Whiteclay meeting lasts two minutes

Sioux president walks out of meeting with Neb. govThe president of South Dakota's Oglala Sioux Tribe met briefly with Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman to discuss alcohol sales in Whiteclay, but walked out after less than three minutes.

Tribal president Bryan Brewer said Monday that he left the meeting because he felt the governor has no intention of trying to address alcohol-related problems that spread from Whiteclay, a Nebraska town that sells millions of cans of beer annually on the border of South Dakota's officially dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Brewer also says he felt disrespected by the governor. A Heineman spokeswoman denies the allegation.

Heineman says Nebraska has no legal authority to shut down the alcohol stores unless they violate the law. He says the tribe should focus on providing education and treatment to curb alcohol abuse.Governor, tribal president talk for just 2 minutes

By Kevin AbourezkNot many problems can be solved in two minutes.

And that includes the situation in Whiteclay.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Bryan Brewer of South Dakota and Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman had planned for weeks to get together Monday morning to try to address alcohol sales in Whiteclay and alcoholism on the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

But the meeting ended after fewer than three minutes, and the governor's office and Brewer later traded barbs over whose fault that was.Comment:  For more on Whiteclay, see Fiasco Launches "Toast to Pine Ridge" and Oglala Sioux May Allow Alcohol.