1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 You should make a montage of me just rocking out to the theme song. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,560 Hey everybody. 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:29,040 Welcome back to another episode of Cryptic Cocktail Party, a show where we have a few 4 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,560 jokes, share a few laughs, take a dive into the unknown. 5 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,880 I'm your host Dave and as always I am joined by Sarge. 6 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,440 What is going on Sarge? 7 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:37,440 What's up? 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:38,440 What's up? 9 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:46,280 I'm observing Memorial Day weekend like a true veteran by mowing my lawn, yelling at 10 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,200 my kids and drinking beer. 11 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:51,600 And I wouldn't have it any other way. 12 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:52,600 Thank you for your service. 13 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:57,840 If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be able to enjoy getting drunk with you on a Saturday 14 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:58,840 this weekend. 15 00:00:58,840 --> 00:00:59,840 That's right. 16 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:00,840 That's right. 17 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,680 You know, welcome for your freedom. 18 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:09,000 The tough part with Sarge single-handedly is the reason why we celebrate this holiday. 19 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:13,000 I don't know if you know the backstory, but sorry about gas prices. 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,000 America really thought we had that shit locked down. 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,240 The tough part with Memorial Day is that like, you know, America kind of treats it like it's 22 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:23,240 a celebration, right? 23 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,960 Because it's the beginning of summer and everything. 24 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:26,960 Yeah. 25 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:31,880 But like as a veteran, nothing like annoys me more than when people like happy Memorial 26 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:32,880 Day. 27 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,800 And I'm like, do you know what the second word you said was? 28 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:40,040 Because Memorial is not like a friendly happy term, you know. 29 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,160 I think it all depends on how you how you memorialize things though. 30 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:44,160 Right. 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:45,160 Right. 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,240 And I'm not saying like you can't have a barbecue and have a good time on Memorial Day weekend. 33 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:49,240 True. 34 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:54,720 But like, I get really mad when when businesses are like, hey, we're sorry about the hundreds 35 00:01:54,720 --> 00:02:00,680 of thousands of Americans that died defending America's interests. 36 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,600 Have 50 percent off this mattress. 37 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,760 Flip flops are now buy two, get one free. 38 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:06,760 Yeah. 39 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,200 Well, I mean, what is happening right now? 40 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,400 The widows of war need to sleep as well. 41 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:11,400 All right. 42 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,400 And they need they deserve to sleep comfortably. 43 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,080 That's true. 44 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:20,040 So the widows and widowers of war deserve a 50 percent off mattress. 45 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:21,040 That's fair. 46 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:22,040 You're right. 47 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:23,040 Get a purple mattress. 48 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,400 Nobody thinks about them. 49 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:25,400 Yeah. 50 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,400 I mean, I feel like no one really does think about them. 51 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,520 But anyways, I mean, that is true. 52 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,160 Like that's the hardest part of being a family of a veteran is that like everybody's thanking 53 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:37,160 your spouse. 54 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,080 Meanwhile, you've been shitting bricks for the last year because you're worried you're 55 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,120 going to get a negative phone call one day, you know. 56 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:43,120 Yeah. 57 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,000 You're going to get two dudes showing up at your door with a folded flag or something 58 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:46,000 like that. 59 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Yeah. 60 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:48,520 It's I can imagine the struggles. 61 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:49,520 That sucks. 62 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:50,520 It sucks. 63 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:51,520 Yeah. 64 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:52,520 Well, I'm glad we started out this episode. 65 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,440 Anyway, on that and that exciting and happy note. 66 00:02:55,440 --> 00:03:00,000 Well, sorry, I hate to say it, but it's it's not going to get any better from here. 67 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,960 This episode is kind of a bummer. 68 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:02,960 Oh, good. 69 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,720 I'm glad I set the tone for the episode. 70 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,800 I mean, it's not it's it's not it's not a fun story. 71 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:10,800 Let's just put it that way. 72 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:15,320 But I mean, it's it's very interesting to me because we're going to be covering more 73 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,960 of like a contemporary thing, if that makes sense. 