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Earlier
this year, a small ABS team and Phanatik headed west to South Dakota to
learn what it would take to reach the youth and a community with God’s
Word.
Tucked away in the poorest US county of Shannon, lies the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation –a community faced with poverty levels 20% lower than
the national average. For most, including Phanatik, this was the first
time they ever set foot on a reservation.
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Phanatik
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“I
threw every stereotype out the window so I could be open and
prepared for what I was there to do,”
explained
Phanatik.
“You
see so much on TV that at times you don’t know what’s real and
what’s art. I expected to see the poverty and the poor housing, so
it wasn’t really culture shock for me. The
shock was I had no idea how much Hip-Hop culture was the way of life
for these youth.” |
Amidst
a community with conditions reflective of a third world country, youth on
Pine Ridge are wearing the popular FUBU, Sean Jean, Ecko and Mecca gear.
Like many other Native American reservations, Hip-Hop has quickly become
the “substitute culture” for the young people, and rap has become
their voice—a voice to carry out their anguish, their struggles, and to
share the truths as seen through their eyes about them as a people, and as
a nation. For these kids, MTV and BET are their programs of choice.
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“At
the teen center BET videos were all they were watching,"
adds Phanatik.
“One
of the guys said they travel 30 miles out of town just so they could
get rap CDs.” |
Mention
Hip-Hop, whether secular or Christian, and the young people’s faces on
the reservation are bound to light up.
"Sure
it’s big!
There is a lot of rap on the reservations.
We all listen to rappers like Tupac, Jay-Z and Ja-Rule!”
exclaimed a young 19 year-old Native girl.
“And
we have lots of Native Hip-Hop
artists on the scene now too.”
When
29 year-old gang member, “Joe”,
heard about the idea of the Cross Movement and the ABS bringing a Hip-Hop
music & art program (Elementz of Life™) to the rez, he said the
youth would be more receptive to hearing about Christ. For these young
people it would be something positive that involved what they love
most—hip-hop.
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“I
would support it, so would my homies,”
shared ‘Joe’.
“I
recently got out of prison and I do not want any of these kids to
grow up and experience life in the gangs or in the prison walls. If
you can help us then we are with you.”
“I
don’t want to leave the reservation,”
Joe added.
“I
want to be a part of the rebirth of Pine Ridge where youth will one
day have jobs and facilities to develop into healthy, positive
leaders.” |
Click
Here for Part Two of This Article-->
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