Tribal President: Arrest Will Not Deter Work

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota says his recent arrest during a protest against alcohol sales in the Nebraska border town of Whiteclay won't deter him from voicing his disapproval of the possibility of allowing alcohol on the dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Bryan Brewer was arrested Monday during a protest in Whiteclay on an outstanding warrant for writing a bad check.

Brewer says he hopes his arrest will encourage tribal members to talk about an upcoming referendum vote and its possible effects on the reservation. The tribal council earlier this month approved a public referendum on whether to legalize alcohol on the reservation.

Brewer says tribal members need "to take a hard look at what alcohol has done and is doing to our community."

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