74 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,920 Do you want to dive right in and explain what I'm talking about? 75 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:23,920 All right. 76 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:24,920 I'm so ready. 77 00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:26,400 Like I said, today's topic is kind of a bummer. 78 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,240 So I'm going to apologize to all the listeners in advance. 79 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,480 We're going to be diving into some Native American folklore again this week. 80 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:33,480 Nice. 81 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:34,480 Fuck it. 82 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:35,480 I love American Native American folklore. 83 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:36,800 I like learning about it. 84 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:38,080 So now me too. 85 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:43,560 Both Sarge and the audience, you guys are going to have to deal with it as well. 86 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:48,000 But I feel as always with, you know, this story that not too many people know about 87 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:54,160 what they know about it and those that do, I don't think they know exactly how this specific 88 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:58,760 legend and the circumstances surrounding it that surround it and shape it are rooted in 89 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:04,360 real problems facing a certain Native American tribe and the youth that live in that community. 90 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,600 Today we'll be talking about walking Sam. 91 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,440 Are you familiar with walking, Sam? 92 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:09,440 No, no, no. 93 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:10,440 All right. 94 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,960 No, I thought maybe it might be a character on The Walking Dead, but that's just a guess. 95 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,160 It's way worse. 96 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:23,120 Walking Sam is a dark figure tied to some contemporary folklore of the Pine Ridge Indian 97 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:24,440 reservation. 98 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,560 And before we get started, like I say, with before we cover anything like this, hopefully 99 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,600 all this information is accurate and truthful. 100 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,920 And even though the both of us are a couple of morons who like to make a lot of pee-pee 101 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:39,280 poo-poo dick jokes, we're going to try and do our best to cover this topic as respectfully 102 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:41,160 as possible. 103 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,080 And if anything is said on this episode that is wrong, feel free to reach out to either 104 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,800 of us and we'll make a correction on the next episode. 105 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,480 Hell yeah, hit me up. 106 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:55,640 So, so walking Sam, also known as the tall man, is described as an impossibly tall shadow 107 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:56,680 figure. 108 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,600 His arms hang low, almost scraping the ground. 109 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,880 It's said that just his presence alone is enough to send chills down your spine. 110 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,360 Some say his eyes are the darkest of pits absorbing- 111 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:07,640 Just your description of it- 112 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:08,760 What about it? 113 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,400 Just your description of it creeps me the fuck out. 114 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:11,640 I'm sorry to interrupt, but you- 115 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:12,640 Oh yeah. 116 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:13,640 It gets worse. 117 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,240 It gets worse, like I said. 118 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,800 His eyes are the darkest of pits absorbing any light that comes near. 119 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,040 Some descriptions of Sam include him wearing like a wide brimmed hat, which makes the silhouette 120 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,000 of him even more terrifying. 121 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,500 And I don't know about you, but there's something about a shadowy malevolent figure wearing 122 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:32,600 a fancy hat that makes it like instantly more creepy. 123 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,480 Like who, like who are you dressing up for? 124 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:35,800 Like what, like what's the occasion? 125 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,840 Like do you dress up to just fuck with people? 126 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:39,560 Do you remember the second Conjuring? 127 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,560 I never watched, I never watched the second Conjury. 128 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:42,960 I only watched the first one. 129 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:43,960 I don't like that. 130 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:44,960 Fucking, I hate those two. 131 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,080 They're fucking pieces of shit. 132 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:48,080 But no, why? 133 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:49,080 Is there a hat man? 134 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,640 Well, look, I'm not talking about Ed and Lorraine Warren. 135 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,800 I'm going to pretend that they're not real people because they are morons. 136 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:56,800 You're right. 137 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:57,800 Yeah. 138 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:03,320 But that movie has a scary, tall, skinny dude in a top hat and it's fucking creepy. 