DEATH TO METH BRINGS DRUG-FREE MESSAGE TO YOUTHS

PINE RIDGE - Death to Meth, an all-day music and art event Saturday
at Pine Ridge High School, hosted several bands connected to the
reservation in addition to local speakers and an art workshop,
providing a positive, drug-free message for the youths of Pine Ridge.

Death to Meth, which began as a memorial for Saunie Wilson's
15-year-old niece who died from a methamphetamine overdose, continues
in its third year to grow as a community awareness event addressing
the negative effect drugs have on reservation youths. Eight-year-old
Jaden Turning Holy of Pine Ridge has attended each year and has
learned the message well: "I'd say meth is very bad to do, and it
will actually ... make you die."

During Wilson's several years serving as a juvenile judge in the
tribal court system, she has dealt with the severity of drug use
among teenagers on the reservation.

"It's out of control," she said. "The U.S. or tribal government is
not going to change it. It has to be us, the community, who has to
say 'Enough.'"

Wilson's determination to address the drug-use epidemic prompted her
to organize Death to Meth, a music concert that attracted more than
400 people last year. Attendance was expected to be at least as high
this year, especially for the evening meal and performances, though
fewer were there Saturday afternoon.

Jarrian Clifford, a seventh-grader at Wolf Creek School, is a
first-time participant who said he has known about meth since second grade.

"It can be made from household items like baking soda and acid," he said.

Clifford has no intentions of ever trying meth or any drugs, and he
attributes this attitude to the positive role models in his life:
Grandma Pamela Giago, Grandpa Warren Giago, and Auntie Tonya Clifford.

Music wasn't the only positive attraction for the youths at Death to
Meth. This year, aspiring artists were encouraged to contribute their
talents toward the completion of a mural depicting the devastation of
drug use. Marisol Torres and Joe Galarza, professional artists from
Los Angeles, coordinated the production of a colorful mural rich with
symbolism and contrast. The face of a Lakota woman is split, with one
half depicting her life on drugs and the other half revealing a
healthy life spent drug-free.

At least a dozen kids painted finishing touches and handprints on the
mural during Saturday's artist workshop. Torres and Galarza
incorporated the Lakota culture using significant symbols within the
mural. "It is a gift for the community here, and that is why we
decided to add the Lakota symbolism."

Six-year-old Mato Denney is proud of his work on the mural. He enjoys
drawing and painting on paper, so when invited to work on his first
mural, Denney didn't hesitate.

"I didn't do it before, but I just think about it: I can do good!"