My Shoulders are in South Dakota

Seeing one of the volunteers in full Saint Patty’s day regalia this morning, I realized once again just how far from home we are. Today is our fourth full day here at Re-Member and thus far the trip has been nothing short of memorable. On the first workday, I worked at a house in the town of Pine Ridge, painting and cleaning a bathroom for an elderly man.  On the first workday, I worked at a house in the town of Pine Ridge, painting and cleaning a bathroom for an elderly man. In fact, I spent the entire afternoon scrubbing the bathtub–a task that was far more intense than I had expected. Yesterday, I worked with Kathleen and Colleen to build tresses for Jean’s roof. The view from the house is incredible, and it was a source of pride for all of us that Jean and her family would, in short time, be able to enjoy this landscape from the perch of her new home. I am excited to return today!

UPDATE 3/18:

Yesterday we returned to Jean’s house and it was by far my favorite work day (and possibly top 5 best days of my entire life). After working briefly on the porch, I joined Chelsea, the program manager, on the roof. In the morning, I spent a few hours straddling two-by-fours and prying nails from the rooftop. In the afternoon, I helped Mike and Bryan put up the tresses that we had built the day before. So essentially, I spent five hours sitting on the rooftop, basking in the sun, and overlooking the majestic South Dakota cliffs. There were a few scares—dropping hammers and drills or watching Max balance three tresses and a wooden plank single-handedly—but the scare-factor made it all the more worth-while. Just as fun as watching the roof go up was being able to talk to the other managers and volunteers. Everyone was very excited to be working on this home—one of the first full-building projects that Re-Member has ever undertaken.

The work-days here have been a real pleasure; I’ve really felt that we’ve made some sort of impact on the community here. But learning about the Native American culture and history has been just as important to my experience this week as helping on the sites. Like the other Colgaters, I have had to grapple with a mix of emotions: confusion, anger, sadness. Listening to the several speakers this week, I have been overwhelmed by the constant, and continual, struggle that this population has faced. I trust that my fellow-bloggers will speak to this in more detail, but suffice it to say that there is a desperate poverty on this Reservation. This poverty is not only economic; it is emotional and spiritual as well. We have witnessed, this week, a dissipating way of life—a culture in a dire situation. What I have realized is that the solution to this problem (a true solution) requires help from the within and from without. Working with Re-Member has helped me realized just how much people like myself can (and OUGHT) to do to help, and to rectify past wrongs), but perhaps equally as important are people from within the community who must continue to strengthen their family by maintaining traditions and supporting one another.

A Beautiful and Uplifting Day on the Reservation

Today was a beautiful day at Pine Ridge (and not just because the weather was close to 70 degrees!).  While I feel like I have been learning so much about reservation life throughout the week, I can’t help but finish each day with mixed feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, and hopelessness.  There are individual reservation success stories, but the people here have been so devastated by a history of oppression, persecution, and violence that there seem to be almost insurmountable obstacles to affecting change. Today on tour, however, I met people that offered a much more uplifting and positive view of reservation life.  While acknowledging the harsh realities, the women I met today both offered visions of small steps starting with the youngest generation to promote Lakota tradition and education to improve the quality of life.

As Kathleen noted in her post, we began the day at Red Cloud Indian School, a private, Catholic institution.  Our guide there, Tina, a school administrator, gave a wonderful presentation where she addressed both the tragic history of Indian education and the difficulties that Red Cloud still faces, and also spoke of the amazing accomplishments the school has achieved.  In an area where residents simply cannot afford private school tuition, Red Cloud has managed to completely finance its operating budget (which averages about $9,000 per student) through grants and donations.  Buses run all over the reservation, logging 400,000 miles a year, to pick up students to be on time to 8 am classes.  While a Catholic school, Red Cloud also places great emphasis on Lakota tradition, history, and spirituality and students receive an education that prepares them both for the pursuit of higher education, but also to become a leader in the reservation community.  The result of this dedication is that over 90% of Red Cloud graduates go on to attain higher education or vocational training and many alums (numbers are not yet available) return to the reservation to take positions in education, government, and health care.  A Red Cloud alumna herself, it was such a joy to hear Tina talk about the potential Red Cloud sees in each student and the pride the school clearly has in each and every student and alum.  After hearing speaker after speaker talk about the lack of respect for education and the challenge of getting youth to strive for academic success, it was refreshing to hear someone have such a positive outlook.

