Standing Silent Nation

Suree Towfighnia and Courtney Hermann's compelling documentary, first broadcast on PBS' acclaimed P.O.V. series, focuses on the plight of Alex White Plume, a Lakota farmer-rancher whose attempts to grow industrial hemp on his land at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota have been met with continued harassment from the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI. Under the 1970 Controlled Substances act, hemp is classified as a drug that can be abused—even though it lacks the psychoactive elements associated with the wacky weed version of cannabis. The issue here revolves around the sovereignty of the Lakota Nation and the use of industrial hemp for economic development in this poverty-stricken area. The film's argument is clearly one-sided in favor of White Plume, if only because the government agencies involved are not allowed to discuss the case on camera; however, Standing Silent Nation also provides a startling view of the grinding poverty and isolation of rez life, where 85% of the adult population is unemployed. White Plume is trying to make a difference among his people—he is elected tribal vice president during the course of the filming—but his own stark financial problems, coupled with his legal battle, create a personal Sisyphus-worthy challenge that he never quite gets a handle on. Unable to find redress through the courts, White Plume's only hope may lie in Congress redefining industrial hemp's value and Lakota sovereignty, which seems highly unlikely. DVD extras include the 1942 Department of Agriculture short “Hemp for Victory” and an interview with the film's producer and director. A sad, memorable documentary, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)