Boys from Crow Creek, Pine Ridge, and Red Cloud are playing in the Class A State Basketball Tournament in Rapid City; boys from Timber Lake, Lower Brule, and White River are playing in the Class B contest in Aberdeen. Those teams, all from schools on or near Indian reservations.
New Lakota Country Times editor Vi Waln warns those boys that they’ll hear racist taunts thrown at them at their big games:
Even though our ancestors played a big part in bringing the shinny game out as a public sport, our Lakota/Dakota and other Indigenous athletes are still discriminated against because of their talent. This happens in all sporting events. It doesn’t matter what level our young people play at – local, state, regional or national – many of them still suffer the disparaging remarks of racists.
…People who refer to our young people with racial slurs or judge them based on some stereotype need professional help. Mental health counselors might be able to help them understand how they are engaging in racism when they call others names. Yet, most racists are in deep denial. They will tell you “I’m not racist.” However, people who claim to not be racist are probably the ones in most need of help [Vi Waln, “Racial Slurs Flourish in South Dakota,” Lakota Country Times, 2018.03.15].
(I can’t read that last line without thinking of the radio conversation I had last night or the debates I’ll be having with Al Novstrup before the election.)
You’d think that Indian kids could catch a break in a state that just honored Oglala Lakota Olympian Billy Mills with a Legislative resolution. But Waln says the racial taunts at sports events have gotten worse thanks to Donald Trump:
The election of a US President who has shamelessly uttered racial slurs many times has emboldened closet racists. People who previously wouldn’t call Indigenous athletes names in public, now have no shame in calling children names. They’re not only racist, they lack sportsmanship and maturity. They bring shame to their family and community.
Please pray for the racists, they definitely need it [Waln, 2018.03.15].
Indian basketballers aren’t the only Americans suffering under Trump-fanned racism. But come on, Vi—surely those fans in the stands are just being funny… just like The Donald… right?
So. . .now cry racism “before” it occurs. I wish we would have known that when Obama was president and the fool actually did it at the hockey game in Rapid. Then we would have known it was Obama!
Well, olcorporal, Barack Obama never called other nations “s**tholes.” Obama never ridiculed disabled people. Obama never called a whole nationality “rapists” and “murderers.” Vi Waln had plenty of history on which to base her accusation.
I agree with Wain. All the covert racism has become overt thanks to Trump. I recall a newspaper story right after Trump was elected in which a man who had just verbally assaulted a black woman said that he could say what he wanted now because Trump does.
OldSarg, “cry racism before it occurs”? Hardly. Racism occurred on this continent from the first shipload of Europeans who set foot on the continent. Racism is and has been rampant in SD forever. I for one see nothing wrong with preparing our young people, white, black, indigenous, about racism which is so deep within our history that there’s no denying it. By the time they get to high school athletics, it’s part of the culture. It’s possible to teach our young people in a way that makes it not an us-and-them issue, but a human issue to be overcome by all sides I really hope coaches are teaching sportsmanship and humanity as well as athletic strategies.
Anti-Indian racial slurs directed at Indian students are well-documented. Any contention that Vi Waln is decrying things that have not occurred is false.
Robin, did you read the article? Nothing has happened yet. The tourney is not till this weekend.
Nobody called no one nuthin yet. How does “preparing” someone to be called a bad name prepare the person to be called a bad name? Here, this is just a valuable: When the aliens come to eat you be resilient. . .
As far as the great thinkers above you; if having elected Trump is causing overt racism why didn’t electing Obama cause a world without racism?
Trump uses the bully pulpit to say racist things. He provides impressionable children with a terrible example.
Barack Obama used his bully pulpit to say decent, inclusive, intelligent things. Racism is harder to erase than to enflame, and President Obama made a mighty effort not to enflame. All Trump does is run the flamethrower, and our Lakota kids suffer for it.
Cory,
Please link to where Trump said something racist.
ok http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-trump-racism-remarks-20180111-htmlstory.html
more racists statements.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/15/opinion/leonhardt-trump-racist.html
olprivate, you are wilfully blind.
Nice link Owen. lol.
Muslim isn’t a race.
lol.
Now I know you don’t understand the definition of racism.
Clearly Old Sarge didn’t follow Cory’s link to the Sturgis High School Homecoming because of racial remarks before the game, a game and homecoming activities that were cancelled due to hatred toward Indians.
Warning Indian kids about racism before any athletic event is using common sense and good judgement.
It is similar to when Black parents have “the talk” with their children when they are stopped by white cop.
Racism is a crucial part of white culture in South Dakota, it has always been there and from what I read today, will be there tomorrow.
