(S.D.)-Impoverished Indian Tribe Debates Development

By: Chris Fankhauser Posted at: 08/01/2012 01:22 PM

     WOUNDED KNEE, S.D. (AP) - The Oglala Sioux Tribe occupies a seemingly prime piece of South Dakota - a vast, scenic reservation that stands near a crossroads for tourists visiting Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and other popular sites.
 
     But don't look for museums, hotels, restaurants or even many bathrooms here on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Lakota make little effort to attract visitors or tourism dollars, despite the fact that they are one of the nation's poorest tribes.
 
     A generation after many other American Indians sought to harness their history for profit, the Oglala Sioux are still debating how much culture they are willing to share.
 
     Nick Tilsen runs a nonprofit that keeps traditional Lakota culture alive among young people. He says it's hard for the tribe to use their past to make money.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press)

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