Big Dog Merch: tommygmcgee.com/ Patreon Exclusive Clips: / tommygmcgee Skate Park Go Fund Me Link:gofund.me/6fd3... Kenny G's RU-vid: / @wskskennyg Shot by @ihatemiguelsierra Edited by @JuicedUpFilmz & @ihatemiguelsierra
Thanks for this episode Tommy it really hits home since I have alot of Native Americans in my family who have suffered with alcoholism, obesity, and other assorted things. A few years ago my dad ended up in the hospital because of I forget the term but I think it starts with K, luckily since hes not only got sober but has become healthy.
It's sad to see how they live like strangers in their own land ... It's heartbreaking. 😔 Slavery, Genocide, Colonialism and Colonization are all evil things done by evildoers. For honest truths, pls read the informative insightful, multi-pages comment by 'Lonely Alaskan' at, "Complete History Of Indigenous America Before Colonialism": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z9SMN59vsGY.htmlsi=QZ4aX9jmUdrbRoYL , (which by the way, got pushed down below 100 other comments lately).
Pine Ridge is like this because it used to be the place Americans would place indigenous prisoners of war. It’s a brutal remnant of barbaric American colonialism
Lol me too. About 2 wks after I turned 18 I was out. My rez is actually quite beautiful. Still no jobs unless you want to work at the crap casino and all the nepotism. F that. Or work at the ECC with all those trash talking bishes. F that. So liberal. No backbone of responsibility. All this talk about respect, but no body respect each other at all. I'd rather be with others. Even if the culture is different and nothing is for free.
@@beththomas2222 That's a good contrast. A real contrast. We are only strangers on the internet but it's good you are doing well. It makes me angry because the recovery of native nations is a serious issue but things are obviously screwed up. M3th is a problem everywhere. People who do m3th just don't have any respect intelligence or honor. I hope the native nations can come back. There needs to be investments in those nations that aren't just casinos though.
@@theodorebear6714 Agree 100% Also for the tribal leaders to allow other businesses to come in besides Casinos. It will continue (especially Alcohol and drugs) unless some of the leaders do something about it.
The whole time I was watching this video I was thinking why don't these guys move to a real town. Maybe you can tell me what is stopping them from going to someplace where things are better?
He's one of the few journalists who do true journalism. Glad he came here to shed some light on your area, the land is beautiful but the people need some help.
i am from pine ridge and can answer the raiders question lol, back in the 70s there was a relocation project to get natives out of pine ridge and they moved them to oakland ca. so our parents and grandparents were going to raiders games in their free time and they brought back their team with them so theres tons of raiders fans in ridge.
Exactly bro, we have relatives in places like Denver and Oak which is why there is a lot of Broncos and Raider fans. Now, I didn’t know about the relocation so thanks for that information, but I have a lot of relatives in Denver. I live on the Lame Deer reservation and majority here are Denver fans
I read “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee” as a young woman and I am 69 now. The sorrow for the people has never left my soul. Our government as it is, is evil. 😭
Our government is no friend to any race. They are for themselves and they are evil and I believe always will be. People who have the money and power should be making this right!
I live in Nebraska and have friends that are Omaha tribe and even up their they live kinda bad and not only that the history here in Nebraska of natives is bleak. We had reformation schools across the state in the 1800s and 1900s for the indians. Lost all their culture
3000 a year average income there. I make that in two weeks and complain bills/groceries are too much etc etc.. I cannot imagine trying to make it on less than a few hundred a month..
I live on this exact reservation, it’s hard to live on even a few hundred a month. Tommy should’ve went into the grocery store and see how much the groceries are! Sometimes we have to travel to the city or the next town over to get more of our money worths.
Whats wild is when they say they many might not go to the hospital because im pretty sure a lot of natives dont pay for healthcare. I dont always trust our hospitals either. Some are dystopian orwellian nightmares but lets say a lump pops up on your forehead you should go and have them remove it and check if its cancer because if you just leave it on your forehead for 10 years then find out its cancer that sucks becsuse if you got it removed you mighta lived to 99 instead of 49
We are not....the GOVERNMENT !!! 🤬. This is an insult to these People !! I was not aware of this 😢....I despise this Government , now your Governor !!! 🤬🤬🤬
@@loni1932 SMH at the United States... We should be fixing our own land first!! Everyone be nice to each other out there. You never know whose suffering.
Buddy got me with that one 😂 I know Tommy was thinking “wait how old is this dude” at first lol. One second I thought he was the best looking 70 year old man I’ve ever seen
My mom's been in AA for some decades and they refer to it as a different day than their normal one. That may be obvious but I wasn't sure so just chiming in. It's the birth of their new sober self essentially. Who they choose to be. That's what my mom said, but everyone's a bit different.
As a young indigenous individual from up here in Saskatchewan, Canada. Seeing Tommy talking about the MMIW & the history of our culture and residential schools (boarding schools) makes me feel so happy because this is a topic that often gets brushed under the rug and never dealt with, I salute you for bringing these problems to light about our people.
