.png)
A Sioux tribe in South Dakota has sued several of the world’s largest beer makers on Thursday over alcohol-related problems on its reservation.
The Oglala Sioux tribe filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch InBev, SAB Miller, Molson Coors Brewing Company, MillerCoors, and Pabst Brewing Company, according to a press release.
The suit also targets several beer stores in Whiteclay, Neb., near the reservation. The stores sold nearly 5 million cans of beer in 2010. Only about 10 people live in the town.
Whiteclay lies less than 250 feet from the border of Pine Ridge, where tribe members have suffered from high poverty and alcoholism rates.
“The defendants have failed to make reasonable efforts to ensure their products are distributed and sold in obedience to the laws of the state of Nebraska and the Oglala Sioux Tribe,” said Tom White, the tribe’s attorney, according to a press release.
The Associated Press reported that the tribe is suing the beer makers for $500 million in damages.