Wyo. Tribe Mourns 3 Teens, Loss Of Cultural Ties

[Sequoia]

Rows of rundown houses sit among stunted trees on a bleak, wind-swept plateau. The nearest mountains are a faint smudge on the horizon, and a boarded-up house marks the end of the road.

Three teenage girls died here, at the Beaver Creek housing complex, in early June. All three were members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe.

Federal authorities have not said what killed them, although tribal leaders say the deaths highlight the scourge of drugs and alcohol on the reservation. And the leaders say the deaths show the price the tribe continues to pay for the slow evaporation of its culture, native language and traditional ways.

"At this point, it seems that we're losing it," said Harvey Spoonhunter, co-chairman of the Northern Arapaho Business Council, the tribe's governing body. "I think the youth, from 12 to 18, are kind of lost. They don't know their place in the tribe."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/19/ap/national/main4361348.shtml

I just can't understand why we don't take care of our own people but rush to aid others quickly when they need it. Politicians and celebrities strut on camera about how wonderful they are because they help people in other countries and not one of them will ever turn their heads to see the suffering of our Native people. They have nothing. NOTHING!

[underseasurveyor]

1. Sad to be witness to the fragmenting

and waning of the beautiful and native peoples of this land.


Of course you can trust the government, just ask any native american.

[Glorfindel]

2. This is our true national shame

I wish I were wise enough to know the solution, but I'm not.

[pansypoo53219]

3. more casinos might help

certainly has helped the tribes here in WI. even had lunch in a casino last fall. nice. tho not into 'gaming'. but i have driven thru WI reservations. it is sickening the difference. but american 'culture' is pretty sick.

[ColbertWatcher]

5. As longs as the cults stay away from the tribes...

...they should be able to solve their problems.

Those casinos have been a boom not just for the tribes, but for the surrounding communities as well.

The casinos provide entertainment and activities that the communities never had before, not to mention the banquet halls are probably larger than anything the towns have ever seen before.

The downside of course is the gambling.

[Chulanowa]

7. Casinos have a funny way of making the problem worse

No matter who's running them or where, casinos attract organized crime. That much money flipping hands leads to political decay. There are some very good reasons why most communities don't allow casino-style gambling within their boundaries. Crime, corruption, prostitution, and drug use go through the roof.

For a lot of Native communities, the casino ends up dividing the tribe between the people working at the casino, and the people who are actually making the money at the casino. Rez gangs are on the rise, and with them, all the typical problems associated with gangs. Some tribes have been able to pull it off, sure, but damn, I'm sure there are better ways to make money.

[Glorfindel]

6. Yes, you're right...the Choctaws here in MS have a couple

of very nice casino resorts in Philadelphia which have been a major boon to that particular tribe.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. I know a few Puyallup tribespeople.

Damn fine healthcare system they've got, thanks to the casino.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. One of the greatest shames of this nation is the way the Native Americans have been

treated...from the very first step of Europeans onto American soil...