned on the 16,500-member reservation.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik) (Nati Harnik - AP)

PINE RIDGE, S.D. -- Activists on Wednesday gave up plans to seize beer from motorists driving into the dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation after a tribal police official said it would be illegal and dangerous and promised to help find a different way to fight alcoholism.'


The fewer than a dozen activists were outnumbered by journalists and law-enforcement officers from several jurisdictions as blockade organizer Duane Martin Sr. and James Twiss, the reservation's acting police chief, hashed things out at the state boundary, a few feet from the sign for South Dakota's Shannon County.

Blockade supporters had said they didn't plan to arrest anyone but would have confiscated any beer purchased in Whiteclay at checkpoints just inside the reservation. Volunteers in Whiteclay planned to use radios to tell checkpoint workers which vehicles should be stopped and searched.
Twiss said it was unclear whether the blockade would violate motorists' constitutional right against illegal searches and seizures. "A person's vehicle is their property," Twiss told Martin.
Allowing the blockade also would invite liability issues, Twiss said: "If someone decides not to stop, we're going to be responsible."

"Whose side are you guys on?" Martin told Twiss.

"Don't try to make me be the bad guy," Twiss said.

Twiss acknowledged his department has not done enough to go after bootleggers who buy large quantities of beer in Whiteclay and distribute it on the reservation, but said he doesn't have the money or manpower to do more.

Twiss vowed, however, to work with Martin and others to find some way to ease the problem.

The two sides planned to meet, possibly as early as Thursday.

Mark Vasina of Nebraskans for Peace, an activist group that has tried to end alcohol sales in the border town, said he was pleased with the outcome.

"I think this is a success because we got a commitment from the new police chief to deal with the problems of illegal alcohol sales," Vasina said.

Sheridan County, Neb., Sheriff Terry Robbins had a different take: "Waste of time." The episode was intended to draw media attention, he said.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Friday

I just received an email from Erin Red Bear at the American Horse School. It is confirmed that on Friday, July 21 we will be going to work at the school. It looks like we will be doing any or all of the following:

  • Cleaning out a fence row so weed killer can be sprayed
  • Cleaning up the grounds including the teacher's housing area and the pow wow grounds
  • Painting parking lines on the parking lot

They have all of the materials we will need but we will need to bring rakes, hoes and gloves.

- Crew - if you bring any of these with you, please remember to put your name on them so we can make sure you get them back.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Memorable Sayings From Past Trips

Each year there is at least one good line that is worthy of remembering for some laughs. Here are a few from pervious years....

"What is, is." - John

"I see a buffalo!" - Cathy upon seeing a car in the distance and thinking it was a buffalo.

"Take this one - it's just like all the others except it's different." - Amber when the children got fussy over what backpack they wanted.

"What has happened to our basketball court?!?!?" - a child upon seeing us dig out and frame up the basketball court

"We're gonna rock your trailer Paul". - Bev arguing with Paul about the music for Teen Night

"Horse! Horse! Horse! Horse!" - Amber after nearly running into a herd of wild horses driving through the badlands at night.

"SHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTT!!!!! - Cathy after Brian nearly drove off a cliff

"Don't make me laugh anymore - I have to fart." - unnamed person

And who could forget - Johnny poo poo pants! - Brandon and Bub

There's a Dining Room in there Somewhere


I've done more shopping. So far we have almost all of the school supplies and 137 backpacks (at last count). God really blessed this shopping trip because I found some GREAT deals. Spiral notebooks for 10 cents, boxes of 24 crayons for 10 cents, and folders for 10 cents! I've hit several Walmarts in the area and I imagine the cashiers dread to see me walk in the door.

It's also a blessing to see how much people support us. So many times people give me funny looks when I have two carts full of school supplies and when I explain what we're doing, they always think it's great. I've heard "God bless you" several times in the past week. One lady who worked for Walmart called the manager to ask if she would mark the stuff down any more for us. The manager never returned her call but at least she tried.

Since most of the stuff is here now, we will plan to have a backpacking party NEXT SUNDAY, JULY 2nd. Meet here at my house at 2pm and we will knock this out in no time. You do not HAVE to come to the backpack packing party but it is a lot of fun. You are welcome to stay here until church starts if you like but we will probably be finished by 3:30

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

'Tis the Season


Back from shopping. That's right. I'm already at it. No time to spare. I was thrilled to find spiral notebooks for 10 cents each! Now I'll let them restock before I go back because I pretty much cleaned them out.

Good News!!!


We are going to be able to take backpacks with school supplies out to give to the kids again this year!

