Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Community Outraged After Signs On South Dakota Indian Reservation Vandalized With Racist Graffiti

Community Outraged After Signs On South Dakota Indian Reservation Vandalized With Racist Graffiti
Marina Bettelyoun/Facebook

Three signs welcoming highway drivers into the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation near Kadoka, South Dakota were recently covered in spray painted messages containing expletives, racist imagery and attacks against President Joe Biden.

According to KOTA News, the vandalized billboards sit along Highway 73, a common route taken by motorists passing them through the reservation.


When not debased by racist hatred, the signs welcome drivers to the Oglala Lakota Nation.

One reads:

"You are entering the Land of Red Cloud...Pine Ridge Indian Reservation...Home of the Oglala Sioux Tribe."

That same sign was covered by a swastika symbol and the words "F'KKK Biden," which was written using the letter "K" enough times to make a nod to the White supremacist organization the Ku Klux Klan which is commonly abbreviated as "KKK."

Pine Ridge resident Marina Bettelyoun took photos of the three desecrated signs and posted them to Facebook.

She shared her feelings on the hate crime.

Marina Bettelyoun/Facebook


Marina Bettelyoun/Facebook


Marina Bettelyoun/Facebook

People that saw Bettelyoun's post shared her outrage.

Sidney Toppah/Facebook


Deanna Huber Clayborne/Facebook


Ronatta Hurtado/Facebook


Leighton Thomas/Facebook

KOTA News spoke with Bettelyoun directly, and she expanded on the sentiment she expressed in that post.

"The sign itself can be replaced—it can be restored—but the message it leaves behind is lasting."
"That's a deep wound."

Her husband, Alexander Bettelyoun, shared his thoughts as well.

"For me, personally, I feel like I got desensitized to it."
"[The] first [time] seeing this, I was like 'Oh, wow. No big deal,' but that's only because you're just so used to it. Seeing the hate—especially like this."




The Oglala Sioux Tribal President, Kevin Killer, and the tribe's Department of Public Safety also responded to the vandalism with the following statement:

"As President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and former member of the South Dakota legislature, I and all members of the Oglala Lakota Nation, vehemently condemn the hate-filled vandalism to the signs located on South Dakota State Highway 73, just south of Kadoka at the borderline."
"These signs serve as our welcoming emblems to visitors and guests of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and depict the pride we have for our culture and traditions as a sovereign nation. Over the past 24-hours, the signs have been spray-painted with a derogatory term involving President Joseph Biden, the letters 'KKK', and a swastika painted over our tribal flag."
"The Oglala Lakota Nation would like those individuals
responsible to be held accountable for their actions, and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
"As a sovereign nation within the boundaries of the State of South Dakota, the Oglala Sioux Tribe continues to extend a hand of friendship to those wanting to make a positive impact on this and future generations. We look forward to sharing our new signs welcoming visitors from around the world shortly."

As KOTA News' coverage of the story spread on the internet, the community's anger only swelled.

Kristin E Trask/Facebook


Severt Long Soldier-Sitting Bear/Facebook


James Tyler Morris/Facebook


Heather Armstrong/Facebook

Hopefully the new signs will prove the racist vandals only ensured the creation of more beautiful welcome imagery than ever.

More from Trending

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less