The Poorest Place in America: Pine Ridge Reservation
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
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Shot by @ihatemiguelsierra
Edited by @JuicedUpFilmz & @ihatemiguelsierra
Recommended Reading - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: a.co/d/2ZZabGi
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": ua-cam.com/video/z9SMN59vsGY/v-deo.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
Tommy, please be safe out there while you tell these stories. Love from Whitewater.
Oh, boy! Education of Little Tree, Ishi, When the Legends Die, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven...
i woulda never thought tommy would come down to my reservation im glad you shedding light on the struggles of where i come from
I pray for you n your people.
My great grandmother was Blackfeet N Creek Indian,
Wish you n your family the best n May God be with you.
Why are almost all reservation’s like this?
Do their community leaders not give a f**** cause it sure looks that way.
@@colewilson8508 the counsel would rather help they own families and embezzle money into there own pockets before they even think about the people
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.
@@Phondo2x ah. So that’s why they wanna ban a governor from their communities
Raised on a reservation with no jobs. At 17 I got the hell out of there, and have done well in life.
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.
@@beththomas2222You express yourself so beautifully noone would be able to tell you were from this shot up Rez.F this.F that.Im classy.
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?
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.
im from oakland and i never knew that thats wildd
My grandma and them all lived in Compton in the 70s as apart of that relocation program lol kinda crazy
@@dj-dt1vv my grandma and my grandpa were in oakland then moved over the sf then back to the rez
Raider nation aye
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 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
I had no idea this place existed 😢
As are many other Reservations.
Alaskan Native here I used to be homeless and addicted to alcohol and meth. Thank you for shedding light on indigenous communities and its struggles.
Congratulations on your sobriety 🙌🏾🙏🏾♥️
So very hard to believe ... all the best to You ❤
Congrats on your sobriety young sister, much love from plains Cree country. Stay strong in your recovery
omg 😞
Ya'at'eeh shik'is from Iyanbito Dinétah
I pray for good health to my indigenous siblings.
🕊️
Thank you for including my auntie christy rose's photo and bringing awareness. It means a lot, my family misses her so much.
My foreman here in Colorado is originally from Pine Ridge. The stories he's told me are insane. Glad to see this coverage. Best channel on UA-cam
Yessir🙏🏼
foreman for what
@@Bob1332shis job dingus lol
Yy
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 UA-camr 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.
Im an Italian from New York. My best friend was a Lakota man and his wife. He passed away and I've never been the same since. He always talked about eagle protection. During hurricane Milton eagles circled my house. My house was spared. He always talked to me about things and the reservations. I miss him so much. I still stay in touch with his wife. He was a fun-loving guy and a comedian who touched a lot of hearts. He was way too young to go.
Native humour is the best. Sooo funny
Gave me goosebumps
This gave me chills. My mother in-law grew up on pine ridge
What part Ny
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.
That’s dope
God Bless 🙏🏾😢….i get it man. It’s like survivor’s guilt!
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.
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.
Congratulations!
Congratulations on being clean 👏!
kid said you need "a thousand at least" to be rich, let that sink in.
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
@@deeriggs3319my take home is $2500 every two weeks and I’m struggling to make ends meet. Such a fckd up situation in this country.
15 years ago in RC SD on a $70k salary I was paying 700$ flat for a 2 bdrm
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.
I have been seeing electronic billboards displaying the name and picture of Nevaeh King bird, a missing Ojibwa girl who went missing at the age of 15 from Bemidji, just south of Red Lake Indian Reservation back in October 2022. She has not been found yet.
🧡🧡🧡
Are they being taken from outsiders? I have seen some coverage on the Alaskan native women disappearing
I think it’s every reserve .Generally speaking because I came back to the reserve after foster care and became an alcoholic . Sad to say I never thought of it like that before until other people viewed us
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 agree with this 100%
Check out more of Tommy’s content he’s a damn good guy
Definitely sensationalized
Tommy a goat in the making fr
“Where’s there nothing, you can do anything”… hits hard
That's the founding principle of America/New world. Worked out great for some people.
