All Episodes

March 20, 2010 60 mins
Alex White Plume is the former Tribal President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. From November 2004 to June 29, 2006, he served as Vice-President for the tribe. However, after Cecilia Fire Thunder, the tribal president, was impeached, White Plume assumed the role as president. He was succeeded by John Yellowbird Steele. Alex White Plume, the only farmer to plant, cultivate, produce, sell and deliver a hemp crop within the borders of the USA since 1968. The 1851 Ft. Laramie Treaty recognizes the Lakota as a sovereign nation and grants that the Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation can grow any food or fiber crop. In 1998, the Tribal Government for the Pine Ridge Reservation, (comprising all of Shannon Co., So. Dak., the poorest county in the U.S.--with 85% unemployment) legally separated industrial hemp from "marijuana", specifically allowing hemp. Hemp is a perfect crop for the near-desert climate, requiring moderate moisture and no crop chemicals, while providing the potential for all the nutritional and economic gains the area desperately needs. Alex White Plume, has grown industrial hemp on his land since 2000. That year and every year since, the DEA, with helicopters and machine guns, have confiscated the crops (legal in the sovereign nation in which it was grown), costing taxpayers more than $1,000,000.00. In 2006 the Federal Appellate Court ruled against White Plume's appeal of the seizures. 2006 also saw the release of the film Standing Silent Nation, a documentary about the White Plumes and their hemp crop. In December 2007, Alex and Debra White Plume's home was destroyed in a house fire.
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.