I was disappointed that we were not going to be able to do that this year and finally just asked the board if they would be able to help out and they agreed to do so! This is a great project for several reasons:

  • The kids get SOOO excited about getting school supplies
  • The parents also really apprecite that we do this for the kids.
  • It is needed. Pine Ridge has been deemed the poorest area in the U.S.
  • It is a small way of encouraging the children to stay in school in an area that has a high drop out rate.
We will also be giving people in our congregation an opportunity to be involved as well if they would like. Here is the deal ...

For $20.00 we can purchase a backpack and school supplies for one child.

If you would like to help with this project, make checks out to the Winton Rd. First Church of God and note that it is for backpacks. Give the check to any Pine Ridge crew member and we'll see that it all goes toward backpacks and school supplies.


Crew - we will be having a backpack packing party soon!

Monday, June 19, 2006

A Pirate's Name for Me

Click here to find your pirate name. Then let us know what your name is.

I'm "Stutterin' Liza Sparrow"

And no, I didn't plan it that way. Really.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

More Shopping




Today my dad went with me to do some more shopping for the trip. And I think we have most of it packed now and stacked in my dining room. I think this completes phase one of shopping. I've bought everthing that wont go bad. The first week of July I'll shop for the things that can be frozen and then probably the day before we leave I'll have to buy bread and things that are last minute items. Somewhere in there I'll have to pick up the Ryder truck too.

I wish you all could come shopping with me - not to help, but to see the looks on people's faces when I buy the amount of stuff I buy. The guy at the store today had the funniest look on his face when I told him I needed 700 small bags of chips and 1500 paper plates. BTW, those are on order and my dad and I will pick them up on Saturday.

More Shopping




Today my dad went with me to do some more shopping for the trip. And I think we have most of it packed now and stacked in my dining room. I think this completes phase one of shopping. I've bought everthing that wont go bad. The first week of July I'll shop for the things that can be frozen and then probably the day before we leave I'll have to buy bread and things that are last minute items. Somewhere in there I'll have to pick up the Ryder truck too.

I wish you all could come shopping with me - not to help, but to see the looks on people's faces when I buy the amount of stuff I buy. The guy at the store today had the funniest look on his face when I told him I needed 700 small bags of chips and 1500 paper plates. BTW, those are on order and my dad and I will pick them up on Saturday.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Meals

Some are you are wondering what we're eating. Here is the menu - assuming that we have the meats donated again this year. If not, we may have to make changes. All meals on the road, you are responsible for. All meals on the reservation are included in the cost of the trip.

Saturday - Travel Day
Eat on the Road

Sunday - Travel Day
Eat on the Road

Monday
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, Juice

Lunch: Chicken Drummies, Celery/Carrot Sticks, Ranch Dressing, Cookies

Dinner: Pork Chop, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Bread & Butter, Iced Tea

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, OJ, Butter,

Lunch: Hamburgers, baked beans, chips

Dinner: Chicken Breast, Green Beans, mac & cheese, bread & butter, Kool Aid

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, Juice

Lunch: Hot Dogs, Chips, Fruit Cups

Dinner: Spaghetti, Salad,Garlic Bread

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, Juice

Lunch: Rib-B-Q sandwiches, chips

Dinner: Hamburgers, Potato Salad, Baked Beans

Friday
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, Juice,

Lunch: PB&J’s, chips, fruit

Dinner: Left Overs!

Saturday - Sight-seeing Day (travel)
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, Juice

Lunch (on the road)

Dinner (picnic at Custer State Park - provided)

Sunday - Travel Day
Breakfast: Cereal, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Pop Tarts, Muffins, Fruit, Milk, Coffee, Juice

Eat on the Road

Monday - Travel Day

Eat on the Road

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Drivers

Another note:

Everyone needs to get their driving records in - again. All of the records from previous years have been lost (not by me) so we all need to get them in again.

Please, please, please, get them in before the end of June. That will make my life SO SO SO much easier. July will just be too hectic for me to have to worry about paper work.

Monday, June 05, 2006

VBS Teams

At our May meeting we assigned VBS teams by allowing those in attendance to choose what team they wanted. Those not in attnedance were assigned to the spots that were left.

Each team needs to meet ASAP to plan how you are going to divide up the story-telling and how you want to cooridinate sharing His story. If you've not received a call from someone on your team, go ahead and contact them and set up a time to get together. This is the most imporant thing we will be doing there and we can't drop the ball because we would not take one hour to be prepared. If you were not at the meeting and do not know what team you are on, here is the list:


Teens
Amber
Cathy
Jean

Middlers
Charles
James
Larry
Elizabeth
Kelly

Little Ones
Ericka
Kristen
Tim
Josh
Andreina

Kitchen
Debbie