Ya great words for sure.
Thats a double edged sword bro... be careful with that advice
@@kaibotski4939white* people
What's stopping those young guys from getting out of town. And trying to make it in a real town with real jobs?
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.
You two were meant to cross paths, believe that! ❤
Heck yeah. Super dope dude. Humanity prevails.
Dam yall gonna f... lol
@@erenjaeger1738LOL😂. Dude gonna clap up them native cheeks
W friend
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.
Standing rock? I used to go to Fort Yates ND for 3 weeks every summer and stay on the Rez. Some amazingly beautiful and resilient people ❤ taught me a whole new way of life and also made me grateful from where I came from. I was invited to a Pow Wow, welcomed into homes of the natives, sat at their dinner tables and was treated mostly like family, especially the more I proved myself and kept my promises of coming back and such (no matter how small) still friends with the “girls” I grew up with every summer, 14 years later!
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
250 billion 4 ukraine tho right
@@TheAnnoyingBossand 95 billion more to Israel and Taiwan
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
are you a standingrock? knew a guy from the rocky boy rez
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.
she really cares, you can tell
She is really inspiring.
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!
😢
Boo hoo, they did a ton of fucked up shit to us
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
That's the race of people that should be the focus....no, I'm not native American, but they are literally Forgotten 😢
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...
The first lady you spoke to is one bad ass Auntie. Mad respect 🙌
That’s what I thought
She is like me, no push over...lmao!
Mama Julz is awesome!
fs 😂
God bless her ❤
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.
came here to say the same thing as a south dakotan
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
Yeah, about an hour from Rapid City; west river SD, hugging the southern border between SD n Nebraska
Is South Dakota living good or on the up rise. I’m sure I seen somewhere it has the cheapest cost to live there?
@@sosegeorge6853 depends on if you want to live in the pretty side of the state or not. East river I pay $600 a mo to park my rig and have a place for my horse and goats. Wanting to move west river custer area before too long, looking at a mighty price jump in doing so.
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
@@MsLhuntMartinez79 wow from Canada all way down south to Louisiana. Crazy
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.
Question, my brothers of the land: were blvck American Indians ever discussed from your elders?
(I'm blvck Choctaw and Irish)
my mom grew up on the pine ridge rez and got out of there when she was able to go to college and she always tells me how she’s grateful i’ve never had to grow up on this rez
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...😢
My moms uncles would drink that hair spray and hand sanitizer as well. We’re Navajo. Addiction is an EVIL disease.
Do you have scientific evidence to support this statement?
So sorry about your family tragedy:(
So sorry....😢
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 also went to an alternative school in Colorado, best of luck to you my dude
Wow! That is awesome! Did that change you for the better?
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.
Keep up the forward fight..live on !
hell yeah dawg
Stay strong dont give up! Ur truly an inspiration to others even if u dont see it! Ur comment alone truly touched me! 💖💪🏽🙏🏽
Congrats on your sobriety! Thats amazing! You’re amazing! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
👊🏻
We've been ignored for so long it hurts. Thank you for visiting and asking us what we experience. Too many people speak for us or about us and don't know wtf they're talking about. Again, thank you.
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.....👀🤬
👊✌️
always
That makes sense money's always bigger then culture
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
Tommy doing a fantastic job showing a glimpse of America to people that would never know existed.
Everyone knows
A lot of people outside America dont really know much about these areas though. @@ballinv2452
@@ballinv2452 I didn’t know about this specific place. I’m sure a lot of others didn’t either.
@@LorenXLX it's a well documented genocide. US and Canada
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.
Calling his birthday 35 years of sobriety says a lot to how much of an impact alcohol has had on this community
Haha i was like wtf 🤣
@@daffedavidsen6306Same I didn’t think dude looked like a former drunk
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
Firewater addiction bad
@@user-um8zt2ke8o Hey buddy, you are correct. When people stop taking drugs and/or alcohol they now have two birthdays. The day they were born into this world, and the day that they stopped taking alcohol or drugs and started a new life without using some sort of drug or alcohol.