I didn't know there were Indigenous people in Canada outside of the Inuit at first. SMH! A large part of my own maternal family were Algonquin Indians (Algonquin Tribe) from Canada who were forced into Louisiana. My family's oral history was that they were French speakers from Louisiana. The tribe was French speakers, but from Canada. They moved off their lands as the English came in and in Louisiana they became Spanish, French, then U.S. citizens as the territory switched "Rulership". With each citizenship, their names changed. Example- Grandma NanYahee became Nancy. Floating Cloud became Cloud (last name). "Kill the Indian. Save the man" Crap
I didnt know this and I'm in Ontario. I'm trying to back track with my family history as well, I'm part native and german on one side and english with scottish on the other side with my kids being part filipino. It's so confusing looking into my history 😅@MsLhuntMartinez79
@courtney6511 I used Ancestry to help me out. The percentages aren't real, but the documentation and the DNA matches are awesome. There are free dna sites that can help, too. We all have about 128 5th great grandparents each, so it's difficult for most of us. 😃 💪🏾 My fam is mostly American Indian (several tribes), French, German, Irish, Scottish, English, and Belgian - Dutch. Louisiana and Alabama Cajuns and most Creoles have ancestry from France and Canada. They come from the Acadian people (Cajun for short). The Acadians were French Catholics who married into French speaking Indian families such as my Algonquin family. Others married into Southern Indian tribes such as Muskogee or Seminole Indians. The Acadians also married Spanish, Italians, and "Free People of Color," thus creating the mix of cultures that Louisiana is known for today. Some also claim African heritage, but my research found people from Haiti and the Dominican Republic being shipped back and forth. We don't have anyone from the Caribbean in my family either. Take your time. It really is worth it, though.
As an outsider but investor. I worked in Pine Ridge for 2 years, building a business that eventually would never be allowed operational. The reason is that we wouldn't participate in the tribal council corruption. We refused to pay the bribes. The council is why Pine Ridge is in poverty. Michael Sierra.....you know.....👀🤬 👊✌️
There’s a lot of young folks that need guidance. Be a shame for someone to come in and educate them of the corruption and how to take back what’s theirs. “Let them eat cake”
Pay the bribes get the business running. Put good people from the community to run that business. Then turnaround and expose the corruption. So, it would be the business , the good people from the community and you exposing the corruption in the tribe. This is what my community akwesasne reservation dose. (Not exactly but close) yes we fight each other a lot but it’s out of love
A business is better than no business. Please invest in pin ridge. From a Native American I know we never forget someone who helps us. That investment will be paid back 10x as much plus the bribe money
My father grew up on this reservation. The stories he told me about his childhood are crazy!! My father found a way out of this place surprisingly. He started a family in Salem Ohio. That’s where I grew up. It sounds crazy but because my father escaped Pine Ridge I now live a completely different life than him. I remember my father allowing us to visit this reservation. We stayed with some family members. I remember seeing how poor they were. I feel bad for my people out there in Pine Ridge South Dakota. All I know is my last name “Standing Soldier” comes from the Pine Ridge reservation. I appreciate this channel for showing people from around the world my true home, where my people are from. This is Pine Ridge.
I’m from upstate ny rez on the boarder and it seems like pin ridge is 100 years behind us because they are. Look at all the wars, expansion of the USA. My people help them off the boats. Fought them, fought with them. My rez is white washed and struggles to keep the culture. I see pin ridge has a strong future.
I grew up in Pine Ridge, and now live just north of Salem, OH (Warren). I went to school with several Standing Soldier's, so I probably know your family out there. Small world.
I remember always hearing that these types of reservations had long had by far the worst poverty, substance abuse, joblessness, etc., in the USA but this business about serious, urban style youth gang violence is relatively new by comparison. To the point where they used to say the gangs there were to some extent imitating or acting real urban gang culture.
Just wanted to take a minute to appreciate that principal. She was one of the sweetest, most selfless people in that community. Anyone who gets to meet her should consider themselves blessed
The principal has a great story. I believe, too many times young people drop out of school over boredom with regular school activities. If they can get a GED, job and degree, let them go, why make them suffer out something they are not interested in, high school? That goes for all of our American children. We already know the Education System is holding us back with what they tell us to do, not what we know may be the right thing to do for the young people.
My classmate Johanna moved from Pine Ridge in 2016. When she first arrived, she was underweight, depressed, and stressed because she left behind family after someone kicked in her door and shot up her brother and dad. It took her 3 years to become somewhat happy and as soon as she got a job she moved her family out to michigan. I grew up pretty messed up in detroit and she naturally became my best friend because we observe everything. Still my friend til this day.
Weird you don't see this type of violence in other extremely impoverished places in America like Appalachia? What's different about the people? Ohhh riiight. By the way, the RU-vidr here isn't being honest. The per capita "income" stats he's using, don't include all the tax free welfare/money and aid that Natives receive. Claiming their per capita "income" is only $7K because the government doesn't consider it all income is disingenuous at best.
