Sober Indian | Dangerous Indian ‘undeniably powerful’
“Sober Indian | Dangerous Indian: A Story of Empowerment through Sobriety” (SIDI) is a powerful film. Heartbreaking and gut-wrenching at times, but undeniably powerful. SIDI provides a harshly accurate portrayal of alcoholism and predatory economic practices centered in the “town” of Whiteclay, Neb., population 10 (United States Census, 2010).
Whiteclay’s economy is based on alcohol sales to residents of Pine Ridge Reservation, just two miles north across the South Dakota state line, home to the Oglala Lakota (Western Sioux) people. In 2010, an estimated 4.9 million cans of beer were sold at Whiteclay’s four liquor stores, grossing $3 million (Abourezk 2012). In SIDI, we witness the struggle to overcome alcohol addiction and achieve empowerment through sobriety through the eyes of four brave Oglala men and their families. The issues addressed in this film are both important and timely.
The predatory economic practices at Whiteclay, beginning with nonnative whiskey peddlers in the mid-to-late 19th century, have continued unabated since the establishment of Pine Ridge in its current location in 1878 (Olson 1965:132–263). SIDI accurately portrays these practices as morally reprehensible, profiting from human suffering and despair.
Alcohol abuse among the Oglalas is a complex problem: it is both a symptom and a cause of deeper, underlying issues, such as domestic and sexual abuse, teen suicide, fetal alcohol syndrome and high infant mortality rates. SIDI calls for a collective intervention to put an end to the demoralization and devastation fueled by the alcohol trade at Whiteclay. The argument is, above all, a moral one: The Whiteclay alcohol proprietors and their supporters (Anheuser-Busch, et al.) should do the right thing.
Although the picture painted by SIDI is grim, we cannot let the undeniable ugliness that is Whiteclay overshadow the beauty of Pine Ridge and the many positive things happening there. The Oglalas are an uncommonly generous and brave people, all too often fighting against unspeakable odds arising from a troubling colonial past for which they are not to blame.
Despite the inescapable shadows of (neo)colonialism and historical trauma, there are many positive developments on the reservation: cultural continuity; language revitalization efforts; children receiving quality educations and going on to future successes both on and off the reservation; a strong and persistent spirituality connecting the Oglalas to their ancestors, collective past, traditions, and land; the list goes on and on.
Pine Ridge, the home of the people of Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Black Elk, has long served as ground zero for ongoing battles against (neo)colonial forces and practices. From the political assassination of Crazy Horse at neighboring Fort Robinson, Neb., in 1877, to the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee, to the 1973 siege of Wounded Knee, and now the battle for Whiteclay in 2014, Pine Ridge symbolizes the front lines where issues of native sovereignty are contested, negotiated and decided.
How the fight for Whiteclay plays out could serve as a model for similar exploitative situations on and near Indian reservations throughout the country, having a domino liberating and empowering effect.
SIDI brings the harsh realities of Whiteclay to a broader audience, putting a human face on the complex problem of alcoholism among Native peoples in the United States and revealing the predatory economic practices consciously exploiting it. SIDI reminds us that we have an opportunity to fight for the just cause and to assert the moral imperative.
As Neil Young recently proclaimed in his anthem against the Keystone XL Pipeline: “Who’s gonna stand up?” SIDI asks the same question. What will we do about this travesty at Whiteclay? This could be a watershed moment, and we can make a positive difference by taking a stand and turning the tides in Whiteclay. As the spirit of the west told Oglala holy man Nicholas Black Elk in his great vision: “Behold this day, for it is yours to make” (Black Elk in DeMallie 1984:133).
— David C. Posthumus, USD assistant professor
