Substandard Housing
An estimated 40% of on-reservation housing is considered substandard, compared to 6% for the general U.S. population
National Indian Council on Aging
Extremely Variable Weather
The Northern Plains region, where Pine Ridge is located, has "anarchic, unpredictable and extreme weather." This includes "violent swings" from floods to droughts, as well as brutal subzero winters.
2018 National Climate Assessment
Employment
The unemployment rate is consistently cited as being extremely high, with figures ranging from 80% to 90%.
True Sioux Hope, Lakota Waldorf School, Al Jazeera
Suicide Rate
The teen suicide rate is reported to be 150% to 400% higher than the U.S. national average
True Sioux Hope, Al Jazeera (citing Re-Member)
Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy is approximately 47 years for men and 52-53 years for women
True Sioux Hope, Penn State Hazleton, LX NEWS
Diabetes
The diabetes rate is reported to be 800% higher than the U.S. national average. Nearly 50% of adults over the age of 40 have diabetes
Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Tribal Community, The Bear Project, Re-Member, True Sioux Hope
Where is Pine Ridge Reservation?
The Pine Ridge Reservation is in the southwestern corner of South Dakota. It is part of a larger territory established for the Lakota in 1868 by the United States government, later broken up into smaller tribal reservations and parceled out to non-Native homesteaders.
Pine Ridge is the eighth-largest reservation in the US, home to about 40,000 Native Americans. According to the US Census Bureau, the Pine Ridge reservation lies within the poorest counties in the United States.
Startling Statistics
The Oglala Lakota Nation has a history dating back thousands of years.
Oglala is a Lakota word meaning "to scatter one's own." The Oglala Lakota Nation is one of the seven bands of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live on Pine Ridge. Most still honor their ancient traditions in the way they live their lives today.
One Spirit supports the Lakota in their mission to become a food-sovereign, energy-independent nation, able to care for their young and old alike.