Whiteclay, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Pine Ridge, commonly called Whiteclay, is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Sheridan County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The population was 14 at the 2000 census
. Whiteclay's economy is largely dependent upon alcohol sales to residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
, located 2 miles North across the border in South Dakota.
, which is on the South Dakota side of the border. In 1882 after the boundaries of the reservation were already established, the United States government added a 50 square miles (129.5 km²) strip of land in Nebraska known as the White Clay Extension (named after White Clay Creek) to the reservation by executive order
. The area was created to serve as a buffer zone to help prevent the sale of alcohol
to inhabitants of the reservation. The buffer zone was to continue until it was no longer considered necessary.
In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt
signed an executive order that removed 49 of the 50 square miles (129.5 km²) of the White Clay Extension from the reservation; the legality of this order has been disputed.
Whiteclay, which has four liquor stores for its fourteen residents, is economically dependent upon the quantity of alcohol it sells to residents of the legally dry
Pine Ridge reservation. Pine Ridge residents travel by vehicle and cross the state line to purchase alcohol at Whiteclay, which is 2 miles away. The four stores in Whiteclay, which now sell only beer, sell an average of 4.5 million cans per year. This equates to over 12,300 cans per day, for gross sales of 3 million dollars annually.
and Nebraskans for Peace
, demanding that Nebraska revoke the area's liquor licenses and increase law enforcement in the area. The nearby Sioux tribal law enforcement in Pine Ridge, South Dakota
had no legal authority in Whiteclay. The nearest Nebraska-based law enforcement is in Rushville
, which is 22 miles (35.4 km) to the south.
In 2005, the state of Nebraska and President Cecilia Fire Thunder
of the Pine Ridge reservation signed an historic agreement allowing Oglala tribal officers to enforce Nebraska laws in Whiteclay. Congress earmarked $200,000 over two years to pay for the increased cost of patrols, but by May 2007, no money had been spent. Fire Thunder was impeached several months before the end of her term in 2006, and political conflict within the tribe appeared to have prevented its implementing the agreement. It stood to lose the earmarked money by October 2007.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (8.33%) is water.
of 2000, there were 14 people, 7 households, and 3 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 15.8 people per square mile (6.1/km²). There were 9 housing units at an average density of 10.1/sq mi (3.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 35.71% White and 64.29% Native American.
There were 7 households out of which 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
living together, and 57.1% were non-families. 57.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 75.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $61,250, and the median income for a family was $76,250. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $53,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $21,394. None of the population or the families were below the poverty line.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Sheridan County
Sheridan County, Nebraska
-History:Sheridan County was formed in 1885. It was named after General Philip H. Sheridan.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,198 people, 2,549 households, and 1,728 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 3,013 housing...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 14 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Whiteclay's economy is largely dependent upon alcohol sales to residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
, located 2 miles North across the border in South Dakota.
History
Whiteclay's history has always been tied to that of the Pine Ridge Indian ReservationPine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
, which is on the South Dakota side of the border. In 1882 after the boundaries of the reservation were already established, the United States government added a 50 square miles (129.5 km²) strip of land in Nebraska known as the White Clay Extension (named after White Clay Creek) to the reservation by executive order
Executive order
An executive order in the United States is an order issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government. In other countries, similar edicts may be known as decrees, or orders in council. Executive orders may also be issued at the state level by a state's governor or...
. The area was created to serve as a buffer zone to help prevent the sale of alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
to inhabitants of the reservation. The buffer zone was to continue until it was no longer considered necessary.
In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
signed an executive order that removed 49 of the 50 square miles (129.5 km²) of the White Clay Extension from the reservation; the legality of this order has been disputed.
Alcohol distribution hub
The Oglala Sioux Tribe has continued the prohibition of the sale and possession of alcohol on the reservation. This has been a condition since the reservation was created. An exception was a brief period in the late 1970s when the tribe ran a pilot of on-reservation sales. Residents have suffered a high rate of alcoholism combined with problems of poverty and unemployment.Whiteclay, which has four liquor stores for its fourteen residents, is economically dependent upon the quantity of alcohol it sells to residents of the legally dry
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
Pine Ridge reservation. Pine Ridge residents travel by vehicle and cross the state line to purchase alcohol at Whiteclay, which is 2 miles away. The four stores in Whiteclay, which now sell only beer, sell an average of 4.5 million cans per year. This equates to over 12,300 cans per day, for gross sales of 3 million dollars annually.
Disputes
The status of Whiteclay's beer stores has been a recurring political issue. In the late 1990s, a pair of unsolved murders of Lakota men in 1999 led to marches and rallies led by various activist groups, including the American Indian Movement (AIM)American Indian Movement
The American Indian Movement is a Native American activist organization in the United States, founded in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by urban Native Americans. The national AIM agenda focuses on spirituality, leadership, and sovereignty...
and Nebraskans for Peace
Nebraskans For Peace
Nebraskans For Peace, or NFP, is a peace advocacy organization based in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. "Nebraskans for Peace is a statewide grassroots advocacy organization working nonviolently for peace with justice through community building, education and political action."-History:Founded in...
, demanding that Nebraska revoke the area's liquor licenses and increase law enforcement in the area. The nearby Sioux tribal law enforcement in Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
Pine Ridge is a census-designated place in and the most populous community of Shannon County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,308 at the 2010 census. It is the tribal headquarters of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.-History:By 2011, a gang culture...
had no legal authority in Whiteclay. The nearest Nebraska-based law enforcement is in Rushville
Rushville, Nebraska
Rushville is a city in Sheridan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 890 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sheridan County.-Geography:Rushville is located at ....
, which is 22 miles (35.4 km) to the south.
In 2005, the state of Nebraska and President Cecilia Fire Thunder
Cecilia Fire Thunder
Cecilia Fire Thunder is a nurse, community health planner and tribal leader of the Oglala Sioux. On November 2, 2004, she was the first woman elected as president of the Tribe. She served until being impeached on June 29, 2006, several months short of the two-year term...
of the Pine Ridge reservation signed an historic agreement allowing Oglala tribal officers to enforce Nebraska laws in Whiteclay. Congress earmarked $200,000 over two years to pay for the increased cost of patrols, but by May 2007, no money had been spent. Fire Thunder was impeached several months before the end of her term in 2006, and political conflict within the tribe appeared to have prevented its implementing the agreement. It stood to lose the earmarked money by October 2007.
Geography
Pine Ridge is located at 42°59′37"N 102°33′34"W (42.993658, -102.559497).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (8.33%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14 people, 7 households, and 3 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 15.8 people per square mile (6.1/km²). There were 9 housing units at an average density of 10.1/sq mi (3.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 35.71% White and 64.29% Native American.
There were 7 households out of which 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, and 57.1% were non-families. 57.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 75.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $61,250, and the median income for a family was $76,250. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $53,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $21,394. None of the population or the families were below the poverty line.