My baby brother Gilbert Thunder Horse Jr. was killed here on the reservation September 26,2005 💔 it was homicide and a cop ran him over. We never got justice nothing not even a sorry. #JusticeforGilbert
The sober living skateboarding thing is amazing. One of the first times i got sober was because of skateboarding and the awesome friends i had that i skated with. It gives u a positive, healthy outlet that u can literally spend all day doing and fall in love with it. I miss skateboarding it saved my life once. I relapsed years later but im 10 years clean nowadays. Tommy G a good mentor to the youngsters
Opposite for me and some of my friends, grew up poor got into skating got sponsored locally did comps but my body started falling apart by 18 I had multiple autoimmune diseases I never knew I had, started partying and drugs to relieve the pain then came county, then meeting worse people then prison and gangs etc. The deeper in the life you go the worse it gets.
I love that you are spreading awareness about the struggles that natives face on reservations. It’s not just pine ridge there are others that are going through the same. I live on the Muckleshoot reservation in Washington state and we aren’t as bad off as pine ridge but we struggle from drug and alcohol abuse, kidnapping, and homelessness. MMIW is a big thing right now and this video will help bring more awareness to it. Our native sisters are being taken and nobody talks about it. Thank you for making this video.
My uncle was just murdered in a double homicide back in march on the rocky boy reservation in Montana. I would love for you to come up here to spread awareness on the drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and rise in gun violence. This was a great video and I appreciate your content
Let's not forget about the immigrants getting free housing, debit cards, checks, DL,s , food stamps, elany and everything else for free just cuz they came here illegal cuz Biden promised them they'd be taken care of n now it's flooded i DON'T MIND IMMIGRANTS JUST PLEASE COME LEGALLY
Yeah man I'm from Fort Belknap it was crazy hearing about that! Sorry about your loss. Rocky Boy has a serious fentanyl problem too. Same with my Rez. Prayers to everyone on all Reservations and surrounding communities 🙏 Aho
I am Apache. My heart breaks with our nations. We need to uplift our children and families. To fight is hard. We will stand and provide love. Much love to my people. It sucks to watch people hurt themselves. You sort you anger and real truths knowing how hard it is to exist when the world wants to take everything. Yet the fight, we hurt each other. I love all of you.
It’s crazy… I hate how Native American culture was forcefully taken away from you all. As a black lacrosse player from Maryland, lacrosse and native culture has shaped my life for the better and has inspired me to make positive change in the world. I love native culture so deeply and I’m grateful for all that Lacrosse aka The Creators Game has taught me
@@Kobiejohnson12 nobody took their culture. They still have their language, their dances, their sacred sites, artwork, craftsmanship, singing, drumming, beadwork, flint napping, mining for copper and turquoise, totem making, hunting, trapping, weaponry, pretty much everything is completely intact culturally for American Indians. Whites and blacks are actually the ones who don’t know their culture because they were from another land. That’s why blacks and rednecks are so similar. I look at it like this, as bad as the Indians got it AT LEAST they got their culture. Go to a powwow you’ll see. I don’t know if you were referencing the Carlyle school or what but indigenous have their culture almost fully intact.
These videos are some of the most respectful modern investigative journalism you can get. They aren't sensationalised, exaggerated or derogatory but informative and very interesting.
I have so much respect for these kids because their goals are humble, realistic and achievable. They're not saying the want to live in a mansion and drive a Lambo or some bullshit like that. Dudes are saying the want to become mechanics or open landscaping businesses, realistic pillar of the community type shit.
They’re not given any other option… that’s the government’s fault… not theirs… Ukraine receives $386 billion over the last three years. What would that have done in this community?
The vast majority of what Ukraine has received is in old weapons that were decommissioned. So unless some old Bradley Tanks would help the Native Americans, I’m not sure what you’re getting at. And a lot of it is under the lend-lease program. BTW do you vote for people who are in favor of programs to help the poor? Because you sound like you’re probably part of the political party that constantly votes to strip away the social safety net every chance they get.
The government would never lol they’re the reason we’re in this place to begin with, but to be fair the tribe refuses to collect money in the treasury the government gave us for the land because the land was never for sale
They’re not fighting a war though. They’re just self destructing. Nothing is stopping them from going to school and getting a job but they just leech off the government because they’re Indians
What are these reservation kids going to do with M1 Abrams tanks and missiles? The us isn't sending pallets of cash to Ukraine, they're sending military equipment that was already built
I’m from Rosebud Reservation Im 33 years old i drank for 15 years now i been Sober for almost 10 months so it’s very possible but YOU HAVE TO WANT IT FOR YOURSELF. I went to Arizona and California for treatment and i tried for 6 years to get sober myself but took me that long to realize i needed help
I know what you meant, but you worded it very poorly. "Tommy doing a fantastic job showing a glimpse of places in America that people never knew existed." That being said, it's a shame how badly the majority of Native Americans have it. Seems like the majority of them live in modern-day concentration camps.
