Town Emptied on Eve of Indian Protest
The governor met with Native American leaders Friday as authorities evacuated the tiny town of Whiteclay, closed its businesses and sent in 100 troopers on the eve of a protest march.
Sioux Indians from the Pine Ridge Reservation set fires and looted a grocery store in Whiteclay a week ago during a protest over alleged treaty violations, two unsolved murders and the sale of alcohol to Native Americans.
Activists said they would again march the two miles from the reservation in South Dakota over the state line into Whiteclay, where they planned to set up tepees and occupy the village until state officials addressed their concerns.
Tribal leaders, upset that a few stores in Whiteclay sell more than $3 million worth of beer each year, mostly to Native Americans from Pine Ridge, called today’s event a prayer march and said they didn’t want it to turn ugly because it could scare President Clinton away from his visit to the reservation Tuesday.
Still, Gov. Mike Johanns ordered the evacuation of Whiteclay’s 22 residents and sent in the state troopers to protect the village.
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