Last Day at Pine Ridge.
(In a nod toward truth in blogging, this entry is being written from my living room. We simply ran out of time for reporting, so I put the computer away and, I’m now hoping to fill you in on the last couple days of our experience at Pine Ridge.)
Our last work day on Pine Ridge was a really hot one. The thermometer hit 97 degrees. Pat and Corrine went with a group to a small, private renewable energy site and helped there. They did some cutting of aluminum strips to be used on the solar panels that were being constructed, and then worked in the gardens there. It was pretty hot work. Janet helped complete an outhouse and then took it to the site and helped dig the pit (6 Ft. deep)to set in the latrine. The ground here is REALLY hard, so it was quite a task.
That leaves Patty and I. We went with Jerry, the Re-Member master of building and fix-it projects—He’s also the husband of my Seminary roommate—and we traveled about an hour and a half to build a handicap ramp at a home in Wambli. It was quite a day. We began with the need to load lumber onto the trailer that we pulled. After a couple stops to pick up some supplies and make arrangements for another project, we got to Wambli and checked in with the Housing Authority. (This is the agency who is responsible for building homes and making necessary improvements. The problem is that they have too little funding to meet the massive need on the reservation. Part of the treaty agreement is that homes would be provided to the Lakota people, but it often takes 15 to 20 years for a family to get their own home. They live with family in the mean time or make do with trailers that they purchase on their own.) The Housing Authority had some treated lumber that we could use. (What we had brought from Re-Member was untreated because they can’t afford the better quality materials.) We decided to use the treated even though it meant moving a bunch of other stuff off the top so we could get to the lumber we needed. That moving project took us about an hour and a half and was really hard, hot work since the 2 men needed to lift it over a 5 ft. fence to move it out of the way. We finally got the needed lumber and then it was time for lunch—remember, we also drove for an hour and a half. We still needed to unload both piles of lumber to get to the saws and tools we needed.
In the afternoon we built the major part of our ramp, but needed to quit by 4:00. We then needed to re-load the lumber that was unused—couldn’t just leave it on the site. It would be stolen. By the time we made it back to the dorm, it was 6:00, and supper was over for the rest of the groups. They saved us food ,and we ate—We were famished! Showers felt really good, and then we joined the others with the crafts people and activities for the evening. They had drumming lessons and dance lessons, but I’m afraid I was too exhausted to participate. I think several others felt the same way.
Thursday was called “Tour Day,” but I would better title it “Hope Day.” For the first part of the week we had seen the devastation of the poverty and the absolute injustice that the people lived with. We heard stories of their history and the dehumanization of the way they had been treated until they have become quite demoralized. Thursday was an attempt to show us the hope of the people at Pine Ridge. We visited Red Cloud School where students are educated and where a large part of the graduating class go on to college, often to gain skills to bring back to the reservation. We also visited an agency that transports people around the reservation. Remember, this is an area the size of Delaware, so it takes 2+ hours to go from one side of the reservation to the other, and jobs, services and education demands this mobility. To be able to get to work allows many to have jobs that would otherwise be impossible. We visited 3 businesses of different stripes that are working to build an infrastructure for employment and sustainability. The last stop was the Oglalla Lakota College that is on the reservation. It has several sites in the different communities and trains it’s students to be able to serve many jobs on the reservation and beyond.
(In a nod toward truth in blogging, this entry is being written from my living room. We simply ran out of time for reporting, so I put the computer away and, I’m now hoping to fill you in on the last couple days of our experience at Pine Ridge.)
Our last work day on Pine Ridge was a really hot one. The thermometer hit 97 degrees. Pat and Corrine went with a group to a small, private renewable energy site and helped there. They did some cutting of aluminum strips to be used on the solar panels that were being constructed, and then worked in the gardens there. It was pretty hot work. Janet helped complete an outhouse and then took it to the site and helped dig the pit (6 Ft. deep)to set in the latrine. The ground here is REALLY hard, so it was quite a task.
That leaves Patty and I. We went with Jerry, the Re-Member master of building and fix-it projects—He’s also the husband of my Seminary roommate—and we traveled about an hour and a half to build a handicap ramp at a home in Wambli. It was quite a day. We began with the need to load lumber onto the trailer that we pulled. After a couple stops to pick up some supplies and make arrangements for another project, we got to Wambli and checked in with the Housing Authority. (This is the agency who is responsible for building homes and making necessary improvements. The problem is that they have too little funding to meet the massive need on the reservation. Part of the treaty agreement is that homes would be provided to the Lakota people, but it often takes 15 to 20 years for a family to get their own home. They live with family in the mean time or make do with trailers that they purchase on their own.) The Housing Authority had some treated lumber that we could use. (What we had brought from Re-Member was untreated because they can’t afford the better quality materials.) We decided to use the treated even though it meant moving a bunch of other stuff off the top so we could get to the lumber we needed. That moving project took us about an hour and a half and was really hard, hot work since the 2 men needed to lift it over a 5 ft. fence to move it out of the way. We finally got the needed lumber and then it was time for lunch—remember, we also drove for an hour and a half. We still needed to unload both piles of lumber to get to the saws and tools we needed.
