Niall O\x27Neill
ABC News
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Comments by "Niall O\x27Neill" (@nialloneill5097) on "Suicide rates, alcoholism among Lakota tribe | Hidden America: Children of the Plains PART 2/5" video.
Grief can stay in a community for a long time, if it is not healed! I have seen it in the coal mining towns and villages in the UK, for hundreds died in those jobs, and many people lost relatives, and their health, even myself! Thus, these places, like the reservations, should be targeted with lots of funds and therapies, to help the people help themselves! Integrated healthcare could be great, just train up as many of the people there as is possible, and let them go home to heal their relatives. Then add some specialist services and education around alcohol, drugs, and suicide prevention. Out of sight, out of mind though is usual way whereby mainstream society neatly forgets these peoples and places, whilst they continue to take as much as possible, excelling in greed and selfishness. Only the Great Spirit can stop this, and He will...SOON!!!.
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In that kind of system, where everything is scarce, including love, some become stronger, others wilt and crumple. These were a great warrior race, as they had lived in nature, and so became strong, until the white man came with his greed, lies, and fire water. Their despair from the 1800's has led to a magnetic attraction and tie to many spirits in the beyond, who contemplate suicide, and, or, drink excessively too. The white man has much to account for, and it will be his turn soon, from 2028, as karmic storms return to him, for what a man, or nation sows, so must it reap. This land is, and never was theirs, for the Great Spirit ordained the red man to be the caretaker of it, which he did very well, before the whites came. To survive there now, you have to a true warrior, all the more so to flourish, for as the teacher stated, these children need to be nurtured and watered akin to flowers and plants, otherwise they wither away, and die! Aho!
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There are clearly a number of issues and narratives that relate to your tribe's plight. I found a university course that's coming to Pine Ridge for a few weeks, or months, in May/June time, this year, as part of some kind of community assessment and development. It looks as though there have been a number of good initiatives begun that are offering some helps and services to the people there. The bison meat processing company, food parcels, Waldorf school, environment school, new housing, sponsors for food and clothes, new organic gardens, etc. The issue is you're starting from scratch, and do not have a level of basic sustenance in place, due to the meagre amounts of money that come onto the rez. My view is that capitalism doesn't work, and neither does living outside spiritual principles, for those are the only way to be truly sustainable, as we receive both spiritual power and strength, as well as help from the spiritual guides for our material existence, although this doesn't mean we will be rolling in it, but our needs will be met, if we trust !!!. And your culture was so rich in this regard, so, so rich...and wise !!! And you still have elders there who have wisdom. Do people not listen to them any more??? Not to understand the laws of the Great Spirit is to be ignorant, and therefore unaware of the causes of one's pain, this is why pain comes, so we can recognise these ways and find the way back to the path of the spirit. This takes effort though, and alertness and discipline, and this is why the elders with their wisdom I would have thought could help, but then I don't know the circumstances in your home, but it doesn't sound easy at all. Wish you well on your return there, and may I both thank and congratulate you on doing so, for it proves to me you are a loyal, selfless person, and know that good works are always rewarded in full, for eventually we do reap what we sow, many times over !!! All the very, very best with everything !!!
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In relation to the alcoholism and suicides, the spirits in the beyond play a role in this, through the laws of likes attract likes, in regard to addictions anyway. So whenever the tribes became destitute and full of grief, when they lost their loved ones, their homelands, their culture, their language, their children, and their spiritual guidance, they would become prey to those in the beyond, and so if many began to drink to forget their emotions, then this sets up a cycle that perpetuates, until the bridge is broken. It can only be broken by assisting those with these issues in a holistic manner, so helping in all aspects of life, and finding spiritual programmes that strengthens them on the inside, for people drink due to what's missing on the inside, not what they lack on the outside, not normally anyway. The other point I would make in this is that the woman is always the bridge for the souls in the beyond, so if certain people surround her when she procreates and carries a child, this sets up the bridge for the beyond. Indeed, it sounds so prolific on your reservation, there must be a powerful connection to the beyond. This needs to be healed and broken, as these souls in the beyond are feeding upon your people's despair, and drinking, so again I ask, surely your elders know this, and are able to offer help? Are is it just that some of the people couldn't care a less, which is usually the case, and very difficult to change, as they need to want to change. In that case, all a person can do is 2 things, support them where it seems reasonable to do so, and be an example of change yourself, so they may just yet decide they want some of what you have. It's called leading by example, so no need to evangelise, which is what many do to alcoholics, and they naturally don't like that. Hope it's going well for you, and I know from my own earlier part of my life, these circumstances are never easy to deal with, nor even talk about sometimes. Personally, I find praying to the Great Spirit helps solve all my problems, although he doesn't always make it easy, just easier !!!
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