139 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:04,440 That's the only reason to bring it up. 140 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,040 Cause like, that's immediately what I thought of. 141 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:07,040 Yeah. 142 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,440 Any entity that wears a hat or like a suit, like they can just fuck right off. 143 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,080 Like that along with like the super long arms. 144 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,040 I'm good. 145 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,200 Now thank you. 146 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:23,280 Regardless of the details, one thing about this legend that is abundantly clear is that 147 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:27,680 Walking Sam is a harbinger of death and a symbol of deep despair. 148 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,480 Now to understand Walking Sam, we need to delve into the history and struggles of the 149 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,960 Pine Ridge Indian reservation. 150 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,000 And now this is where some of my information may be a little off. 151 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,000 This part is very information heavy. 152 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,680 There's like statistics in ship and like stuff like that involved. 153 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,280 And I did my best to like fact check all of these. 154 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:47,280 So hopefully it's right. 155 00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:49,640 Also this is where the bumming out begins. 156 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,200 So I'm sorry in advance. 157 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:58,280 Located in Southwestern South Dakota, Pine Ridge is home to the Oglala Lakota Nation. 158 00:06:58,280 --> 00:07:02,440 This land is rich in cultural heritage and historical significance, but has also seen 159 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,120 its share of hardships and tragedy. 160 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,160 The Oglala Lakota people, like many Native American tribes, have faced significant land 161 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,000 loss and broken treaties. 162 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,880 One of the most famous moments in their history is the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, where 163 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:20,720 the U.S. cavalry forces killed over 200 Lakota men, women, and children. 164 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:25,120 And this event left a deep scar on the community and one that still is like throbbing with 165 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,120 pain today. 166 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,320 Now fast forward to the present. 167 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:34,240 And Pine Ridge grapples with severe socioeconomic challenges. 168 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,960 Unemployment rates hover between 80 and 90 percent. 169 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,160 Poverty is pretty rampant in this area. 170 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,200 And the life expectancy is alarmingly low. 171 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,120 It's 48 years old for men and 52 for women. 172 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:48,120 Jesus. 173 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,840 Yeah, it's not ideal. 174 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:51,840 Health issues like diabetes. 175 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:52,840 Do they know? 176 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:53,840 Do they? 177 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:54,840 I'm sorry to. 178 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:55,840 That's what I was going to ask. 179 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,400 Is it because they've got a high infant mortality rate or is it because they've got, you know, 180 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:00,920 a lot of health issues? 181 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:01,920 What's causing it? 182 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:06,600 So it's things like health issues like diabetes, heart disease and substance abuse are just 183 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:11,520 a few of the problems this community struggles with, even though it is a dry, quote unquote 184 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,520 dry reservation. 185 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:18,160 Alcoholism, as well as heavy drug use is a problem there. 186 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:23,640 And now imagine, Sarge, imagine you're a young person growing up in this environment. 187 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:28,000 Not only do you have the weight of historical trauma coupled with the present day hardships. 188 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,900 All this can be overwhelming. 189 00:08:29,900 --> 00:08:34,080 So it's really no wonder that Pine Ridge has one of the highest youth suicide rates 190 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:39,560 in the country, up to 10 times the national average with more than 100 young people attempting 191 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:42,320 suicide in just 2015 alone. 192 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,080 It's alarming and really sad. 193 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,640 But it is in this bleak landscape that the legend of Walking Sam has taken root. 194 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:50,640 Jesus. 195 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,720 Now, Walking Sam for the tribe here is more than just a boogeyman. 196 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,260 He's like a symbol and a manifestation of like the deep, deep despair felt by many that 197 00:08:59,260 --> 00:09:01,560 live on this reservation. 198 00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:04,720 Stories about him have been circulating for years and there's more than there are more 199 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:06,040 than just ghost stories. 200 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:10,360 It's almost like a I don't want to call it a cautionary tale, but it's like almost like 201 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,160 a way to explain away some of the stuff that makes sense. 202 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,000 I don't know if that makes sense. 