South Dakotan here, Tommy G is bringing a much-needed focus on this, in a very well-executed way. The struggle is real, and his balanced approach to this is excellent.
i'm 5 mins into the video and he still hasn't mentioned which state this is, he should have just said South Dakota I had to google where is Pine Ridge reservation lol
Living amongst the Navajo in 1982..they used to spray aqua net hairspray in a bag and drink it to get high. Being a retired RN, indigenous people lack an enzyme to synthesize ETOH in the liver..they have sky high diabetes rates, depression and addictions. You nailed this Pine Ridge documentary..well done sir! Plus, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is very prevelent..my nephew murdered my sister and his brother in Florida in 2015..I'm sure it was a contributing factor...😢
It's worth noting that the Wounded Knee Massacre was committed by the same regiment that was led by Colonel Custer during his failed daylight raid in 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This same regiment, in 1890, armed to the teeth with lever action rifles and howitzer cannons (of which were strategically set up and ready to fire DURING the disarming order), called their actions of merciless killings of unarmed men, women, and children the "Battle of Wounded Knee." The whole reason this regiment was sent to disarm them was because the entire tribe had started a new spiritual event they called the Ghost Dance to honor their fallen relatives.. many of them children who died of smallpox, measles, and whooping cough as soon as they'd settled on the reservation.
It's worth noting that while you are correct it was the same regement, it was not the same people in the battle of little bighorn. They all died. Only a translator survived. Same regiment, different people. Just wanted to point that out
The part about the indoor skate park really spoke to my soul. The way it’s also a place for people to use as a resource for sobriety is absolutely beautiful. I’m a recovering fent addict & I put the needle down back in 2015. I know the feeling of “no way out” so well, but it’s a lie we tell ourselves when we feel we’re in too deep. There’s no such thing as in too deep. As long as you’re alive & breathing there’s always a 2nd chance available to you at any time! And then to circle back to the skateboarding aspect, that was a hobby I picked up after around 3 years of sobriety. The simple act of skating alone changed my life and gave me so much purpose and idc how corny that may sound. Skate culture is healing af if you’re in the right circles. The exercise it provides is also healing for the body and mind. I’ve heard other skaters compare skating to a feeling of complete freedom, so no wonder it can be such a huge comfort for addicts in recovery. Thanks so much for the insight, Tommy. Stay safe out there.
Oh hey I’m from there, I was in the middle of school and heard teachers and students talking about this video and I would like to say as a full blooded Oglala Lakota person I personally thank you for shedding light onto our community and our struggles, thank you 💖
Really cool rez. Drugs and alcohol are always a problem for every rez. That’s a lot of land to take care of hope the food forest goes well - from akwesasne
@@user-zu2bw7ig5v no, the answer is not to leave. Lakota need to rise up above the violence and work from within to find purpose. Don't abandon this amazing culture. I don't have the answers, but I have a nonprofit that helps girls stay in school. It is a small start, but at least it is something. But if many more can do something, perhaps there is a chance
I went to a alternative school in Colorado for all the young criminals and pregnant teens. They took us to Pine ridge to live on the Rez for a couple weeks and provide service work for our senior project. Was an unforgettable experience.
I remember sending you an email years ago, suggesting that you cover pine ridge. I am from pine ridge so I know how it is growing up there. I’m glad you decided to shed some light on this part of the U.S. because we are easily forgotten about
My father is from Pine Ridge. I've heard stories of the struggles and how hard life is out there. I've only been there as a child but as an adult would very much like to get to know this side of my family roots. My dad was lucky and was able to graduate and leave for ollege in a different state. He has a family and was able to do well. I'd like to honor him and give back in any way I can. ❤ This really had an impact on me, thank you.
I love the first woman he talked too fighting the streets. Trying to help humans struggling with substance abuse disorder, while still treating them like human. The fact she dgaf about fighting people to bring change .
I did a mission trip to Pine Ridge about 10 years ago. Truly shook me. I realized I’ve been living in a privileged bubble. My best and worst memories happened there, and they truly need our help.
@@nelsoninman3678 a kid 11 years old with his pants sagging and a rough attitude was sitting on a bench by himself and my first instinct was to judge him and disregard his loneliness and obvious negative attitude as trying to act “hood” or “gangsta” .. then I remembered what my purpose was on the mission so I decided to talk to him. When I got closer to him I realized he wasn’t acting hard, he was actually in tears. I asked him what’s wrong and he said “the other kids are mean to me, no one wants to play, and they always call me retarded and mudblood (a reference to Harry Potter, but because he’s half white and half native he was looked at as lesser). I told him that I’d be his friend and asked what he wanted to do.. he was silent. I said “do you wanna play catch? Do you wanna kick a soccer ball around, or do you want to play on the jungle gym” and he replied with a quiet and disappointed demeanor “I want to learn how to read”. I said “okay man that’s awesome! Let’s go get a book”. He grabbed a children’s book, maybe for a toddler, and started to read the book to me and asked me “what’s that word” on 90% of the words. This specific experience made me realize I was living in a bubble, and that my preconceived notion of the issues on the rez was unfounded and that there’s a true need for immediate help.. worse than the conditions in Somalia.. I was truly humbled by this experience, and after we were done reading I ventured off so I was alone and broke down more than I ever have before. Truly a moment where I believed God brought me to this situation to show me the truth and show him grace.