I will have to consider my friend Mr. C’s statement that:
It is the word crucial I am digesting. That seems to mean it is an important part of white culture. Crucial means of great importance. I am unsure that is true, or that it could be applied as a blanket statement to the culture of all white people.
What all of you claim is “racist” is no more than “cheap shots” from the ignorant. You can’t fix it. You can’t change it. There will always be ignorant people. To think you can train people to not take offense when you know there will be offense is a waste of time. Kids tease each other. The look for the weak spots and once they find them they expand upon it. It is a part of life, just like mike from iowa picking his nose.
Kids tease each other. The look for the weak spots and once they find them they expand upon it. Textbook stoopid definition of derp, not racism.
Kids find weaknesses and expand on them then it becomes bullying- again not racism.
As for nose picking, it proves that I, unlike OldRiversMyMule, have something in my head to pick.
OMG! OldSalami called me a name. Oh my. the world is ending. I’m a victim. Wah! Wah! Wah!
People can be trained to not GIVE offense. You may say it’s natural, but it’s also learned. Kids–and adults–can unlearn it, too, if we’re willing to not just throw up our hands and say, “oh, well, it’s human nature, it can’t be changed”.
Vi Waln wasn’t suggesting that anyone should “fix it” or “change it”, she simply issued a warning to Indian athletes participating in this weekend’s tournaments that racism may happen and to be prepared for it if does.
“There will always be ignorant people” and racist people, that is a given for South Dakota.
It is not a waste of time teaching people how to react to racism and to think otherwise puts you in the category of “ignorant people”.
Racism is a form of bullying, just as teasing a child with hurtful taunts is bullying.
Over 50% of South Dakotans continue to support this racist president and those same people that support him are racist. That’s a fact.
Racist slurs are not new and are not socially acceptable now. Doesn’t matter who is in the White House. Actually they were more socially acceptable in the fifties and sixties but you have to be old like me to remember. The spectators aren’t as well behaved as they used to be. Any kid who misbehaved in the stands would be kicked out of the gym. I don’t know what the rules are now.
As for slurs against native Americans, they probably didn’t make a lot of sense at sporting events back when a lot of teams were named after Indians, so changing the names probably hasn’t helped after all.
Kids could easily put an end to racists comments by taking it into their own hands out on the playground. The bully will stop because he would be outnumbered.
It doesn’t matter. You all can cry and scream racism, bullying, picking on or whatever. It exists, always has and always will. All this crying “racism” is silly. Momma he’s picking on me, he called me names, he’s being a bully! It will never end. Grow up.
Most of you are bullies yet “in your eyes” you think you are being righteous and pure. Thus is the way of the world. You can’t lock up the world.
Mrs. Volesky, since this blogging is not about Ms. Hubbel, could you have Ron weigh in with his thoughts on this topic? He seems uniquely qualified, what with it being about basketball and all.
OldSarge continually says “it doesn’t matter” about any number of topics Cory post.
Apparently “it does matter” since he is here crying and whining “that it doesn’t matter”.
Bullying and racism have been around since the beginning of time, that does not mean we have to accept either.
Funny, Roger, how the stuff that doesn’t matter always turns out to be the arguments OldSarg loses.
Roger’s last sentence is the most apt response here to OS and AB’s efforts to deflect blame from the oppressor class of which they are members to the oppressed targets of racism.
Right on Cornelius
I remember when Wilmont played in old auditorium in Aberdeen
People drove for miles to watch that team specifically a young man with last name of Spider since I was so small I don’t remember the game but funny how I remember the racial slurs
My dad said people need to shut up and let them “play ball”
Nothing changed much
It can change , we can change it and it does matter
I am honestly starting to think you guys are nuts. You are arguing against something that hasn’t happened. You are promoting protest only against things you have imagined might happen. You are complaining that if something happened, which hasn’t, it would be bad. . .
Cory, post something about fighting back the Chinese hoards that might come ashore on the coast of Nebraska.
You have all gone beyond chicken little and into the realm of Paracosm.
Old sarge u r blind it is happening
Does happen and continues
To happen
Listen to tourney talk
Read comment sections on kelp
Or any
Other social media page
This
Piece written on the topic is reinforcing
What’s
Allowed it’s not a piece pulled out of
The air or
Any new revelations
Sometimes the eyes and ears have to
Be working at the
Same time .,,,,,,,,,just say’n
T
Thanks for the encouraging words and sentiment.
In the 1950’s and 60’s Catholic Indian Schools were banned from participating from state athletics.
In response to the ban the Catholic Indian Schools held their own All Indian Basketball tournament, kind of a precursor to the Lakota Nation Invitational, that was usually held at the Mitchell Corn Palace.