203 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,920 It's kind of like a representation of like white people in our culture. 204 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:23,840 Well, this is actually like so Walking Sam is actually it's more modern than you would 205 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:24,840 think. 206 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:26,880 Like it hasn't been around for like generations. 207 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,320 Well, I'm just saying like all of the problems that they're experiencing. 208 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:31,560 Oh, it's because of us. 209 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:32,560 Right. 210 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:35,800 But I'm saying like all the problems they're experiencing can be traced, traced to our 211 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:41,160 ancestors, traced to that terrible moment back in 1621. 212 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,520 My idiot ancestors. 213 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:43,520 Well, not mine. 214 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,560 I'm well, my people didn't come here till much later. 215 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:51,600 But when those idiots showed up on Plymouth and we're like, hey, it's rocky, cold and 216 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,680 completely inhospitable. 217 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:55,640 Let's build a severe town. 218 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:56,920 Brutal savages. 219 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:58,160 We were the savages. 220 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:05,280 Yeah, oh, 100 percent we were like, yeah, that's like I was watching this kind of subject, 221 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:06,560 but kind of just to make it a little bit lighter. 222 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:09,680 I was watching that show Shogun on Hulu. 223 00:10:09,680 --> 00:10:11,280 It's based off like a book called Shogun. 224 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,200 But it's about this, the white guy that goes to Japan. 225 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:19,080 It's basically the last samurai, but like more historically accurate, I think. 226 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,040 But anyway, like the white dude goes there. 227 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:22,040 He's okay. 228 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,040 He just came in. 229 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:24,040 Tom Cruise wasn't back there. 230 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:25,040 No, no. 231 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:29,000 He just keeps calling all the Japanese people savages. 232 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:34,120 Yet he's over there just being the most fucking uncouth asshole I've ever and it's like, how 233 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,980 can you, a guy from England, call these people savages? 234 00:10:36,980 --> 00:10:38,600 Like you shit in the streets. 235 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:39,600 Like go fuck yourself. 236 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,080 Yeah, I'm sorry. 237 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,720 Didn't you come from the culture that gave opium to China and when they didn't want it 238 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:48,680 anymore, you started a war over it? 239 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:49,680 Yeah, yeah. 240 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:51,080 It's, it's wild how we. 241 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:56,080 Oh, you mean the guys who just showed up in India full of billions of people were like, 242 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:57,480 no, no, this is ours now. 243 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,640 I love the projection that white people give on everyone. 244 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,000 All right. 245 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:07,120 Now I'm assuming by now you're wondering just how Walking Sam operates. 246 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:08,120 Yes. 247 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:13,840 According to the tales, he roams the reservation, particularly at night, targeting those who 248 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,420 are most vulnerable. 249 00:11:15,420 --> 00:11:19,800 He whispers to them, feeding their feelings of worthlessness and despair. 250 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:24,000 Some say he collects the souls of those he convinces to take their own lives, hanging 251 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:29,400 them from his unnaturally long arms, like gruesome trophies or like garland on a super 252 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,120 fucked up Christmas tree. 253 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,360 Now this image of Sam, Jesus fucking Christ. 254 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:35,960 Yeah, it's not ideal. 255 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,720 It's it's kind of a bummer. 256 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:39,720 Goddamn. 257 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,840 But this, this imagery of Sam, like his dark and slender build, the inhuman length of his 258 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:48,560 arms, the top hat, it's, it's purposely chilling and terrifying and it serves to reflect the 259 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:52,320 deep mental health crisis facing the community. 260 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:56,040 Walking Sam's influence isn't just confined to the shadows. 261 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,520 There have been real reports of cluster suicides on the reservation. 262 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:03,540 These are times when like multiple young people have taken their lives in a quick succession. 263 00:12:03,540 --> 00:12:07,960 During these periods, the stories about Walking Sam become even more prevalent, prevalent 264 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,720 as if he's stalking the community, sowing seeds of just like sorrow and helplessness, 265 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:14,800 just all around misery. 266 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,760 Now for those living on Pine Ridge, the fear of Walking Sam is very real. 267 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,280 Like I said before, he embodies the mental health crisis facing the community. 