I spent a week as a sophmore at Pine Ridge in hs painting houses, cleaning up, and hanging out with little kids.. was a really fun week to help! Its sad to see the area suffering soooo much when i could see the suffering 25 years ago.. I met a little kid there and we had a great connection.. he found an old checker piece on the ground and gave it to me so "that i could remember him".... i still have it and wont forget !
But WHY?? I have always thought that Nativ Americans were doing well.People say they had government money,land,casinos etc .....what happened?This is new to me...
I have been volunteering in the Oglala Lakota community for 4 years now and have meet some of the kindest most genuine people around. Out of the 15 or so local natives I have become close over the years, 6 have died from murder, suicide, or overdosing. This was such a well-made video and I'm glad tommy is spreading awareness on such an unknown crisis.
It is so easy to see the potential in all of these boys, so frustrating they face many obstacles to opportunities that would improve their life. Bless those people who are working at protecting and inspiring these young people, because these kids deserve every chance of having a great life. God bless them all...
I’m a Native from Canada and my grandmother was in the “Boarding schools” here in Canada and she just turned 65 , she’s only just become a senior. It’s wild to think that these things are thought of as things that happened a long time ago but it’s a part of recent memory. Not to mention I’ve lost multiple family members to murder and I know people who are murders. The things that are normal here would make you sick.
I really appreciate that indoor skatepark & the people doing that. Skateboarding saved my life & gave me a healthy outlet to be active get in shape, stay in shape. Skating helped me find ways to deal with the ups and the downs in life. How to overcome falling flat on the concrete yet motivating yourself to keep trying even if it hurts but also knowing when to call it quits sometimes. It can be the most satisfying thing to achieve certain goals, especially when nothing truly comes easy with skateboarding. It all takes some kind of commitment, struggle, focus overcoming fear to achieve anything. It's such a good hobby that I hope catches on to more people. Hope that skatepark flourishes because it's probably the most beneficial aspect of that community's environment
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 it's so funny how badly yall swing on ppl like Tommy's nuts. He does surface level "journalism" and just let's the residents do all the talking. Which is fine...but I find it so comical yall crown him a "true journalists" when he does much to nothing 😂😂😂😂
@@packers12to80I never said he was a journalist. He just really good on showing the world the depths of society that mainstream media doesn’t show you.
I’m Lakota Sioux, been here plenty of times, so thankful for Tommy G to show some love and support here. Tough place, bet they were grateful to see someone like Tommy come around to help shine some light. Much love📈💯
I have been skating for over 20 years. So hyped they have a skatepark! One of the best ways to relieve stress and connect with a strong group of friends. Homie is not lying, if you take skating seriously it really will take you all over the world. Take it from me, it does not matter if you speak the language or not. If you both skate that is a connection that will take you anywhere. My brother and I started skating in Kentucky in the middle of nowhere and now he lives and films in Barcelona, Spain. That has giving me opportunities to see the world and meet other like minded individuals. I would not trade it for the world. This man is doing God's work!
Crazy journalists don’t do journalism anymore think any msm channel would benefit from doing what Tommy does clearly look at his views.. shinning a light on situations people are living threw day to day in America, in places most people wouldn’t dare to go near from Ireland but yeah enjoy his channel A+
I grew up next to the Indian center in Denver Colorado. I'm white AF but most of my friends were Lakota. All my friends that went back to the rez are long dead. Both rosebud in pine ridge are terrible places. I really got into the religion. Still fallow the red road and make prayer ties. RIP Sunny. Your family made me feel loved. I'm pretty sure Lakota means friend and they all lived up to that. My mom was a babysitter so I literally grew up with them. My heart breaks for them. I wish I could help more. I've set in medicine circles that blew my mind. Dancing blue lights filled the room. It kills me to see all this! These people have such MASSIVE potential.
Pine Ridge is like this because it used to be the place Americans would place indigenous prisoners of war. It’s a brutal remnant of barbaric American colonialism
@@pulse3554 At some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. You can't blame something that happened almost 100 years ago. Is there a choice to get drunk it's their choice to shoot each other it's their choice to do all of this. Saying that what the United States government did to the native Americans is beyond f***** up.