Basketball fans from 100’s of miles away, like Omaha, came to watch the Indian kids play some of the most exciting basketball in the state.
My Dad, coached Marty Indian School in the early 50’s.
As talented as Indian kids are at basketball they always suffered a height disadvantage.
Thanks for bringing up the memory, T.
OldSare thinks we are nuts, but he believes that hoards of Chinese are coming ashore on the coast of Nebraska, will the nut please stand up.
C’mon Roger, I think you understand that was olprivate’s attempt at irony. Like when I say I have a oceanfront property to sell you in Arizona. It wasn’t funny, but neither was it a literally intended comment.
There will always be ignorant people. Drumpf and Betsy DeVos will guarantee that.
To quote OldSarge, “It doesn’t matter”.
If you all want to actually work on stopping racism then work on equality not diversity. Work on everyone having an even shot instead of working on differences, division and resentment. Things done through diversity in the 50’s and 60’s to the Native American children was wrong just as today forcing them to live within the culturally failed ghetto boundaries of the Reservations today. The only way you will ever make this better is to call out racism right when you see it not to cry about how it happened in the past. Make tomorrow a better day rather than dwelling in your mistakes of the past. Diversity = Division, Equality = Balance. The kids need a chance but so long as you, as supposed “adults”, keep crying racism for something that hasn’t happened yet at the state basketball, nothing will get better, only worse.
OldSarge, why are you ranting and lecturing when you just said “it doesn’t matter”?
It doesn’t matter. It hasn’t happened. You are all furious over something that hasn’t happened.
Scanning the comments on this thread, I have yet to see that anyone is “furious” over “something that hasn’t happened”
The only one that is “furious” seems to be “it doesn’t matter” OldSarge.
OS is not only delirious, he is a racism-denier.
Roger, OS is one of those “good people/both sides” persons.
Dana P
There comes a time when people that talk about racism in the manner that OldSarge does, have to answer the question, what have you actively done to make life better for all people?
I’ve lived seven decades with OldSarge types around me and yet have seen one of them do anything productive. All they have to offer is feeble and spiteful rhetoric that has permeated the racist mines of too many South
Dakotans.
Roger ——–
TRUTH!!
Dana I’ve been in that battle a hell of a lot longer than your little minded self would even know. I’ve already been there. I attended an all Black school in the south. I was there when race riots occurred in and around the military and watched my own father battle them. I was there leading men and women in the military working and being part of making it equitable for all members. I taught finances for low and very low income families. I brought housing to Pine Ridge and Rosebud. Dana what have you done? All you folks do is run your mouths about things you don’t know anything about rather than actually doing something, anything, to reduce racism and spread equality. Here’s the issue: Not a one of you is a fireman. You are just fire starters. Racism starts with each of you. You are the problem. Buy a mirror and look into it. It is you. You are on the wrong side. You fight battles over things that haven’t happened. I fight battles in the reality of the world.
Of course the anonymous OldSarge can prove everyone of his heroic claims.
Oh, suck an egg Roger. You are nothing more than mouth.
“Oh, suck an egg Roger”, isn’t that special?
I throw the BS flag on anything OldSarge says and can’t prove.
Let’s do a test. What kind of housing did you bring to Pine Ridge and Rosebud and when?
Keep in mind OldSarge that I have a sister and cousin that have worked in the area of tribal housing for years.
Cory has met them both.
I’m calling OS out on this one black history is one of my specialties …..
There were no equalities for blacks in the military during 50’s 60’s even Vietnam
Tuskegee airmen ? it wasn’t until 80’s that the milarty could boast a high percentage of upper level positions filled with diverse ethnicity more than any other profession
Providing houses to natives doesn’t prove your not racist or teaching anyone to balance a checkbook because remember the housing and food provided to them after the “round up” ? A lot of racist people are racist simply by providing some sort of degrading support example, the meats and housing provided at the time; any white person’s dog wouldn’t eat or live in
I disagree with you OS respectfully, in This friendly little discussion.
I do not believe people in this forum simply “do nothing”
OS, how does your self described personal history have any relevance to the racism discussion? I do thank you for whatever positive things you have done in your life, especially if you brought housing to Rosebud and Pine Ridge where conditions are difficult.
Your last rant, however, contains some elements of anger and hostility toward the other participants of this blog. I wonder what advice your pastor or other valued mentor might give you regarding the angry outbursts? I would bet they would be very supportive of you and perhaps help you reflect on your anger and give you ideas how to address it in a positive manner.
