Nagi Kicopi; Sucker Punched

His granny beat him, his mom gave him his first joint, his uncle served him his first beer, and his friend got run over by a drunk driver when they were playing on their Big Wheels. Before his 10th birthday, he saw people beat up and women raped. Is it any wonder that Native American Delaney Apple grew up to be a self-described tough guy, gang member, and alcoholic? Told entirely by Apple, Sucker Punched details a tragic accident--involving drugs, alcohol, and violence--that led to a 10-year incarceration, where--filled with remorse--Apple embarked on a “healing path” that kept him clean. Like many recovering alcoholics, Apple experienced a spiritual awakening--in this case, getting in touch with the traditions, language, and music of his Lakota people. A powerful, moving story, universal in nature, that should find a wide audience in public and academic libraries, rehab centers, penal institutions, and even high schools (despite Apple's occasional use of a few four-letter words), this award-winning documentary is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P.Nagi Kicopi, which means “calling back the spirit,” is the theme of substance abuse recovery programs at Pine Ridge and other South Dakota reservations, where the statistics are grim: 78% of the residents are unemployed, an unknown number are affected by drug and alcohol addiction, and the average per capita income is $3,000. In this documentary, interviewees discuss not only the liquor stores that surround reservation property, but the variety of products abused when the stores are closed, including radiator flusher, Lysol, and sterno. Due to cultural reticence at one end of the scale, and macho glorification at the other, the substance abuse problem has been difficult to combat (parts of Delaney Apple's eloquent testimony from Sucker Punched appear here). While the deleterious effects of substance abuse--shattered lives, broken families, incarceration, death--aren't unique to American Indians, widespread addiction has led Native American groups to create culturally and spiritually appropriate recovery programs. Unfortunately, unlike Sucker Punched--with its universal tale of addiction and recovery--Nagi Kicopi, narrated by Tantoo Cardinal, falls back heavily on Native American victimization and will not resonate with as wide an audience. An optional purchase for libraries serving Native American populations. Aud: C, P. (R. Reagan)