Alex White Plume, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, surveys his land on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where his efforts to grow hemp have been hindered by the federal government. Photo by Courtney Hermann
The era of Trump
A note from the editor's desk
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor
lakotacountrytimes.com What will Become of Indian Country in the era of President Donald Trump? That seems to be the question that so many of our people are asking after the U.S. Presidential election. The most honest answer I could provide is simply, I don't know. It would be safe to assume that nobody does. After meeting with President Obama Trump was quick to change his tone on a number of issues, but that doesn't equate to a change in position. All signs point to a GOP attack on poor Americans. When I was in college the esteemed Dale Turner informed his students that the recognition of Indigenous rights in the U.S. has always followed the path of a pendulum. When the pendulum swings in favor of tribal-nations both courts and lawmakers support our inherent rights as nations. Of course a pendulum will eventually swing back the other way and the election of Donald Trump may signal the coming of a time when tribal-nations must defend every part of our existence against a more aggressive effort to destroy us. The federal government has never completely fulfilled its trust-responsibility to tribes. By not fully funding federal programs of the Indian Health Service it has successfully starved our people, both literally and figuratively, of what the very nutrients we need to overcome hundreds of years of attempted colonization. We have survived all of this before. We will still be here after Trump leaves the White House. For tribal-governments this means that long-term planning must be put in place in the event that federal funds are pulled from IHS or some other vital program. Previous councils have consistently backed away from ultra-progressive ideas like marijuana or alcohol legalization. Gaming has long been a source of revenue for the tribe but the ceiling on its earnings will always be capped by its location. As a columnist my job is to sit and ponder the issues and I keep coming back to the potential for alternative agriculture. Provisions in the most recent Farm Bill have opened the door for the legal cultivation of hemp by tribal-nations. Widespread hemp cultivation would be an immediate boost to employment and would also provide for a more sustainable use of our lands than beef production.
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On November 8, eight of the nine states that had marijuana initiatives on the ballot voted in favor of them. This is not a short term trend but a sign of a major shift in how this country views cannabis. With hemp not having any of the psychedelic properties of marijuana why would anyone oppose of a tribal-nation taking advantage of a business opportunity? We have the land. We have the work force. We must simply have the will to push through more progressive and even radical ideas to help our people overcome. (Brandon Ecoffey is the editor of LCT and an award winning journalist who was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and earned his education at Dartmouth College. He can be reached at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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