@@luke144 what?? That’s ridiculous, indigenous people have suffered at the hands of the US govt much more recently than 100 years ago. That’s a hyperbolized statement white culture tends to say to avoid responsibility. I’m not even Native American. You’ll never understand the effects of having your livelihood taken away, people slaughtered, having your culture systematically oppressed and spit on for centuries, having no opportunities, being racially discriminated against endlessly, etc. Could go on for hours but this is a waste of time if you aren’t willing to look into the history yourself It’s crazy the way you trivialize these people like they don’t KNOW that. of course they KNOW that, but when you’re dealing with such a brutal and systematic tear down of your culture, that’s fucking hard to get over - it shows up in every aspect of your life While people refuse to see the white supremacist values the country’s built on.
@@luke144 the way you trivialize these people as if they don’t KNOW their choices. They KNOW, but when you live in a place that constantly shits on you, spits on your face, has destroyed your culture systematically, intentionally broke down your heritage to provide you with no cultural strength in an evil, sinister Machiavellian manner, pretends your race is inferior through subconscious societal ideals, and has done this NOT just 100 years ago but to this day, it’s difficult not to spiral. I’m not even Native American but my heart breaks for what European colonizers have done and still do today in the americas. Could go on for hours about the history and recent history of Us subjugation of Native American upwards mobility but it’s pointless if you aren’t willing to do the work to learn yourself. Y t people hate accountability when it comes to this, and yet decry others’ accountability
Actually I am without words. I am European at the first place. I am from the end of Europe really from shetty Hungary so I saw devastation and poverty. BUT! It is amazing how the media still paint the U.S.A like it is made of gold. If I don't speak English, and I don't have RU-vid, I'd have never ever knew how the Great America looks like in real life. Segregation, racial issues, poverty, and drugs are literally everywhere. Flabbergasting truly. Just only one critique please get that camera holder thing (I am sorry for my bluntness but I don't know what that equipment is called) because the screen is moving a lot my head is like spinning.
Great job Tommy. As a former member of the mainstream media for 20 years, I’ve got to say when I was in the newspaper business it would’ve been a dream come true to have a reporter like you stories for you are a great storyteller and a fantastic journalist bravo😊
I pray everyday for my fellow Lakota brothers and sisters. I’m from the rosebud rez and can tell you first hand rez life is tough… historical and generational trauma runs deep and unless you’ve experienced it first hand being Indigenous, people will never understand. One thing about them ridgers though they can ball!! I always dreaded playing them in basketball! Anyone with the last name Janis was deadly AF back in my day. Shoutout to Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and all indigenous people going through the struggle! You are important, beautiful people who MATTER! Keep up the fight. Proud to be Lakota!
Yea man I’m Mohawk from akwesasne and it’s though. I can’t imagine the fights you Lakota had. It wasn’t as bad for us because they just got off the boats but yous they had footing on the land. Definitely deserved that lacrosse head named after the Lakota
Ay that's love fr fr. I've always experienced Rosebud vs Ridge beef in mid to late 00s, but that was just meeting Rosebud folks in Northeastern Nebraska, they always had an issue with us from Pine Ridge for whatever reason. I never understood the Sicangu and Oglala beef. I'm 35 and still dont understand it. Maybe it's just the dudes I grew up around.
@@StoicDivinity yes I do agree that it was quite annoying that there was such hate between the two and a rivalry. One time we threw a party after Todd county beat pine ridge in basketball I think and pine ridge showed up and of course there was a fight lol! I never hated on them because they are my own people and had quite a few friends there from travel ball. I don’t like how each Rez hates on the other we already have so many odds against us!
Yeah, those bootleggers would really appreciate it. Do you really think money is the solution? Do you think they will put it in a savings account? Invest it? Use it to get a job?
Thanks man, a real eye opener. I'm from Cape Town, South Africa. We have some pretty rough areas around here, appreciate the work you do man. Keep it up
It's so saddening to see the struggles the Pine Ridge community battles every day. However, it's also inspiring to see the resilience and the fight against these issues in their community.
Huge shout out to Kyle and the Ground Control team, the community NEEDS things like this. Ill bet you 5-10% of that 15% is straight and chillin because they value skateboarding and the family they develop through it. That skatepark is such a healthy idea bro. I love it.
As someone from South Dakota and has a lot of friends and family that are native I really hope this brings awareness and understanding to there terrible situation
Why is our country sending billions over to Ukraine over $175 Billion in last 2 years when people and places in our own country need help? Makes no sense. Help out our people first Biden!!!
There is someone with a lot of money who tell social media to remove our comments in that sense He is removing our freedom of speech which is connected to our freedom of vote.
It's not just Biden,it's everybodys fault for letting them spend THEIR tax dollars on weapons. The war pigs have too much power over our so called "leaders". You are the ones to let them know you won't pay for war!
Majority of tribal workers received a hefty amount of a bonus back in December, starting at 2k and up! And some wasn't happy with that. So her comment is true.
What i find crazy is the fact that you americans don't even speak understandable english anymore, and it is only language you'r jew asses know. Like what the fuck are you even trying to say @magical8013 ?
