Missing Letter to the Editor, July 10, 1999, "Only One Side of Whiteclay Protests Told"

"There are two sides to every story. Living in a democracy, with our judicial system, we strive to make that happen. I would urge you to remember that there are two sides to the Whiteclay situation. I've read both accounts in The Grand Island Daily Independent and The Omaha World-Herald. I want you to be aware that they are only printing the white side. I have no American Indian blood or genes. I am not a wannabe. I subscribe to a newspaper that is published from Rapid City, S. D. called Indian Country Today. This past week, it ran an account of what really happened in Whiteclay, Nebraska, on June 26 (1999), the very first march that took place from Pine Ridge to Whiteclay. The local newspapers put the emphasis on the fact that 4 million cans of beer per year are sold in Whiteclay. The real concern among the American Indians that live on the Pine Ridge reservation is that two of their "brothers" were killed, and no one is making any effort to investigate these killings. Wilson Black Elk, Jr, 40, and Ronald Hard Heart, 39, were found in a culvert one and a half miles south of Pine Ridge near the Nebraska border. On July 3, (1999) there was another march from Pine Ridge to Whiteclay. It turned out to be "peaceful", according to The Grand Island Daily Independent and The Omaha World-Herald. Next week, the newspaper will tell the Indian side of the account. I already have one account from two of my Indian friends who joined the march on July 3 (1999). I will be looking forward to what Indian Country Today has to say about the incident. Mitakuye Oyasin (Lakota for "all my relatives"). "

Grand Island Independent

Wow!! When I spoke of the Grand Island Independent possibly covering something up, I was pretty sure I was just missing it online. But....I spent all of Monday afternoon looking through microfilm of the Grand Island Independent and found the letter I had written to them, that they published on July 10, 1999. That day of letters is nowhere to be found on their website. So, I emailed the Editor of the Independent and received a reply from him. He stated that he does not know why it is not there, and that there must be some kind of computer glitch. Should I believe that? I will be publishing that letter on this blog in the future. Stay tuned.... Peace in the Great Spirits name, Jacy

Are we naive, or just afraid to go outside of the box?

In recent weeks, since I have not had to study, a friend of mine gave me a book entitled, "Where White Men Fear to Tread". It is the autobiography of Russell Means. What a very interesting read. First of all, we as Americans in our everyday lives, have no idea what goes on in other parts of the country unless the media prints or broadcasts something. So, we are therefore captives of the media in that they only print or broadcast what they want us to know. We do not know the other side of the story. That is disturbing. There are always 2 sides to every story. We get the side of the story that the media, and yes, the government, wants us to hear or see. So, when people like Russell Means publishes the other side of the story, we beat ourselves up, (or not), for being so naive and not thinking that there was more to the story. In June of 1999, 2 Lakota men, Wilson Black Elk and Ronald Hard Heart, were beaten and shot in the back of the head. The media ran up to Pine Ridge to get more information about the 2 men, and discovered that in Whiteclay, Nebraska, the population is 22, with 4 liquor stores, and the sales of 4 million cans of beer a year. I first saw the story in The Grand Island Independent. Thank God I could read between the lines of this "fine piece of journalism", and see that what the story was really about was 2 American Indian Lakota who were killed and no one cared who did it. I then wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Grand Island Independent calling them on the fact that what it was really about was racism. They rebutted by saying that the 4 million cans of beer were more important. Today, when I search the Independent's website archives, those articles are nowhere to be found. I would like to think that a news paper just a few miles down the road from me would not participate in a cover up. But, hey, they rebutted with 4 million cans of beer over human lives, so why am I surprised? Many, many cover ups have occurred over the years with American Indians since the American government has been organized. Our founding fathers were no angels. The faces on the sacred hill in the Black Hills are the very faces that made treaties, and broke them. The inexcusable treatment of American Indians is not new. It started when Columbus set foot here. It has continued to present day. And if you think it is not still going on then you are a prisoner in your own box. I have put my interest for American Indians on the back burner of my life in the last 6 years due to finding out who Jacy really is, my nephew, and my continuing education. But thanks to my good friend Nancy, I have moved from the back burner to the front. I hope that it can continue in that I am taking an American History class this fall. It will be interesting to know what the text book is leaving out. I am reading another book that has called out many cover ups. It is entitled, The Unquiet Grave by Steve Hendricks. Stay tuned...I will be commenting on this book also. In the meantime, Mitaku Oyasin, which means "all my Relatives". In the Great Spirits name, Jacy