268 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:26,200 He's like the ex, like you said, he's like the externalization of the pain, like the 269 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:31,840 despair and the struggle that so many young people face, especially living there. 270 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:36,480 Walking Sam's presence is often reported during moments of profound despair. 271 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,360 People say they see him standing at the edges of gatherings, his tall silhouette impossible 272 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:41,360 to miss. 273 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:46,360 Like you can't miss a fucking 10 foot tall, long arms, top hat man. 274 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:51,420 It's as if he knows exactly where to go to find those who are suffering the most. 275 00:12:51,420 --> 00:12:55,560 His whispers are said to be persistent and invasive, almost like a catchy song stuck 276 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:56,560 in your head. 277 00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:01,720 But instead of like fun and playful, it's just like a play by play of like the darkest 278 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,080 fears and insecurities that the victim that he's chosen. 279 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,760 It's basically like a psychological assault on your mind that just leaves people feeling 280 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:11,920 more isolated and hopeless than before. 281 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,360 And it drives them to do these acts that we've been talking about. 282 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,440 It's like a malevolent Eastern European basketball player. 283 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:20,960 Yeah, pretty much. 284 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:26,320 It's not who gets like, like one of the guys we recruit, we put them in a tuxedo and we're 285 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,800 like, Hey, why don't you go tell terrible nursery rhymes to these poor, unsuspecting 286 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:31,800 people? 287 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:32,800 Yeah. 288 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,720 And then it gets stuck in their heads and then they commit suicide. 289 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:39,320 This is, I didn't realize how much I didn't realize how much of a fucking scary. 290 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:40,320 Yeah. 291 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,040 But also I super bummer when I was writing this, I was like, this is going to be a bummer. 292 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:50,040 But saying it all out loud is like, I'm, this is a bummer. 293 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:51,040 I am so sorry, everyone. 294 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,440 We're going to need a palate cleanser after this. 295 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:54,920 Yeah, we'll, uh, I don't know. 296 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,600 We'll talk about something else, but, uh, communities on Pine Ridge are working to combat 297 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,320 the despair that feeds walking Sam. 298 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,160 Local organizations are helping to provide mental health support, educational programs 299 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,480 and economic opportunities. 300 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:12,160 Programs are being made to incorporate traditional Lakota healing practices into these initiatives, 301 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:17,400 blending the old ways with the new to kind of promote wellbeing as well as like becoming 302 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,000 closer to their ancestral roots. 303 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,040 Uh, talking circles and ceremonies play a vital role in healing. 304 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:28,400 It offers a sense of community and connection that's often missing in these communities. 305 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,800 Cultural revitalization programs help young people reconnect with their heritage, fostering 306 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:33,960 a strong sense of identity and pride. 307 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:38,000 Career support networks and youth programs are also crucial, providing positive activities 308 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:43,120 and mentorship to those who might otherwise feel isolated and alone, which is what most 309 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,200 people who are young feel when they're going through puberty. 310 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,720 I mean, I felt isolated and alone, but I was also, I was a fucking weird kid. 311 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,400 So I don't know, but I can imagine it's a thousand times worse. 312 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:54,400 Yeah. 313 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,920 Despite the immense challenges in my case, I did it to myself. 314 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,360 Yeah, I exactly, I feel like we did it to ourselves. 315 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,880 These people just kind of have like, yeah, it's just, yeah. 316 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:08,560 Uh, now despite the immense challenges these reservations face, uh, the resilience of the 317 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,600 Uglala Lakota people is hard to understate. 318 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,520 Like they, they weathered a lot and I'm sure they can weather through this. 319 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:20,840 Now addressing the high suicide rate on Pine Ridge, it's, it's not easy and it requires 320 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,480 a shit ton more than just talking circles and just providing resources. 321 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:25,480 Right. 322 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,880 Uh, you know, you need, it's about like fostering hope, building community and honoring the 323 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,340 cultural heritage that has sustained the Lakota people for generations. 324 00:15:33,340 --> 00:15:38,080 So I guess the takeaway from this story is that yes, Walking Sam would be a fucking sick 325 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,920 character if he wasn't born out of real world, world misery. 326 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:43,800 And he is a fucking nightmare. 