OS needs the type of intervention Doc Boswell escaped as well as the Florida school shooter needed.
BTW Dylan Roof’s sister was arrested for bringing weapons and pot to her school.
Hey “T”
1) race riots took place in the military in the 70’s. I was in Biloxi during the late 60’s and 70’s. I was on Okinawa in the middle 70’s but the riots happened state side as well. There were over a million active duty on Okinawa in 1975. It only took you a Google search to see. Read this: https://www.dailyrepublic.com/solano-news/solano-county/1970s-race-riot-rocks-base/
2) I worked with RD, Habitat, HUD and Teton coalition. What have you done?
Once again; there are those that do and then there are those that spout.
Why won’t you be specific about your work with Rural Development, Habitat, and Teton Coalition. Hell you could have been a janitor for them as far as I know.
My creds and career aren’t at debate here, you are the one bragging of your heroics.
The BS flag remains.
Yep, Janitor. I’m proud of it.
Yep, OldSarge is a coward.
Oh Roger, I’m sorry my words hurt you. My being such a horrible boogey man is too much. I should have known. Now I will have to live with myself and the mean words I typed that caused you such great harm. . . Give it up. Once again, stop fighting your dreamed up racist battles against things that haven’t happened. The tourney is almost over and there still have been no reports of people saying mean things to each other (except on this site). You are worse than a 13 year old girl having had her cell phone taken away.
Tara Batcheller Volesky shared Words Hurt.’s photo.
March 17, 2013 at 8:47pm ·
‘Stop bullying.’
Words Hurt. updated their profile picture.Like Page
October 15, 2012 at 8:09pm ·
Words do hurt! The person may have the biggest smile on their face, but on the inside they’re crumbling. If you know someone being bullied, or bullying someone, TELL SOMEONE. It can save lives
OS thanks for the article I have agreed there are disparities in the military when it comes to inequalities. So I’m not sure why the mordacious google statement reference.
Getting back to CH article when a leader of a country endorses relationships and boasts of assemblage with certain hate groups it does, belief it or not, enforce aversions. You state “nothing has happened” do we know? We cannot assume it has or has not. But our prejudices in SD and allowed behaviors past history, my money in on the “has”
Has anyone actually asked the players is there a follow up to the story that discredits or authenticates? No reports? Doesn’t mean anything either, a lot of things are not reported in this state in fear of retributions
Roger Cornelius
Your statement yesterday haunted me until all hours in the morning regarding your father’s coaching I felt and share empathy and compassion how you feel about your father and I wished it would have over shadowed the pit in my stomach when you mentioned Catholic Indian schools. You are probably the richest man in this column right now because of your father’s experience, to be in possible possession of information during his coaching career memorabilia and pictures
I was honored to have met charley Valera at oshkosh air show last year
If you don’t know who he is, stay with me here for a second. He found his father’s memorabilia in the attic, collected information and wrote a book in honor of WW II veterans it actually assisted others in PTSD he told me he felt compelled to write it before it is lost That is what you need to consider. We have attempted to conform native people all over the world thru catholic school systems, whites claim it’s successful. The nefarious conditions have caused even the Pope to apologize in 2009.
And is that a whole other story. You get your father’s story, get names of some of the players, get their experiences as basket ball players and go all P Matthiessen on us before it’s too late and everyone has passed It’s too bad the experience for the players couldn’t be about what you, your father, or I would like to believe it to be and that is the innocence of the love of basketball.
There is a story here, help tell it.
Have you been talking to your imaginary friend again? If you think a low grade Trump republican can hurt my feelings your living an illusion.
Your latest rant is a mere distraction because you can’t explain your lie about providing housing on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations.
As T pointed out, you have no idea of the interactions of people at the tourney’s, there are a lot of things FOX News doesn’t report. Do you know for absolute fact that there were no racial incidents during this basketball tourney season?
T
Thank you for your encouraging words and your understanding of Indian issues.
Keeping my father in my memories is important, my favorite saying about him is, “whereas everybody has a father, I have a dad’.
My mother taught at Marty Indian School and dad coached football and basketball as well as being the school bus driver.
My memories are limited about Marty Indian School because I was born there in the late forties.
Fortunately, my education at Holy Rosary Indian Mission, now known as Red Cloud Indian School, was a good experience and I didn’t experience the sexual abuse as many of those in my generation.
Roger, my 2 cents worth. You are more of a man than I could ever be for your experiences growing up.
I had white privilege helping me long before I ever became aware of it. I cannot imagine the difficulties you and yours were faced with. Yikes!
Ok, the tourney is over. Nothing happened. What’s the next thing you are all upset about that hasn’t happened?