Pine Ridge "20/20" Kids Hit at NCAI Conference

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

Robert "Hollywood" Looks Twice

PORTLAND - Alaina Clifford and Robert Looks Twice, who were on ABC "20/20" "Hidden America: Children of the Plains" were a hit at the National Congress of American Indians conference meeting this week in Portland, Oregon.

Clifford and Looks Twice were part of the National Indian Education Association, National American Indian Council, National Indian Gaming Association, Great Plains Chairman's Association portion of the luncheon program.

"Hidden America: Children of the Plains" was shown on ABC's "20/20" on Friday, October 14.

Robert Looks Twice is the 13-year old, who aspires to be president of the United States and is the quarterback of the football team at his school. "Diane Sawyer is like family to me now," commented Looks Twice. "The show has allowed me to meet a whole lot of people."

"The kids I go to school with call me 'Hollywood,' said Looks Twice. "They tell me that they are happy for me to get so much attention."

Alaina "Idol" Clifford

Nineteen-year old Alaina Clifford is the young woman, who tried out for "American Idol" commented that she is happy that she has been asked to come to the conference. She says they represent other Indian children around the country.

Earlier on Monday, Looks Twice and Clifford spoke to the National Indian Youth Commission, also meeting at the Portland Convention Center this week.

"ABC is looking for updates of Native youth on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation since it generated so much attention. People are looking for ways to help the Pine Ridge youth," said Heather Dawn Thompson, Sioux, who works on American Indian policy issues and was also featured in the "20/20" episode.

Unfortunately, the underlying causes of the policy decisions that impact Indian lives that I told to Diane Sawyer got cut from the final program, said Thompson.

Delegates to the conference flocked around them to get photographs taken with them.

"The kids are now the faces of American Indians since the program was watched by so many Americans," said Jayson Brave Heart, who accompanied the Clifford and Looks Twice to Portland. "People walked up to these kids at the Denver Airport and said 'we know you, you were on television.'"

"This is has been a great thing. People saw the reality of life on the Pine Ridge Reservation," commented Katela Black Elk, Oglala, who is a film maker an aunt to both Clifford and Looks Twice. "I think the show opened up doors for improvement on the reservation, which is a good thing."

At the end the program, Fawn Sharp, president of the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians presented certificates and Pendleton Indian blankets to Clifford and Looks Twice.

updated 9:15 pm edt; posted October 31, 2011 7:50 pm edt