327 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:44,800 Yeah. 328 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,940 But he is more than just a shadowy figure lurking in the night. 329 00:15:47,940 --> 00:15:51,160 He's like, he's pretty much a symbol of like this community's pain, everything they've 330 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:56,760 gone through, all the struggles, all the hardships, but also of its strength and resilience. 331 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:02,240 I read somewhere that the battle against Walking Sam is a battle for the future of Pine Ridge. 332 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,760 One that's being fought with courage, tradition, and an unbreakable spirit. 333 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:08,200 But there you have it. 334 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:09,440 That's the story of Walking Sam. 335 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,840 A little bit of a shorter episode today because I didn't really leave enough room for jokes 336 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:14,840 or conversation. 337 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:15,840 Yeah. 338 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,080 I just thought it was a story that more people should hear. 339 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,240 And if you want to help, if you want to help the Pine Ridge reservation and the Lakota 340 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:24,960 people, you can head to Onespiritlakota.org. 341 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:29,160 One Spirit is a nonprofit that's dedicated to improving the quality of life on the reservation 342 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:34,120 with food pantries, firewood assistance, as well as a bunch of like youth oriented programs. 343 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,560 So you can head to their website, learn more about what they got going on and maybe leave 344 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:41,100 a donation to help support their cause. 345 00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:42,160 How you feeling, Sarge? 346 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:43,680 You look not great. 347 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,800 Yeah, I just kind of want to take a nap now. 348 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:47,800 Goddamn. 349 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:49,560 No, dude, you got yard work to do. 350 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:54,360 Because like what you were describing is like, it's like an amazingly terrifying monster, 351 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:55,360 right? 352 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:56,360 Oh, it's awesome. 353 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:57,960 And had somebody just come up with it. 354 00:16:57,960 --> 00:16:58,960 Yeah. 355 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:00,240 Like, he's cooler than Slender Man. 356 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:01,240 Oh, he's fucking sick. 357 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:02,240 You know what I mean? 358 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,160 Like Slender Man is just a stupid Internet thing without a face like who gives a shit. 359 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:07,160 Yeah. 360 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,200 This is like far more malevolent to me. 361 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,220 And I think it carries even more weight. 362 00:17:13,220 --> 00:17:20,280 It's more scary to me because it's, you know, it's based on a real affliction that is just 363 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,720 ravaging this poor community that's already been through way too much. 364 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:24,720 Yeah. 365 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:29,400 I mean, the idea of Walking Sam is a really cool idea, but like, yeah, because it is born 366 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,840 from such conditions and tragedy and despair. 367 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:34,840 Like it. 368 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,400 I mean, I still think it's cool, like artwork and imagery of it. 369 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,760 But like the knowing what it's about makes it way worse. 370 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:42,760 Yeah. 371 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,760 It's not like it's not like, hey, let's write a short story about this. 372 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:50,840 It's like, hey, we should feel real bad about all the things that our culture has done to 373 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,200 this other culture that didn't ask for that. 374 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:54,200 Yeah. 375 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:59,720 I think the other thing that really frustrates me is there's so many people out there that 376 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,240 they keep talking about. 377 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,800 You know, I'm not I'm trying to get political, but you know, when you've got people who don't 378 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:13,560 have sympathy for these communities, it's like what what is wrong with your soul that 379 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:17,880 it is so dead that you can't see how much this community is suffering. 380 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:22,360 And that our real historical things that happens like we're the ones that are doing it. 381 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:23,360 Yeah. 382 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:24,360 They didn't want this. 383 00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:26,400 They didn't want any of this. 384 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:27,400 Exactly. 385 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:28,400 And we. 386 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:29,400 Yeah, they didn't ask. 387 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:33,120 Yeah, they didn't ask for a bunch of pale morons to come and force them to start wearing 388 00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:34,120 clothes. 389 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:35,120 You know what I mean? 390 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:37,960 Like wearing our clothes instead of their traditional, you know, cultural garb. 391 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:38,960 Like, yeah. 392 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,960 And also most of the Native American like reservations are I feel like are in like the 393 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,560 southwest west where like the land isn't fertile. 