People Are Human, Too
By Trent LoosI spent five years on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There are many wonderful things that I miss since leaving. While this is not a great place to raise a kid, there are some dedicated individuals volunteering countless hours to change the destiny of the Rosebud youth. Consequently, you would think that if a celebrity such as Bob Barker were going to donate millions of dollars to philanthropy, the youth of his native community would be a good cause. Wrong answer.
On the Rosebud Reservation, there is an 85% unemployment rate and it is consistently recognized as one the ten poorest counties in the nation. In South Dakota, Todd County ranks 66th out 66 for per capita income. Many of the kids are hooked on drugs and 12-year-old girls are having babies, usually as a result of incest.
Violent crime is five times greater than the state average, typically because of drugs. Rosebud tribal members have a 770% increase in death rate due to alcoholism and 210% due to homicide. While the average American enjoys a life expectancy of 76.5 years, the lifespan of a Rosebud Sioux Tribal member is only 57. The visual of the many tribal members I met with cigarette burns on their arms will stick with me forever.
So what does all that have to do with Bob Barker? In November, the “Price is Right” show host granted one-million dollar endowments to several universities across the country “to train a generation of lawyers, judges and legislators in animal rights and the widespread problems of cruelty and neglect. The laws are not stringent enough, and unfortunately the laws that we do have are not necessarily enforced," Mr. Barker said. "If we can get more and more young lawyers to be aware of this, then if they're involved in a case that involves animals, they'll know what to do. If they become judges, that's wonderful, they're making decisions. And some of these lawyers are going to become politicians.”
The first newspaper to report this donation was the New York Times. Here is the first paragraph of their article:
When Bob Barker was growing up in Mission, a small town on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota, his mother always knew how to find him. She would climb onto the roof of the only two-story building in Mission, he said, "and she'd look for the dogs, because I always had a pack of dogs with me and she'd know that's where I was."
I truly don’t get it. How can someone be so disconnected from reality that they can grow up in a place that is falling apart yet they care more about a stray dog than the kids. Indian Health Services (IHS) is the government-funded health system serving reservations across the country. It is reported that IHS needs $7 million to raise its standards in order to equal other medical providers in the nation. That is less money than Bob Barker gave these Universities to find lawyers who want to elevate the standard of living for pets equal to that of humans.
I don’t believe the answer to the reservation blues is simply health care. Prevention, education and developing a sense of pride are the answers. I have witnessed firsthand how kids who have accomplished something on the Rosebud don’t fall into the troubled ways.
Two tribal members I have tremendous respect for, because of their personal dedication to the reservation youth, are Michael One Star and Dean Yellow Hawk. Mike volunteers his time to develop a competitive archery program for the kids. The bow and arrow heritage has left the Indian lifestyle and Mike is determined to bring it back. Dean is an excellent horseman and uses his own livestock to teach horsemanship to kids who would otherwise not have the opportunity to be around animals.
Yellow Hawk has often said, “They say there are two ways out of this place: college or the military. I would like to give these kids a reason to want to stay and make this a better place.”
I will be sending Bob Barker a letter telling him that he is free to do with his money as he sees fit. However, I personally would think that establishing a million dollar endowment for the youth of his hometown and helping kids develop pride in their way of life would be a much better investment for the future of mankind. Then, the price would be right.