Another great stop of the day was at Kili, the local radio station (which streams online at http://www.kiliradio.org).  Kili has been providing local radio since 1983.  At Kili, we met with Melanie, a staff member, volunteer, DJ, and all around awesome woman.  She and her grown children have all left the reservation at one point in time, but have all returned, and she speaks with pride and joy about her children and grandchildren and the special events they have been able to partake in on the reservation.  Melanie also explained a number of initiatives that Kili is taking to preserve Lakota culture.  The station is planning to stream two stations in the future, one being a Lakota language station.  The station has also been partnering with local elementary schools to have children put together programming about local news and features to get them involved in their history through a fun medium.  While Melanie spoke of the struggles Kili has had, including building issues, sky high electricity costs,and pricey (but necessary) equipment updates, the most important thing she emphasized was how important the station is to the reservation and how these difficulties are just bumps in the road that they are always able to overcome.  Melanie (along with the other staff members who were actually out meeting with local children while we were there) has such conviction in what she does, as well as an infectious positive attitude that I loved.

Back to School

For the first time in years, I boarded a school bus this morning and went- you guessed it- to school.  It was Tour Day for my group, and our first stop was the Red Cloud Indian School, outside the center of the town of Pine Ridge.  The school was founded in the late 1800s to provide an alternative to the compulsory US government boarding schools, and continues to be run by Catholic Jesuits.  Red Cloud, a prominent Oglala Lakota leader around the time of the school’s foundation, had a very good relationship with a Jesuit priest, which inspired the connection at the school.  The school seemed like a small miracle to me.  The operating budget for their K-12 program is an annual $11 million, and since a tuition charge is impossible when the average res income is $4000/year, they meet that demand through grants and donations.  Red Cloud is a beautiful school from the outside, with many buildings and a well-maintained campus, and even more beautiful when you realize that 92% of their graduates go on to higher education.  Considering the astonishing dropout rate on the res, it is truly inspiring to see the success of the school and the dedication of its graduates, many of whom return to Pine Ridge to serve their people after obtaining higher degrees.

On a more personal note, the Holy Rosary chapel at Red Cloud was a fascinating place.  Our tour guide explained that 25% of the Lakota on Pine Ridge are Catholic, and it was very interesting to view the incorporation of Native American spirituality and Catholic tradition in the chapel.  The stained glass windows, for example, were designed by high school art students, and use Native American geometric symbolism to represent Biblical themes and events.  Four local artists created the Stations of the Cross, which depict the people at each Station as Native Americans.  I have never before seen Catholicism so catholic (universal).

We drove a lot today, and wow, South Dakota is just gorgeous.  From any given point, it feels like you can see clear into Nebraska (and, okay, that is actually true at the Re-Member home base).  The prairie has patchy snow that emphasizes its gentle slopes, and thin clouds reach out in the big sky like feathers.  One road cut through the eponymous pine ridge, which is sprinkled with conifers that are unexpectedly congruous with the dry brown grasslands.  It is a perpetual sadness to contrast this rich natural beauty with the poverty that exists here, but it does not take much imagination to understand why the Lakota love this land.

Wounded Knee

Before arriving on the reservation, I thought that my time with the COVE and my experiences with the COVE alternative break trip to Galveston, TX last winter would make this week a walk in the park. I am happy to say that I was not prepared for the trip at all. The poverty out here is devastating and the strength and perseverance of local Native Americans is truly inspiring. Even though I have only been here for three days, I can say with confidence that the past 72 hours have fulfilled and surpassed my expectations for the trip. There is no doubt that I have appreciated every second in South Dakota, but I have already developed memories that I am certain will forever be dear to me.

Our excursion to Wounded Knee, a mass grave memorial site marking the 1890 massacre of the Lakota people, has been my favorite activity thus far. As we walked up the hill to the mass cemetery, there was an air of sadness and solemnity. The cold and eerie day enhanced the experience and brought me back to the time of suppression. I was only out in the elements for a few minutes before I began to complain about the weather. I can’t imagine how the defenseless Native Americans lived through the harsh treatment of the outsiders, especially in the difficult winter months.

What was really interesting is that many American textbooks refer to the incident as “the battle of Wounded Knee”, whereas the Native Americans refer to it as a massacre. Interestingly, the Native Americans had no ammunition during the incident and they, therefore, really had no ways of fighting back. So is the battle of Wounded Knee really a battle, or is it really a mass massacre of the Native Americans? Hearing the story from a different perspective really made me question the school system and our curriculum, and whether there is bias in what we are teaching Americans. Visiting the site was truly an eye-opening experience that have helped me better understand this ongoing struggle.