I live in rapid city! Very close to the Res. Thank you for making this video and bringing awareness to the issues going on down there. I lost my uncle to extreme alcoholism after he moved back to the Res. Thank you!
So this is in OUR Country and we are worried about other countries??? WOwwwwwwwww......
America is a fkn scam
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 !!! 🤬🤬🤬
Yup, billions of dollars towards other countries to help them, and absolutely dip shit for the American citizens.
It’s done on purpose. The govt doesn’t want the people here educated and wealthy. They would present a problem for the status quo
@@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.
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
Ehhh. I played played some stickball in my youth. I appreciate you’re sentiment and heart brother. It’s a good game. It challenges you. Much love.
Feel for ya all!! Much love
@@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.
I'm Austrian German and my 💔 for decades for the American Indians and it got even worse! Now drug cartels, too? 😡😡😡
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.
Type shit
I agree
5:44 when she said she fights against meth I didn't know she meant literally fights them! 😂 love it! 😂
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.
ty for mentioning MMIW tommy! i live in canada and the problem is rarely if ever discussed in our media :(
Thats real truetho
I’m sorry it’s sad. Canada really is the worst. When it comes to MMIW you see the USA doing a lot more.
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 💖
How can we help?
@@Bill-xx2yh educate them on how to leave the rez and find purpose and work.
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
HEY YOU, I KNOW YOU
I'm Cherokee & my family is from Southern Missouri & Oklahoma. I had family members that were bad on heroin & booze. I used ta be on meth at 18. I'm 24 now & I'm proud that I got sober. God is great.
Congratulations!
11:55 I love that dude brought his little chihuahua on the bootleg mission lol lil guy is straight chillin 😂
Just donated 25 bucks to the skate park initiative. Wonderful, I’d like to see more of those guys
Wish I could say it will go to the right place.
@@southside1975 he's a sober guy building a community center basically, his motives seem pretty pure
Guess you like pissing money away huh? 😅🤣😶🌫️
How do I donate? I want to help them too
But you just had to announce that you donated, though. I'm sure recognition on a youtube comment means more to you than the actual deed of helping a cause.... If you, in fact, even donated anything.
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
I remember the first time I got invited to go there, one of my closest friends was from there and part of her family lived there. I had never seen a community like pine ridge. You can physically see how the government let them down.
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...
❤
They would be thriving had they been left alone I believe. The government took them as a threat.
@ms.t4322 Please educate yourself! Not all reservations are the same. Not all Natives get royalty money and we don't get free anything. It's expensive to live on the reservation. As I live in New Mexico, Northern Navajo Reservation, we get taxed triple for food, gas, utilities, etc. We pay federal, state, and tribal taxes. Don't say we don't pay taxes. Believe me we pay taxes everyday. What you pay at Walmart for groceries, we have pay three times that amount for groceries on the reservation.
Why are these replies even on my comment?
Insane how your videos are better then the mainstream media
its called,,,,,,,,,NORMAL....
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+
Every person on MSM is a multi-millionaire. Their interest is in dividing people.
It's because he's not feeding us fabricated lies and propaganda
Amazing how yall drool over utubers these days😂. Let me guess...."Tommy is a true journalists" huh? 😂😂😂
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
Probably would have been the same. A small few would have embezzled all of it 😂😂
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
Wow. I moved to Rapid City from Santa Cruz CA in 2022. I never knew anything about Pine Ridge. Thank you for shining a light on it. I hope and prey it gets better for the people living there.
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
@@SicanguLakota4rmSouthDakota congrats on your sobriety! I’m from rosebud too but live in Florida now. I am proud of you!
@@srh_SDCOKYFL thank you
@@srh_SDCOKYFL WOPILA TANKA 🤍🖤💛❤️
I’m so happy for you ♥️
Proud of you my dear. You wrote this comment a few months ago I hope you're still sober. I know how insanely hard it can be.
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.
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.
So a large number of people have left pine ridge?
This is incredible. All your documentaries are great but this one stands out. Excellent work. Thank you.
