REVIEW: ABC's "20/20"
A Hidden America: Children of the Plains

No Longer Hidden: Shame on America!

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Condition. Share Your Comments »

Neglected American Indians

Since ABC's "20/20" last night aired the stark and shocking third-world living conditions afforded to the Lakota living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, they are no longer hidden to viewers who watched the program.

After watching the program, I say "Shame on America!"

It would have been difficult for any normal compassionate individual to watch "A Hidden America: Children of the Plains" on ABC's "20/20" without feeling angry and sad.

The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand" words kicked into play quite vividly last night with almost any one of the television shots showing the living conditions of the four Lakota youth featured.

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Neighborhood

One of the youth lives with fourteen other people. Fifteen people living in a dilapidated HUD-home is outrageous. One featured teen girl has only three shirts in her wardrobe. That is downright pathetic. The program showed Lakota children without enough food to eat throughout their weekends. This is gross neglect, if not criminal.

These are the pictures depicted in "A Hidden America: Children of the Plains."

Imagine children in America not having enough food to eat on weekends. Shame on America.

Just one of the photos should trigger at least a thousand words to American political, business and religious leaders to do something about the third-world living conditions on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is one of the poorest places to live in the United States where unemployment rates are estimated to range from 65 percent to 80 percent; 47 percent individuals live below the poverty level and according the percentage used on the program 80 percent rates of adulthood alcoholism.

One can only imagine the ramifications of 65 percent to 80 percent of mainstream Americans being unemployed. Without a doubt, there would be more than outrage. There would be a full-fledged revolution in the streets of this country. The economic system would be completely overhauled. Unfortunately, American leaders don't seem to have a problem with the high rates of unemployment being the norm on Indian reservations.

View the Full Episode
"A Hidden America: Children of the Plains" »

ABC News anchor and veteran journalist, Diane Sawyer, spent a year and half capturing the dreams and aspirations of four Lakota youth, one of whom has dreams of being the first American Indian president of the United States.

Dreams and hopes appear to be the only things these four youth have to propel them from poverty. Unfortunately, dreams in the short-term will not feed hungry Lakota youth.

Given the mainstream media, by and large, do a horrible job covering American Indians' stories, Diane Sawyer, producer David Sloan and ABC News should be complimented on uncovering the hidden truth behind how Americans have neglected American Indians in modern day America.

"A Hidden America: Children of the Plains" provides some positive endeavors to correct the social ills on the reservation, such as the Red Cloud School that is doing a remarkable job of preparing Lakota students for college.

Another positive is seeing and hearing Lakota youth speak their language which had been deprived in the not too distant generations of Lakota people. So, there is progress, yet speaking the Lakota language does not feed hungry Lakota youth.

I only hope the four youth keep their dreams alive and can make better lives as they reach adulthood.

Sadly, an hour-long television show - really about 42 minutes of actual air time - cannot adequately expose the decades of neglect afforded American Indians.

Yet, kudos to ABC for uncovering the deplorable truths of reservation life, but shame on America.

posted October 15, 2011 9:00 am edt