Whiteclay, Nebraska is an unincorporated community in Sheridan County, Nebraska. Situated on the Nebraska-South Dakota border, the town has always been tied to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to the north, within South Dakota. The majority of the Oglala Sioux live at Pine Ridge, while the Rosebud Sioux have an independent reservation to the northeast, also within the boundaries of South Dakota. In 1882, the U.S. government added a 50-square-mile strip of land in Nebraska, known as the White Clay Extension, to the reservation in order to serve as a buffer zone to help prevent the sale of alcohol to reservation residents, but the language of the order stated that the buffer zone would be used only until it was no longer necessary. President Theodore Roosevelt removed all but one square mile of the White Clay Extension from the reservation in 1904, after which traders immediately established a post near the reservation border and began selling alcohol, most of their customers coming from the reservation. The unincorporated community of Pine Ridge, commonly known as Whiteclay, developed around the trading post. Questions over the appropriateness of the removal of this land from the reservation are still in litigation.
Recommended Resources
The Christian ministry serves the Lakota Native Americans of Whiteclay and Pine Ridge. Its history and a profile of the congregation is put forward, with schedules, contacts, newsletters, and a variety of informational topics.
http://www.lakotahope.org/
On June 8, 1999, the bodies of two murdered Lakota men were found beside the two-mile track that runs between Whiteclay, Nebraska and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They were last seen walking back to the reservation from Whiteclay. The site discusses the murder and presents a demand for justice for their deaths.
http://nativesunite.org/whiteclay/
Sober Indian / Dangerous Indian
The documentary film discusses the men and women on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation who have found empowerment through sobriety, and those who are still struggling. The documentary follows four alcoholics living on the streets of Whiteclay, Nebraska, less than three hundred yards from their homes in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
http://soberindian.com/
Established in promotion of a documentary featuring Indian activists about the sale of alcohol at Whiteclay, Nebraska, as well as urging the boycott of Anhueser-Busch, and other activism relating to the issue. A DVD of the documentary may be purchased from the site.
http://battleforwhiteclay.org/