394 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,400 You can't you know, like they're not they're not in the best places. 395 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,400 The infrastructure isn't really there. 396 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:56,160 We put them in our culture, put them in places that we didn't want to live. 397 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:00,480 But I also think that essentially they're like sovereign nations within the United States 398 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:06,240 like we're as a government, we're required to protect and and take care of them. 399 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:11,760 But I think the United States kind of has a hands off approach in the sense that like, 400 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:16,680 OK, you know, you're this is your your nation. 401 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,400 You govern it. 402 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,760 And our laws don't all apply here. 403 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:21,760 Yeah. 404 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:27,280 But at the same time, I do wonder, you know, are we responsible for for the infrastructure 405 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,280 in some way or another? 406 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:30,160 I feel like we should be. 407 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,200 Yeah, I feel like we kind of owe that community a little more than what we're giving them 408 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:35,200 right now. 409 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,200 Instead, we're just like, here, have a casino or two. 410 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:39,280 Like that's fucked up. 411 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,240 Like we need to do more for the Native American community. 412 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,160 And it makes me it makes me want to do more. 413 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,560 You know, I donate wherever I can whenever I can. 414 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:50,360 You know, obviously, I don't have a ton of money. 415 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:52,120 I don't know, like two dimes to rub together. 416 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:56,040 But whatever I can, I I do want to donate and I make sure my kids understand, too. 417 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,880 And I think that's probably one of the most important things we can do is just make sure 418 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:06,800 the kids in America understand that, you know, there's more than one or two groups that we 419 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,880 kind of steamrolled in the creation of this country. 420 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:14,240 There's a lot of groups and we need to make sure that we support all of them, but especially 421 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,080 the ones that were here long before we arrived. 422 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:17,080 Oh, yeah, for sure. 423 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:18,080 Yeah. 424 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,280 I mean, I've always had growing up in New England, I've always had a 425 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:27,680 a fascination and deep respect for Native American communities. 426 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:28,680 Yeah. 427 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:34,720 But also, you know, I right now where I live, you can literally find you could still find 428 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,680 arrowheads like just out in the woods behind my house. 429 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,360 Apparently, there's a there's a woman I met who lives out here. 430 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:47,120 She's in the 90s and she said that they used to go out in the woods behind my house and 431 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:50,240 just look for arrowheads because you can I guess you can find them dig down a little 432 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:51,240 bit. 433 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:52,240 You can find them still. 434 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:53,240 I've never found an arrowhead. 435 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:54,800 I live, you know, living in New England my whole life. 436 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,600 I know everyone I know, everyone I know is I always found one and I've never once found 437 00:20:58,600 --> 00:20:59,600 one. 438 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:00,600 Yeah, yeah, I've always wanted to. 439 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:01,600 I've never found a four leaf clover. 440 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:03,080 I've never found a four leaf clover. 441 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:04,080 I've never found an arrowhead. 442 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,960 Yeah, yeah, it's a bummer. 443 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:08,960 Much like the story. 444 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:09,960 It kills me. 445 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,320 But yeah, it's all, none of it's good. 446 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:19,360 How white of us that we're like, how white of us that we're like, here's this terrible, 447 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:20,920 terrible thing, afflicting a community. 448 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:22,960 I want to find an arrowhead. 449 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:23,960 I know, right? 450 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:24,960 It's not good. 451 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:25,960 You sons of bitches. 452 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:26,960 All right. 453 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:27,960 But yeah, if you want to. 454 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,960 Yeah, I think it's an important topic. 