The moment that touched me the deepest, however, was when I saw a Hurricane beer can lying on the dirt road heading up to the Wounded Knee memorial. Seeing the 18 oz. can lying in a garbage filled area reminded me of the high poverty and alcohol levels prevalent on the reservation. What is more depressing is that major beer companies produce the high alcohol content malt liquor specifically for the Native American population, fully aware of the alcohol program on the reservation. I still find it hard to believe and I am angry at the fact that this kind of poverty exists in the United States, that Pine Ridge has the second highest poverty levels in the Western Hemisphere, ranking only behind Haiti.

Trusses and Troubles

Today we had some absolutely beautiful weather in Pine Ridge, and a renewed enthusiasm for our work to match the sunshine.  For me, it was back to Jean’s home, which we are working to rebuild following a devastating fire.  The project is one of the most comprehensive that Re-Member has ever undertaken, and represents a major shift in their focus from constructing bunk beds to working on home repair.  With other volunteers (and a lot of help from Mike, the site manager), I helped make roof trusses, which involved cutting boards to specific lengths and angles and connecting them with gussets.  The project involved lots of hammering- great stress relief after midterms week!  The crew in front worked on finishing the deck, which we began yesterday.  By lunchtime, the deck was complete enough that we could eat lunch on it and enjoy the incredible view of the bluffs across the way.

It was a real thrill to look around the home and see everyone working so happily and confidently.  After a day to get our bearings, people felt comfortable with their respective jobs and glad to be making concrete progress on the house.  We also got to spend time with Jean, who hammered in a gusset better than any of us and gave us the lowdown on South Dakota weather.  The enthusiasm on site was simply contagious, and it was a very satisfying feeling to be having fun and making tremendous progress.

At the same time, we’ve been wrestling with some very big questions during our stay here.  It’s quite shocking to realize the conditions on Pine Ridge and wonder how we could have been unaware of the fact that, in a location the size of Connecticut, there is 80% unemployment, no garbage collection system, and a high school dropout rate of nearly 70%.  Our guest speakers and the staff at Re-Member have provided a bit of historical background to explain some of the poverty that exists on the res, referring to reams of broken treaties and compulsory boarding schools to “Americanize” the Lakota, which persisted through the 1960s.  It’s difficult to come to terms with the injustices of the past, and to understand why the situation here receives minimal, if any, attention on the national stage.  I have been especially grappling with the question of responsibility allocation: what duties fall to the Lakota on Pine Ridge, and what issues need to be addressed by the outside community.  When faced with a community confronted with such poverty, I cannot help but feel a bit dumbfounded, confused as to how I could actually encourage change on a grander scale once I leave the res.  I expect that this question will be on my mind well after I leave South Dakota.

My Day on the Rez

Yesterday was the first full work day.  We drove out to Anderson to work on a home partially ruined by fire. A lot had already been done on site–the walls were up and a partial ceiling was visible. Next to the home-in-progress sat a small trailer which was where the homeowner lived with one of her sons, an outhouse, and a shed for their pony, Peppers. The hill on which she lived overlooked some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen.  Later I learned that near the home, her husband had been buried as well as two of her children.

At first,  the number of people at the site was overwhelming, It was freezing; the program managers did not have enough jobs for everyone; and many felt lost and frustrated with the inability to help. It was okay. Maggie and I spoke with the homeowner who was often walking around and observing the happenings for the new house. She explained to us the floor plan of the new home–a family room, kitchen with a new fridge, bedroom, laundry room, and even a bathroom. I was expected to help in providing her with a nice place to live.

On site we had three projects going–constructing the trusses for the roof, doing some electrical work inside, and building a deck for the side of the house overlooking the beautiful view. I worked on the deck. We initially needed to remove what had been already done and set to work constructing a new frame. By the end of the day, with the help of about twelve others, we were able to put the frame in place. While holding the frame in place, I noticed the homeowner watching–it was the first time I saw her smile.

