Whiteclay blockade called success

WHITECLAY, Neb. (AP) — Activists who staged an alcohol blockade on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation north of Whiteclay, Neb., say they’re encouraged by the results.

Duane Martin with the Cante Tenza Strong Heart Civil Rights Movement says the cooperation among activists and tribal police was inspiring during the third year of the blockade.

During the first year, organizers failed to reach an agreement with law enforcement, and several were ticketed.

The group spent several hours Wednesday checking vehicles coming across the Nebraska-South Dakota line from Whiteclay, which is home to several outlets that sell beer to residents of the dry reservation.

Martin says activists were encouraged by many of the drivers who were stopped, and some even said the blockade should be a weekly event.