March for Justice 2012

March for Justice

In Memory of Wally Black Elk & Ron Hard Heart

On June 9^th, the Oglala Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation will march for justice against the genocide of opportunist alcohol dealers in the border town of White Clay, Nebraska. A caravan will be leaving from Boulder/Denver June 8^th, and allies willing to act and march in solidarity are needed, as well as material support.

Because of its damaging cultural, social and health effects, alcohol is prohibited on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The town of White Clay, Nebraska sits just 200 feet from the southern border of the reservation, and less than two miles from the town of Pine Ridge, the largest on the reservation. While the population of White Clay is only 14, there are 4 liquor stores in the town which make millions of dollars each year selling alcohol as a border town.

The existence of White Clay, and the alcohol that is synonymous with its name, is responsible for violence, abuse and many deaths each year. These retailers routinely violate Nebraska liquor law by selling beer to minors and intoxicated persons, knowingly selling to bootleggers who resell the beer on the reservation, permitting on-premise consumption of beer in violation of restrictions placed on off-sale-only licenses, and exchanging beer for sexual favors .The vast majority of those who purchase beer in White Clay have in fact no legal place to consume it, since possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the Pine Ridge Reservation remain illegal under tribal law. Many people have died in the streets due to exposure, as the state of Nebraska fails to uphold state law or to police White Clay. As long as the liquor stores in White Clay remain in business, the genocide of the Oglala Lakota people will continue.

On June 9^th 1999 two Lakota men, Wally Black Elk and Ron Hard Heart, were brutally murdered in White Clay. It is in their memory that we will march for justice.

We will leave Colorado early on June 8^th, and rendezvous with other allies at the Wounded Knee Museum in Pine Ridge at 3 pm, and will camp out that night. The next morning, we will gather at Billy Mills Hall in the town of Pine Ridge at 11:00 am and begin the march to White Clay at noon.

Those interested in joining the caravan to Pine Ridge should contact Deep Green Resistance Colorado. We are seeking material support, in the form of food and donations for the caravan. Additionally, we will be collecting donated fans and air conditioners to bring to elders on Pine Ridge.

Join us in demanding justice and an end to liquor in White Clay!