Frank LaMere makes his journey

PIERRE – On Sunday evening (Father’s Day), activist and advocate Frank LaMere, 69, lost his battle with bile duct cancer.

The Sioux City resident and Winnebago tribal member has been fighting for the rights of tribes and their members for several decades. Recently, LaMere helped to close down the liquor stores in White Clay, Neb. He along with others won the twenty year battle with the state of Nebraska and the owners of the stores which provided liquor to Pine Ridge residents, profiting millions of dollars per year.

LaMere had also been active in the Democratic Party over the last several decades, having served on the National Native American Caucus and was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention from 1988-2012.

During the 1990’s, LaMere had organized a protest against a minor league baseball team’s proposed name of “Sioux City Soos”. The team later agreed to be called the Sioux City Explorers at the request and urging of LaMere and the ten thousand people he gathered to help in the racist team name.

LaMere was a long time member of the American Indian Movement, and at one time played the role of spokesperson in 1972 when members had gathered in front of the federal building in Billings, MT. The event led to a confrontation between armed guards and members of AIM who wanted to present demands to the area director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

During the twenty year battle to close down the liquor stores in White Clay, many tactics were used. Protests, marches and rallies were held over the decades to bring attention to the devastation of alcohol to families on the reservation and the need to treat the addiction. At one point, LaMere along with others had planned to open a liquor store and use the proceeds to help with the addiction issues on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

During the decade’s long demonstration against White Clay, he also kept reminding the community of the deaths associate with the town of White Clay. Many of these deaths are considered to murders according to family members and remain unsolved, unresolved deaths.

In 2011, LaMere was awarded the “War Eagle Human Rights Award”. This was presented to him by the Sioux City Human Rights Commission for his achievements and activism over the years.

In 2017, LaMere had spoken out against the death of Zachary Bear Heals at the hands of Omaha police officers. Bear Heals was a mentally ill man from Oklahoma who had punched and tasered repeatedly by officers.

Following his father’s passing his son posted on social media, “Our father Frank LaMere crossed over to the other side of this river of life. We’ll make preparations for his journey in the coming days.” A wake was held beginning on Monday evening and ran until Wednesday morning of this week at the St. Augustine school gym in Winnebago, Neb. and funeral services were held at the St. Augustine Church.

LaMere has been active in fighting for the rights of individuals and tribes for years. His legacy will be missed around Indian Country. Immediately following his death on Sunday, condolences started pouring in to the family of the beloved activist and protester.

(Contact Native Sun News Today Correspondent Richie Richards at richie4175@gmail.com)

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