BBC: "Can one South Dakota tribe take on America's big beer?"

"27 April 2012 Last updated at 07:42 ET

After years of failed efforts to address chronic alcoholism, the largest Native American tribe in the US is launching a $500m (£308m) dollar lawsuit against the beer firms who they say are ruining their lives.

In the tiny town of White Clay, Nebraska, four beer stores sell more servings of drink per day than anywhere else in the country.

The sheer volume of sales has a huge effect on the Native American community at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation just across the South Dakota state line.

Alcohol consumption has long been banned at Pine Ridge, but every day residents flock to White Clay for one reason alone - to drink.

Fights, violence and illness are rife. Life expectancy at Pine Ridge is lower than everywhere else in the US, and rates of infant mortality and teenage suicide are also high.

Now residents have filed a lawsuit against the big beer firms and the suppliers claiming damages."

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Articles about Oglala Sioux Tribe and Whiteclay

"God and man at Whiteclay"-Click here to read more.

"5 indicted for selling alcohol on dry reservation"-Click here to read more.

"Beer sales plunge near SD reservation"-Click here to read more.

"At tribe's door, a hub of beer and heartache"-Click here to read more.

"New ideas on Whiteclay"-Click here to read more.

"Tribe seeks to limit beer sales at Whiteclay"-Click here to read more.

LB 829: Create Alcohol Impact Zones

At a hearing Monday afternoon, District 49 Senator LeRoy Louden discussed his bill, LB 829, to create "alcohol impact zones" or geographic areas deemed to be adversely affected by chronic public drunkenness or illegal activity.  Among supporters to pass the law are the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs and the Omaha City Council.  The bill could allow the Liquor Commission to place restrictions or conditions on the license of businesses in the impact zone such as prohibiting the selling of high-alcohol content drinks and could be a step forward in addressing the issues in Whiteclay, NE.  

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Oglala Sioux Tribe Suing for $500 Million

The Oglala Sioux Tribe along with Nebraskans for Peace announced today at the Nebraska State Capitol Building they would pursue a lawsuit for $500 million against big name brewers. Fox News reported this:

"The Oglala Tribe of South Dakota is suing some big brewers for $500 million in damages that their products have allegedly caused to its members, the Associated Press reports. Targeted in the suit are Anheuser-BuschInBev (BUD, ABI.BT) , SAB Miller (SBMRY, SAB.LN) , Molson Coors (TAPA, TAP) and Pabst Brewing. The tribe is also going after stores in nearby Whiteclay, Neb.--a town with about a dozen residents--that it claims sold 5 million cans of beer in 2010, the vast bulk of them to residents of the reservation where alcohol is banned. The damages are being sought to cover the costs of health care, social services and child rehabilitation, the wire service noted."

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Pictured above: the Oglala Sioux Tribe's attorney Tom White.

NCIA Awards Second Whiteclay Area Grant

The Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs (NCIA) has announced the awarding of a grant in the amount of $14,900 to fund the Whiteclay Entrepreneurial Expansion/Youth Healthy Living Project. The project, a collaboration between the city of Rushville, the ABOUT Group, First Tee of Pine Ridge and Panhandle Public Health District, will help expand local entrepreneurship through the introduction of modern, effective business development strategies and provide equipment and supplies to existing Lakota owned and operated business. The project will also establish a mentoring program for area youth.