Native Sun News: SDNA won't talk about racism

I quit following the South Dakota Newspaper Association on twitter because its feed reads like a bulletin from the South Dakota Republican Party.

Many newspaper editors in South Dakota and North Dakota sort of shrink back into themselves when it comes to discussing the race relations between Indians and whites in their respective states. The newspaper associations are no different. Talking about race seems to be a frightening topic to the leadership of the SDNA and that is too bad because they have had the opportunity to be the media leaders in improving race relations but instead have chosen to hide in the weeds. The director of SDNA, Dave Bordewyk, is still young and he can still make it a key part of his administration to address racial prejudice and racial ignorance in a state that can never lay claim to greatness until it solves its racial issues. [excerpt, editorial, Native Sun News, posted at Indianz]

GOP legislator, Steve Hickey wanted the state to fly flags at half-mast during President Obama's visit to raise awareness of suicides in Indian Country.

Hickey spoke with KCCR Radio and is imploring the legislature to address the racial tensions between tribal nations trapped in the state and the white people who make the rules off-reservation.

From my end of the state I’ll continue to push the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation commission like the one that helped S. Africa get past the atrocities and racial tensions after apartheid. There have been 40 such commissions worldwide since the first and most famous one in S. Africa. They have gone by a variety of names. The one in Peru was called a historical clarification commission. They have worked to move societies out of a painful past and contentious present into a good future together. You can continue to be stuck and stubborn your present attitude and mindset but we are all worse off for it. My view is we need leaders who also lead the conversation and are willing to engage the public on blogs and in the press. If you want someone who sits there and goes along and does and saying nothing noteworthy please help that someone beat me this upcoming election. [comment, Rep. Steve Hickey]

Flouting the Indian Child Welfare Act South Dakota has been seizing thousands of American Indian children then placing them in the white foster care industry while reaping billions from the federal government.

The election of GOPer John Thune forced the Wakpa Sica Reconciliation Place into bankruptcy.

There is an exodus of journalists leaving the profession for public relations jobs as the media lurch to drive the message to the extreme right.

The Aberdeen American News went behind a paywall.

You tell me if these two articles from the Custer County Chronicle aren't racist: Commissioners piqued at peak name change and Harney Peak ties recalled.