I was stationed at Ellsworth Afb in Rapid City South Dakota for 3 years and definitely saw the struggles and lives some had to live out there. I just left there a few days ago because I'm getting stationed overseas but I appreciate that Tommy is bringing more light on the rez and south dakota as a whole. Still one of the most beautiful places scenery wise with the blackhills and badlands. Much love Tommy G
My in laws are Native American, originating from the Standing Rock reservation. My husband's great grandmother was kidnapped and taken to a boarding school. Even though he's 2nd gen born off the reservation, the effects of generational poverty and trauma are still very much present and hes had to work hard to work through it.
I'm Chickasaw and I do bead loom work, I would like to get ahold of the guy at the bench who was making the paw bracelet. I would love to see more of his work. BTW, thanks TG for covering a Rez!! You rock! 👍
I'm from South Dakota! Born in Wisconsin ❤ Menomonie Indiana 🎉 I respect you so much for touching on our people's lives. Praying for everyone struggling 🙏
Tommy I appreciate that you don't glorify the issues you document and I appreciate you digging deeper to try to find out possible reasons and answers to whats going on. You've got your head screwed on right, keep up the great work setting a good example at the same time without judging or putting others down.
Prayers to my fellow natives stay safe chase happiness and chase sobriety. I broke the chain and almost to 500 days sober i was bad with alcohol and now i am proud to say i am sober from drugs and alcohol
So sad to see indigenous people living like this on our own land. All the young souls with no childhood, no creativity, no happiness. Our ancestors wouldn’t want us living like this, I hope change happens in Pine Ridge. 💔
Rapid City South Dakota Native here…it doesn’t stop at the Rez. Here in Rapid City the Indigenous, homeless especially, are regularly targeted and profiled by the police. Many elders and lost young ones with no where to go, on the streets, intoxicated at all times because it’s all they have. The homeless community look out for each other as best they can. Many indigenous women go missing from Rapid. It makes me hurt for my people, but this video gives me hope that the struggles are being brought to light for more eyes to see just WHAT it’s like and to erase the stigma of us getting “free money” because if we did…our relatives wouldn’t be struggling like this.
As a 29 year old alcoholic this hits home in many ways and that Ending got me he said sobriety and getting money the right way hands down straight from the heart answer ❤
Fun fact: this video has been out for an hour at the time of me typing this and more ppl has seen this video than the amount of ppl living on the reservation
Thanks for the spotlight, this is beautiful. I’m from Cheyenne River, it’s not as bad here but still not great lol. I’m glad you shed light on so many of our issues. Especially MMIP, my cousin was killed and they still haven’t put the person in jail or anything. And that is a common story, we have a strong suspicion of who the killer is, but it happens so often it’s hard to investigate every single case. Also, in rapid city, there is a lot of children who go missing every week. Some runaways, some just vanish. There’s a lot of our houseless population that are found dead in rapid creek too.
as a native all the way in nc just wanted to say thank you tommy for shedding some light on the sad reality for many of my fellow natives out. they're apart of some of the most overlooked & poverty stricken communities around.
It’s crazy how we can literally send billions of dollars to Ukraine to fund a war, But we can’t take care of people right here at home who were native to this land. The American government sent the native people here, yet we can’t help them rebuild a modern society? It’s freaking ridiculous.
I hate when Americans say the government gives money to native Americans and they never set foot on a reservation to see how the people struggling just to put food on the table
a beautiful testimony from the principal. it’s deeply depressing how the government betrayed and destroyed native culture and this is a perfect example of the consequences we see today. generational trauma is so prevalent in reserves in both the us and canada. honestly tragic. thank you tommy for once again shedding light on the issues that people chose to turn blind eye to
I’m Cherokee from the east coast I celebrated my 10 year anniversary of quitting alcohol. Dude it’s no joke for us we love drinking, it almost killed me and my record is a mile long but thank god I quit, it was the hardest thing in my entire life to deal with besides losing my dog.
In all ethnic provenances, there are people who are biologically prone to alcohol addiction. Other people may drink a glass, feel alright and not feel the need to drink again and again, but people with addiction to alcohol just can't stop, they need it physically. It is not a failure of character, it is a random, very unfortunate occurrence in our human biology. Same like how Pacific islanders are prone to get addicted to fatty foods and hence today they get super-fat since their biology was over the millennia tuned to fat storage for those long weeks out in the sea surviving with little food. Different ethnic groups have different % of people who are prone to alcohol addiction - and unsurprisingly Europeans are such (it is just that alcohol is in their culture, hence there are so many alcoholics among them). You American natives are of the most unlucky precisely because your ethnic group has of the highest % of people prone to alcohol addiction. This is the reason you must put it away and put you out of situations where alcohol appears. If you have 2-3% of your population addicted to alcohol, your society will do just fine, but if you have 30%-40% of your population addicted to alcohol you can't survive, your society is lost. Just stay clear chief and keep your people clear of it.