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
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
Tommy G deserves more recognition for all of the work he puts in to show the real world that the average people don’t know about
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 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 😂😂😂😂
@@packers12to80you must be a bot.
Are you serious ? Ofc he let them talk because they live it. But he does also alot of research and explain it to us@@packers12to80
@@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.
more than half million views in 16 hrs??
The fact that you recommended a book to go with this episode made me instantly follow you. Excellent journalism here!
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!
That is how it is with many sports; the facilities and their people there become your community.
@@BlameItOnYourFriend what part of our good ol home ya from my friend???
If you don't mind me asking...!!??!!...🤔💭🖤💌💫🖤🧿🔮🧸🎴🌙🌌🌃✌🌈🧘♀️
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
God bless you and your family
So sorry for your loss
im so sorry for your loss. im sorry this happened
That's heart wrenching, I'm sorry he was taken in such an unnecessary way, RIP.
Lol
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 was raised very close to two reservations in Montana just like this 🥲 my cousins live on the rez and these boys reminded me so much of them :( it’s such a struggle I got out, my hope is to get them out one day too
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😊
The MSM doesn’t want story tellers anymore. They just have actors; script readers.
That’s cool..
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.
i grew up there in eagle butte, whats your cousins name f you dont mind ?
Tessa Curley she was murdered in rapid. I have another cousin who died at the tree line in eb if you remember that
@@kariiimf yeah i know a couple of em , one was a guy and they never found the killer i think. i know a girl who last seen him before it happened, sad
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.
I’ve watched a bunch of Tommy’s videos and other similar creators but for some reason this video really struck me. I teared up multiple times throughout, it’s incredibly sad to see what our native people are going through with almost no resources for anyone. It’s heartbreaking.
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
I use to fight fire with a guy an his last name was janis pretty good guy
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.
Clint and Cliff Janis and their pops. Good dudes.
@@PrairieSundog 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!
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
Crazy how you never hear about places like this. Mad respect for showing the truth and struggle. I pray for all of you struggling. 🙏
Worked on the res there in an emergency department. It’s so sad to see how they treat one another.
33:14 this woman's story is so uplifting.
I'm so thankful for my friends seeing me as who I used to be and not what the addiction has made me
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.
Can you tell some stories
@@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.
They don’t need your religion and never did
@@efolinskyI know right
A mission. That's what got indigenous people here in the first place. No one needs your religion. The creator is all that matters.
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 ofc my comment gets taken down because I call out yt supremacist values
@@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
When I was a kid in the 70s I ran away from home and hitchhiked all over the country. One time I got a ride from a guy who happened to be going right through the pine ridge reservation. I never heard of it. Fortunately the guy who picked me up told me it wouldn't be a good idea to hitchhike through there at night. He dropped me in a safe place.
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! 👍
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.
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 .
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
I'm so glad you're doing a video on this. It's been a problem for decades, and if more people would shed light on the situation, then maybe they will finally get some support. It's hurt my heart for many years over what's been happening on reservations.
Do they want government support?
@y2kmill any support that's not toxic like booze and flat bread would be helpful, so yeah, but the government could've helped decades ago and won't. Therefore, videos like this that shed light might just get them support they need.
I don't want to sound mean. But they don't like to work. The main problem here is the alcohol. And as long THEY don't want to stop drinking the cycle will never end.
I personally know people from.here and other rezs. It's the same problem alcohol
People need to take responsibility. When one male and one female come together sexually they often produce another human being. If people are incapable of taking care of children, they SHOULDN'T be having sex.
This madness will stop when people stop having sex outside of wedlock and loving and respectful and responsible marriages.
Another question why don't these families just pack up their few bags and go to larger cities where there WORK/JOBS.
Moreover, doing drugs, drinking and all other manner of sinful/evil behavior that leads to death and destruction needs to be addressed by each involved.
This is the Tommy G style I fell in love with some years ago! This is raw, talented, amazing editing and most of all, traveling around places to tell an interesting story ... Keep up the amazing work, Tommy! 🙏🙏🙏
He's the best!
Bless you, my man.
It's sad to see how they live like strangers in their own land ... It's heartbreaking. 😔
Alright.