In the afternoon we built the major part of our ramp, but needed to quit by 4:00. We then needed to re-load the lumber that was unused—couldn’t just leave it on the site. It would be stolen. By the time we made it back to the dorm, it was 6:00, and supper was over for the rest of the groups. They saved us food ,and we ate—We were famished! Showers felt really good, and then we joined the others with the crafts people and activities for the evening. They had drumming lessons and dance lessons, but I’m afraid I was too exhausted to participate. I think several others felt the same way.
Thursday was called “Tour Day,” but I would better title it “Hope Day.” For the first part of the week we had seen the devastation of the poverty and the absolute injustice that the people lived with. We heard stories of their history and the dehumanization of the way they had been treated until they have become quite demoralized. Thursday was an attempt to show us the hope of the people at Pine Ridge. We visited Red Cloud School where students are educated and where a large part of the graduating class go on to college, often to gain skills to bring back to the reservation. We also visited an agency that transports people around the reservation. Remember, this is an area the size of Delaware, so it takes 2+ hours to go from one side of the reservation to the other, and jobs, services and education demands this mobility. To be able to get to work allows many to have jobs that would otherwise be impossible. We visited 3 businesses of different stripes that are working to build an infrastructure for employment and sustainability. The last stop was the Oglalla Lakota College that is on the reservation. It has several sites in the different communities and trains it’s students to be able to serve many jobs on the reservation and beyond.
One of the private businesses was the restaurant where we ate lunch. It was a home up on a hill that overlooked some rock formations. The proprietress was the great-granddaughter of Black Elk, a very revered wisdom leader of the people. She prepared the food in her kitchen and served it under a lattice of pine branches that was designed to offer shade. (unfortunately for us it was drizzling rain during that lunch and while not cold, it was not as pleasant as we had hoped.) Re-Member paid for our lunch with us ordering our food before we left that morning. We also had the option of buying a slice of wonderful chocolate cake, the money to go into a special fund to send her grandchildren to college someday. It cost $.50 per slice and was wonderful. I think everyone had cake, and many of us slipped extra into the jar because we would pay so much more for such a dessert on this side of the reservation.
We returned to the dorms in time to do some clean up and to eat pizza from Pizza Hut. We had a last gathering with “Wisdom from the Elders” and then the director told us that with winter coming they were about out of money to buy the materials for skirting trailers. To skirt trailers cuts the heating cost by up to two thirds, so it is a major assistance to a people who are already struggling with extreme poverty. A participant from the previous week had donated $500 and offered a challenge to us that he would match whatever we gave up to another $500. In our group was a man who was on the board of directors for Re-Member, and he made another challenge. He said that he would match our giving up to $1000. There was a scramble. People were grabbing their billfolds, and teens were counting quarters. Some folks asked the director to use their credit cards. Well the bottom line was that we gathered $1234 in about 5 minutes, and I am not aware of a single person who didn’t joyfully contribute something. The director was taken aback and was wiping tears.
At one point I skeptically wondered if this was the normal way to conclude a week, but then it occured to me that we had many people who were on their 3rd, 4th or even 7th time there. They would know if this was the norm, but they all said that this was the first they experiences such a call for help for the organization. It was a high moment for me. It shows the power of sharing and the joy to be experienced in such sharing.
The rest of the evening was filled with ice cream sundaes, the exchange of addresses, goodbyes and packing. Many of us were leaving early the next morning. We scooted out of there at 6:00 AM on Friday morning. We had a great week, and our team talked on the way home of when would be a good time to come again. We want to avoid the heat of August, but talked of bringing another team in June, maybe. We’ll see what transpires, but those of us who went feel strongly that this is a vital mission and filled with great opportunities for our congregation.
We returned to the dorms in time to do some clean up and to eat pizza from Pizza Hut. We had a last gathering with “Wisdom from the Elders” and then the director told us that with winter coming they were about out of money to buy the materials for skirting trailers. To skirt trailers cuts the heating cost by up to two thirds, so it is a major assistance to a people who are already struggling with extreme poverty. A participant from the previous week had donated $500 and offered a challenge to us that he would match whatever we gave up to another $500. In our group was a man who was on the board of directors for Re-Member, and he made another challenge. He said that he would match our giving up to $1000. There was a scramble. People were grabbing their billfolds, and teens were counting quarters. Some folks asked the director to use their credit cards. Well the bottom line was that we gathered $1234 in about 5 minutes, and I am not aware of a single person who didn’t joyfully contribute something. The director was taken aback and was wiping tears.
At one point I skeptically wondered if this was the normal way to conclude a week, but then it occured to me that we had many people who were on their 3rd, 4th or even 7th time there. They would know if this was the norm, but they all said that this was the first they experiences such a call for help for the organization. It was a high moment for me. It shows the power of sharing and the joy to be experienced in such sharing.
The rest of the evening was filled with ice cream sundaes, the exchange of addresses, goodbyes and packing. Many of us were leaving early the next morning. We scooted out of there at 6:00 AM on Friday morning. We had a great week, and our team talked on the way home of when would be a good time to come again. We want to avoid the heat of August, but talked of bringing another team in June, maybe. We’ll see what transpires, but those of us who went feel strongly that this is a vital mission and filled with great opportunities for our congregation.
I'm glad to be home again and look forward to telling you all the stories of our wonderful adventure. Talk to you soon. Blessings--Joyce
