Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

May 24, 2013

Activist arrested delivering complaint on White Clay liquor stores


Deep Green Resistance activist T.R. McKenzie arrested, while delivering this complaint on White Clay liquor stores bordering Pine Ridge, South Dakota

Update: Deep Green Resistance press statement:
 http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2013/05/activist-arrested-prior-to-press.html


Jefferson, South Dakota
May 24, 2013
Nebraska Liquor Control Commission
Robert Batt, Chairman
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 95046
Lincoln, NE 68509-5046

 
Dear Commissioner Batt:
I am very concerned by what I witnessed last week in White Clay, Nebraska.
It occurred outside the Arrowhead Inn, one of four stores in that tiny village
licensed by the State of Nebraska to sell beer to the Oglala Lakota of the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation. For about three weeks now, a group of people, led by
two Lakota women, have been camped on the Pine Ridge at the White Clay border.
Most of those sleeping at the camp are women and children. Their purpose is to
draw attention to the devastation caused to the Lakota people by the sale of alcohol
in White Clay.
On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, I saw Jason Schwarting, the owner of the
Arrowhead Inn, and his employee (who I believe is named “J.T.”) hand two
baseball bats and a long club-like stick to one of the men who frequents the streets
of White Clay, a man named Stanley Flying Hawk. Mr. Flying Hawk then gave
these weapons to other men from the streets of White Clay, one of whom goes by
the name “Reggi.”
Mr. Schwarting handed out these weapons after two young women from the
camp walked to Arrowhead Foods grocery store to purchase sodas. I was standing
just south of the “Welcome to Nebraska” sign. I heard Mr. Schwarting tell Mr.
Flying Hawk and the other men with bats to “get them.” He told them to “kick
their fucking asses.”

.

Others who saw Mr. Schwarting arm the men and heard him tell them to hurt
the women ran to the grocery store to protect them. They walked back to the camp
with the women to shield them from danger. The men with the bats followed the
women and their protectors back to the camp. Mr. Schwarting stood at the door of
his business and continued to egg on the men who were wielding the bats. I believe
that Mr. Schwarting intended to scare the people in the camp and to do them actual
physical harm.
I have serious concerns for the safety of the women and children at the camp
based on what I have personally witnessed. Please ask the Nebraska State Patrol to
investigate Mr. Schwarting's actions.
The following photograph of the men in White Clay carrying bats as they
followed the women back to the camp was posted to a Facebook page called White
KKKlay Happening. The man with the bat leading the group is Stanley Flying
Hawk.
Sincerely,
T.R. McKenzie

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