The situation is absolutely DEVASTATING. Living in Canada we learn a lot about the injustice and genocide that indigenous people have been facing for generations, and it’s absolutely sickening that the last residential school closed in 1996, thats TWENTY EIGHT YEARS AGO. This is not only generational trauma, but personal trauma of nearly every indigenous person to this day. Loved ones are missing, and reservations have a lack of resources despite the governments promises. There are more than 4000 missing and murdered indigenous women and children in Canada and not only does the vulnerable situation they have been put in lead to this, but the rcmp have been proven neglectful and dismiss the cases. THIS IS STILL HAPPENING!! Women and girls are still going missing on highway 16 as of 2023, and if we don’t realize what has been done to these people, nothing will change.
@@crosisofborg5524 The trauma gives people certain behaviors, like being violent and hitting their kids. That's what they learn about parenting, so when the kids grow up and have their own children, they may hit them just the same. This happened in my family, from 4 generations back, and its taken about 3 generations to recover from it.
Interesting how the Jewish community have done extremely well considering “ intergenerational trauma “ yet natives can’t help themselves or get off their asses to change their lives. They just ask for handouts.
I truly believe how we handle Poverty, Unaffordable living, Dysfunctional systems, Disconnected towns. It's the way our society just tries to ignore these issues, guilt trip, blame people for being stuck in poverty But nothing is being done to Actually address these issues.. It's creating such a deep division through out our country.. It's a bummer. I miss how things were thru the 90's-00's. I hope we can find ways to improve these core issues
As a school photographer for ten years in Nebraska the difference between reservation is overwhelming. Different tribes different cultures. I truly enjoyed my time there.
Thanks Tommy G for shedding light on the rez and showing everyone the struggles we all went/go thru daily. I was fortunate enough to make it off the rez and do something with my life. If I can do it, we all can do it. I just hope we can come together and stop meth crime and clean up the community.
In the last three years I lost a lot of my family. My Cletus died from freezing in the winter. My uncle Mike jay got shot in his head while he was asleep. My grandma Alta died from covid cause her son couldn’t stop bringing methheads around. My dad died in 2011 when I was four from drunk driving. My cousin Keisha got beat to death. My cousin Raymond and uncle Ivan got locked up for a murder they didn’t do. One of my cousin Tyler got stabbed in rapid city he didn’t make it. My auntie Marie got laced she had 6 times the lethal amount of fentanyl in her system. And a lot more it’s sad
The bootleggers at the end were amazing, especially the one in blue who gave that advice, im Ojibway from northern Ontario and recently got clean for 11 months from drugs but started drinking again once I got back to my rez. I am a bit emotional lately but his words really spoke to me and made me tear up. I’ve been drinking almost nonstop since I got out of rehab in december, thank you for your words ❤️
I'm from Rapid City and recently moved to escape that whole area. I've had so many friends die from violence and drugs on the rez and off the rez in Rapid City. It's just so wild how South Dakota is changing so much. I always was growing up seeing all the meth addiction and alcoholism. I got caught up in the drugs a little bit even but sobered up now over 2 yrs. I have childhood friends that I ended up meeting again and they were on meth. It's just a huge heartbreak out there💔
“And shame to all the damage that the white mans wine did.” Fuckin Lupe a real one. “Shout out to Chief Bone Necklace.” Nothing but love and respect to Fiasco
@@sundownmontileaux1652 All the damage is being done by the fat takers in the white man's skin. Basic precept of war, get you enemies to fight themselves without setting foot on the battlefield. The skinwalker is very real, and they can wear white skin when they need to.
Shout out to recognizing reservations. Not every one has a casino bringing in money or any natural resources. I come from a small reservation in northern Alberta where suicide, drugs, and violence are more prevalent than clean running water, so it's nice to see someone bringing attention to our struggles.
Im 24 going on 25 and ive been an alcoholic for 3 years i promised myself i would quit before i turn 25 for the better. Thanks for this video i needed it things do get better 💯❤️
you got this! there is a light out there! start with one hour of the time, move on to days at the time! next thing you know life is great! get your mind back
I drank pretty heavily until I was in my early thirties, I haven’t drank in ten years, you can totally kick that shit, it is hard, not impossible. The hardest part is your friends, if they’re drinking then you’re inevitably gonna drink, getting away from that is the hardest but probably most crucial part. Hang in man you’ll ditch the hooch if you push yourself to
@@squiggyloveslemons you not alone, im there too.. i love to drink when i do.. its zero stops. but i only do on weekends. coz i know my mind gets cloudy and shit and im not the same person. you got this...
@@bambino8235you can’t force raging water to be calm. You have to leave it alone and let it return to its natural flow. Emotions are the same way. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please let me know. But it’s all within yourself to quit. But having someone you can count on, helps too 😊
My father in law was a pilot for lifeflight and he said their helicopter broke down one night and he ended up having to stay with it over night right outside the reservation. He said in the middle of the night he could hear voices, people whispering and people moving in the grass all around him. Never saw an actual person but he knew they were there. They definitely ain’t lying when they say everyone comes out at night.
