Much of the talk then was about stopping the flow of beer through an outright ban on beer sales. That proposal went nowhere then, however, and it faces the same legal, political and practical obstacles today - notwithstanding three consecutive weeks of Indian protest rallies and discussions anew among state, federal and Oglala Sioux tribal leaders. There also was talk of tougher enforcement of liquor sale regulations and laws against public drunkenness. Whiteclay itself, the nearest alcohol outlet for residents of the dry reservation, is a desolate reminder of drinking's devastation. The four packaged liquor stores still sell beer.
People still drink along the street, sleep along the street and fight along the street.
They stay there all day and drink. While solid statistics are unavailable, tribal leaders say most adults on the reservation have a significant alcohol abuse problem. Some leaders estimate as many as eight or nine of every 10 residents have a problem. Although alcohol is available in several South Dakota towns within a 30-minute drive of the reservation's borders, Whiteclay is the most accessible beer stop, especially for residents of Pine Ridge, the reservation's largest town. Nebraska law appears to offer no way for a community or the Liquor Control Commission to outlaw beer sales here or anywhere else.