There are many films documenting how Native Americans have been and continue to be shafted and marginalized. There are many films that highlight dignified fights and examples set against powers that be. “Skateboarding in Pine Ridge” gets in and gets out in 17 minutes. It’s no big deal really, except for some modest dedication to informing our understanding of diverse cultures.
Sometimes actualizing the spirit of adventure is a modest local-color pursuit. For kids growing up in poor disadvantaged communities, mountain and cliff climbing, skiing and snowboarding, kayaking and sailing aren’t the way things go. Growing up on an Indian reservation carries a weight unlike any place in America.
Actually, you don’t have to go to an Indian reservation to hear the resonance of what “skate pros say again and again: skateboarding saves lives.”
Putting a first-rate skateboarding park in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation served up a wealth of community boosts: a healthy pastime and a route to mastery; a kid-centric way to congregate; mutual interest and encouragement. It provided an identity builder that needn’t autofocus on historic and ceremonial definitions. It instilled pride that included helping to construct the park and sharing in the etiquette.
Challenge and thrill dial into every level from novice to intermediate to hot shot. Perhaps a bit of a stretch to say, a skateboarding park in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation injected adventure -- at least a horizon toward adventure -- that can peek beyond constrained potential.