Tommy who? 🤷
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.
I am working in a clinic at one of the reservations called pelican narrows(Cree band nation)located in Saskatchewan,Canada and it’s the same situation around here. Clinic gets at least 1 murder case per month. I pray for all the hustlers,survivors and young thugs of First Nations people in North America🙏🏻
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.
Grew up by Pine Ridge…craziest thing I ever saw was the exterior bathroom wall was knocked down so the horses could drink out of the bath tub…
Thsts next level
Makes sense to me.
What? I can picture this but that’s crazy lol
😂
I was there as a teen to help someone move and I saw that trailer.
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 🙏
They literally made a movie about this place and it was a really good ass movie. It’s called War Pony on Amazon! Shows 2 different stories about life on Pine Ridge that end with them meeting in the craziest way. 1 shows a kid trying to get rich and make it out while the other struggles with his fathers drug addiction and having to survive on his own. Good watch!
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 UA-cam, 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.
The America portrayed by the media is such a small percentage of the population. Poverty/debt is rampant across our country.
It truly is sad. 😢 hunger, homelessness, addiction 😢😢😢
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.
North Carolina?
yessir eastern north carolina
If you don’t mind me asking what tribe are you from?
growing up like an hour away from pine ridge in rapid city and having family and friends down there. I'm so glad people are bringing light to the real struggle native ppl still are dealing with! Tommy did such a great job wit this one!!
I’ve watched Tommy’s vids since 10k something and I’ve never EVER had a drop in my heart in a while video like this one. Seeing people I know, seeing a town in MY state is just heart breaking idk
I saw him at the court house and all I could think was damn how bad is rapid/sd getting:/
I really enjoy your videos. You don't just show up and film, you ask good questions and great follow-ups again and again and really pull the real story and truth out from where you are. Great job as always.
I live in South Dakota thank you Tommy g for putting light on this situation
Hey shout out to my fellow South Dakota resident. Have a blessed day
Yes! Nice to see fellow South Dakotans here 🙂
Horses and Relays are another great outlet , very extreme sport that requires so much teamwork and talent, amazing to watch and see.
Thanks for bringing this to the world, man. I moved away in my early twenties. I’m in my 40s now living in Denver. I’m raising a teenage son. I want him to know where he comes from, but I can’t bear to go back.
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 ❤️
wishing you all the best, you're a fucking badass. keep fighting 🖤
The money we’ve been sending to other countries needs to be helping these people. That should be one of the main concerns of our government.
Yup its unbelievable that over $175 billion to Ukraine to fund wars when our own people suffer its so ridiculous
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?
@@Damian-cd2tjexactly if they do that our tribe is just gonna keep it to themselves so they can please themselves smh its how it is here
The government dumps millions into these places every year and this is the result. People reliant on it.
@@misguidedangel6550You think that money would go to Pine Ridge? GOP would blockade that.
Anyways Russia won’t stop at Ukraine.
love seeing tommy g growing up. hes seeing so much of the real world and its gonna start to haunt him. he's going in more with a little bit of more knowledge then he used to and having his eyes open more.
I live in Alaska and you should come up and go to some of the villages. It’s so sad the amount of homelessness, addiction, and missing indigenous women.
Tommy G taking over where Vice left off. You're a blessing.
Fire video my brother. I really love that no matter how bad the situation and environment is there are always people trying to help. I bet martial arts could really help this community as well. Kickboxing, grappling, or mma for the youth could be a real beacon of hope.
Krav Maga and it's philosophies of using all resources in the struggle could help them fight against everything in order to retain and restart the culture which is still being stolen from them.
Bro was nice as fuck standing there offering the redbull as a chaser😂😂 looked so hurt tommy didnt acknowledge it
😊
LMFAOOO I noticed ts too was like jeez bro didn’t even take the chase 😂😂😂
15:17
@@delylahstar1089 lowkey felt bad for bro 😂
That’s really bad when he didn’t even want to try the alcohol . He only took a little sip
@@YourGraceMyLady I dont blame him for not wanting to try it. Could very well be laced.