In the evening, Will Peters, one of Re-Member’s speakers, gave one of the most powerful talks I have ever heard. He explained some of what had happened in his life–the loss of his mother, the absence of his father, and his original hatred for the white man. He explained his change of heart and his desire to make a difference on the reservation, to help his people and to maybe make an impact on the individuals who visit Pine Ridge.  He emphasized the importance of the youth and the necessity to educate and inspire them. I think what affected me most about his speech was its application to everyone. He emphasized and embodied good values–respect for women, determination, and dedication. More importantly, I became disappointed in myself: why haven’t I better utilized democracy and used my voice to make a difference? Will Peters gave us hope and encouragement. We have the power to make a difference, especially for the people of Pine Ridge.

The Arrival! – (Maggie, Claire, Kathleen)

(Our first post! – Maggie, Claire, Kathleen)

Saturday 3/14/10

We are officially in the Dakotas!

After a long day of travel and a two hour drive through America’s heartland, we are finally in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. We arrived at Re-Member Saturday night and quickly became aquainted with the accomodations and staff members. There are also groups here from the University of Maryland, Roosevelt University and Towson University.

The director of the program, Ted, gave us a brief talk about what we plan to do this week and an abbreviated version of “Wisdom of the Elders” (a lecture on Lakota history) which will apparently be the way we start each day.

Sunday 3/15/10

On Sunday morning everyone got their first taste of what reservation life is like. The initial plan was for everyone to go to the Wounded Knee Memorial (the site of the 1890 massacre and siege in 1973); however, this proved to be more difficult that we anticipated. Apparently there was a large blizzard last week and although most of the snow has been cleared off of the main roads, the dirt roads are now mud. We managed to get down the dirt path onto the main road, but one of the vans immediately broke down as soon as we got onto the main road. Reservation roads are not maintained well at all and as a result, cars frequently break down. After towing the disabled van back to Re-Member and picking up our stranded group members in a working vehicle, we were on our way (again) to Wounded Knee. Although this 30 minute detour was unexpected and a bit of an inconvenience, group members were able to experience how difficult it is to get around the Rez. When we (finally) got to the site of Wounded Knee, Ted lead the group up the hill to the mass grave where more than 300 Native Americans were buried after the 1890 massacre. Ted gave the group a briefing on this history.

Many of the volunteers later expressed their surprise at the appearance of Wounded Knee, having expected it to be more formally maintained due to its historical significance. The site has a large metal sign explaining the events of the massacre, which was erroneously and insultingly labeled a “battle” until recent decades. (The Lakota attacked at Wounded Knee were simply passing through the region en route to Pine Ridge proper.) A cemetery containing the mass grave and other Native American entombments is located on top of a large dirt hill. We were surprised that the site was relatively inconspicuous; the casual road-tripper would have driven through it without notice of its significance.  Later, the Re-Member staff explained that the National Park Service (NPS) offered to purchase the Wounded Knee site a few decades ago, but wanted to run a new road through the gravesite, an extremely sacred location to the Lakota.  Accordingly, the Lakota refused the NPS’ offer and continue to maintain Wounded Knee independently.

Standing on the hill of the gravesite, the observer looks out on a beautiful landscape–rolling hills, pine trees, and the mysteries of the badlands. Not far off, we noticed a small housing community of multi-colored homes. They showed some wear but, to an outsider, they seemed decent. Maggie went on to explain the deception. While the homes looked tolerable, they were built by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) without any form of insulation. The formidable winters necessitated some kind of action so the home owners used plastic as make-shift insulation. Unfortunately, the homes became breeding grounds for black mold, ushering in some of the worst living on the reservation. When did this begin? In the 1960s.

We are outsiders to the problems. We like to convince ourselves that the brightly-colored homes are symbols of a better living, of a manageable and tolerable living. As Colleen best put it, the experience seems to put us in a complete daze.

We returned to Re-Member and finally began our work-day with organizing the workshop and building some outhouses.  That night we were visited by Keith, a native born Lakota man who has lived on the Reservation his whole life and is a member of (AIM) the American Indian Movement.  Keith lives out in the Badlands without running water or electricity and talked to the group about his life growing up on the “Rez” and his role in the siege at Wounded Knee in 1973.

Working with Re-Member

Pine Ridge, South Dakota, will be host to 12 Colgate students and staff as we embark on a journey to a new alternative spring break destination. We will be working with the nonprofit agency Re-Member.

In their own words, “Re-Member seeks to improve the quality of life on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota through relationships, shared resources, and volunteer services. Through work projects and cultural immersion, they continue to develop a growing circle of advocates standing in solidarity with the Lakota people on Pine Ridge.”

Please check back to read about our experiences as they unfold throughout the next week.