Giving the Lakota People a LEG up

We’re pleased to announce a new initiative to address the lack of employment and vital services on the reservation—the Lakota Empowerment Group.

This group, which was initially funded by a donation from our friends at One Spirit Germany, is teaching a group of young adults the carpentry, plumbing, concrete work, and electrical trades. Along the way, they’re getting to work on real issues at real homes.

Many people on the reservation need assistance with trades-related work, whether that’s replacing the skirting on their trailer, replacing or repairing a roof, or fixing busted plumbing. However, they often lack the funds necessary to pay for the repairs they need and have to make difficult choices about food, medicine, housing, and utilities. When they do have the funds, it’s a challenge to find people who are qualified to do the work.

The Lakota Empowerment Group will change all of that. In addition to providing assistance to the people of Pine Ridge Reservation, it will create a new generation of tradespeople and a pipeline of future tradespeople as well.

In fact, we already have several homes that are waitlisted in need of assistance, a group of teachers, and a growing roster of students. We need additional funding to help this group get to work.

“We’re excited to bring jobs here to the reservation and also to teaching these youth and young adults skills that they’ll carry with them for the rest of their life while helping homes, helping families to weatherize their homes, restoring them, or building them brand new,” said foreman and actor Eddie Spears.

The program is a great opportunity not just for families in need on the reservation but also for the workers who want to learn.

“A lot of students who go to trade school in Rapid City or OLC or wherever, those students already have jobs lined up when they get out,” says Ricky Gray Grass, one of the Lakota Empowerment Group’s coordinators. “We reach out to the younger ones that don’t really have that shot but want to learn.”

“Some of them come from a troubled past,” said Eddie. “They’re overcoming some obstacles in their life. This is helping them find their sobriety…they’re bringing themselves to life.”

“It’s an amazing thing to see them excited,” Eddie continues. “To build something from scratch and then walk away and say, ‘Look what I did! Look what I built!’ Please help us keep lifting that spirit up.”

The Lakota Empowerment Group has a current, growing roster of 14 students and three teachers, and plans to expand.

“They’re learning,” said Ricky. “They eventually want to build a building from the groun up. They want to repair their parents’ homes, their grandparents’ homes. They want to help wherever it is needed.”

“I’m honored to be a part of the One Spirit program. This opportunity here on the ridge, it’s a great thing,” said David, one of the participants who said he’s been learning from Eddie over the last several weeks.

In the long term, Ricky wants to see the group grow and expand, even covering two groups of workers. And, of course, he wants to see the group taking on projects within the reservation, improving people’s homes.

“We’re eager to help,” Ricky said. “We want to keep families warm and keep a roof over their heads, and these students are trying their best and trying for a better future. We can do it, but we need funding.”

If giving to help those who are trying to break the cycle of poverty is important to you, please give today to the Lakota Empowerment Group. This group will not only put people on the path to prosperity, it will alleviate the impacts of poverty on others in doing so.

Or, as David put it: “Why not help other families in need? Let’s go, let’s help each other out here. Let’s go together.”