Unprecedented shooting shakes up Oglala Nation powwow

Survivor in ‘critical’ condition but improving as participants regroup in prayer

The 2024 annual Oglala Nation Wacipi halted abruptly when a shooting broke out during a powwow dance contest. The unusual life threatening event on Friday night sent one man to the hospital and another to jail, law enforcement confirmed Aug. 3. Authorities said it was not an attempted mass killing, as some feared.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety reported, “The incident is still under investigation, and there is no danger to the public at this time.”

The OST-DPS issued a statement that said, “On Aug. 2, 2024, at about 10:20 p.m. a confrontation between several males took place at the powwow grounds in Pine Ridge. During the altercation, a 57-year-old male was shot multiple times. The suspect fled the scene on foot but was later apprehended while attempting to leave the area in a vehicle. The victim was transported to the Pine Ridge emergency room and subsequently airlifted to Monument Health in Rapid City for further treatment.”

During the powwow on Saturday, the announcer asked people to respect the injured man’s privacy regarding use of his name. Eyewitnesses said the man was trying to break up a fight among several younger men who were scuffling near the dance arena.

He was in critical condition at the hospital the day after he was wounded, according to a communications specialist at Monument Health in Rapid City, S.D. During the powwow on Saturday, the announcer told the crowd that the injured man was improving.

Several hours after the release of the police report, Oglala Sioux Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out said he visited with family members. He asked the public to “please keep the family in mind as our prayers are with the family.”

He declared, “The powwow and events will continue as scheduled.” He promised “additional measures” to beef up security during the rest of the activities on the Aug.1-4 calendar.

In social media he stated, “After meeting with the powwow committee and chief of police, it was verified that this incident was an isolated event and not intended as a mass shooting. The suspect was quickly identified and arrested,” he said.

“A prayer ceremony and smudging will take place on the powwow grounds with spiritual leaders in attendance,” he disclosed. The pow wow announcer told the reassembled crowd the survivor is going to be okay.

The Oglala Nation Wačipi and Fair is the culmination of year-round efforts that attract thousands of spectators, dancers and singers. Participants in the intertribal exchange look forward to the social and cultural event for reinforcement of family ties and tribal values, as well as offering prizes in friendly competition.

The first response to the police report on social media was, “So sad — right in the middle of girls’ (traditional) dance.” Brian Yellowhawk, said the incident “scared a lot of kids and grandparents.”

The tribal police did not release the suspect’s name. Yellowhawk, who describes himself as having studied at Oglala Lakota College, said it was “our own kind trying to kill each other. He called it “an embarrassment.”

Teen dancers can be seen running out of the Oglala Nation powwow arena in a video. The drum and singers abruptly stop while people flee from the circle, as someone warns “Get down.”

Candi Brings Plenty, an Oglala grassroots community leader, commented on the post. “I have never ever witnessed a Wačipi song come to a halt and the Wičinčilas (little girls) run…from an active shooter.”

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SPEARFISH, S.D.