455 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:32,960 Yeah. 456 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:36,800 And like I said, if you guys want to help help out this tribe or any tribe, I mean, 457 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:42,400 really, you can look up where to like help out, donate, donate clothing items, food items, 458 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,400 work at a food kitchen, anything like that. 459 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:50,720 But for this Pine Ridge reservation specifically, you can head to OnespiritLakota.org. 460 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,560 They do a bunch of really cool shit and they're always helping people out. 461 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:58,840 So if you can just, even if you just go read it, share whatever, I mean, even if you can't 462 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,760 donate, spread the word about it and it definitely helps them out. 463 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,640 But yeah, so that's that's Walking Sam. 464 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:09,340 Sorry for bumming everyone out on this lovely Memorial Day. 465 00:22:09,340 --> 00:22:13,560 I mean, I guess this this is this is technically what we should be memorial. 466 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,240 You know, I mean, like bring attention to the shit that we did. 467 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:18,240 Yeah. 468 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:20,360 I think this is just this is just as important. 469 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:27,800 This is absolutely just as important as bringing attention to, you know, soldiers who didn't 470 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,800 make it home because a lot of Native Americans joined the military. 471 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:32,800 Oh, yeah. 472 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,840 I served in basic training. 473 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:41,200 There was a couple of kids who were Native American and and I think it's really important 474 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:45,720 to make sure that we we keep that culture alive because of the damage that was done 475 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,480 to it and trying to bury that culture throughout the history of founding this nation. 476 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,220 So it's even more important now, I think, because we need to save that culture so that 477 00:22:53,220 --> 00:22:58,720 people can understand that, you know, America wasn't just, you know, always very severe, 478 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:00,520 angry white people. 479 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,760 So it was actually like different cultures and tribes in different practices. 480 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:05,760 Yeah. 481 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,640 All right, Sarge. 482 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:12,520 Well, with that out of the way, do you got anything you want to plug? 483 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:13,520 Yeah. 484 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:19,000 Last last week's episode of Super Citizens Guide was really good. 485 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,160 I had a lot of fun listening to the Super Normal. 486 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:23,160 Thank you. 487 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,160 It was good. 488 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,480 Yeah, I had to be careful when I when I put the tags in on that, because if you put in 489 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:32,320 if you put in flat earth, you immediately get deprioritized and like every algorithm. 490 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,040 So I had to be very careful with how I worded it. 491 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:40,120 But, yeah, I just I hate it so much that I needed to do an episode on it. 492 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:44,200 We're going to have a couple of more because there's there's a whole bunch of crazy offshoots 493 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,440 of that belief system. 494 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:53,200 I also want to cover creationism because I think that is hilariously stupid as well. 495 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,520 Not to not to attack anyone who has religious beliefs, but if you believe that the world 496 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:03,600 is only six thousand years old, you are too stupid to live. 497 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,600 I could get by that. 498 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:07,600 Yeah. 499 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,760 But no, I other than that, just check out Citizens Guide to the Super Normal. 500 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:17,840 I think we're going to take this weekend off in remembrance of Memorial Day. 501 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:23,940 But we will be back with I think I'm going to cover creationism on the next episode. 502 00:24:23,940 --> 00:24:25,760 But if not, don't hold me to it. 503 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:26,760 Don't be mad. 504 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,040 Please donate to this tribe. 505 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:35,800 And just even if you can't donate, spread awareness of just the terrible shit that Native 506 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:40,600 Americans go through, not only here in the United States, but also in Canada and in the 507 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:42,800 indigenous tribes all over the world. 508 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:43,800 Really. 509 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,720 We kind of fucked over a lot of different people. 510 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:46,720 Yeah. 511 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:48,360 White people are really not great for anything. 512 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:51,320 We're like smoking. 513 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,480 Everybody was doing it, but it wasn't OK. 514 00:24:55,480 --> 00:25:00,560 And so, yeah, other than that, please have a safe, peaceful Memorial Day and make sure 515 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:09,080 you try and spare a thought for the folks that sacrificed for our American way of life. 516 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:10,080 Yeah. 517 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,080 And I'm not going to plug anything. 518 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,960 I'm just going to I'm just going to plug the one spirit, the code or definitely check it 519 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:16,960 out. 520 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,840 And with that, thank you for listening, everyone. 521 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,480 Hopefully I didn't ruin your day. 522 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:34,280 Also, I love you.