What We Do

The AYC gives children a safe environment to spend time, do school work, receive a hot meal, and learn about Lakota values and traditions. The AYC is also home to a laundromat and food pantry for the community.

Many homes on Pine Ridge rely on wood burning stoves as their sole source of heat and cooking fuel during below-zero winters. One Spirit hires Lakota workers, provides them with necessary equipment, then pays them to deliver harvested firewood to homes in need.

Okini means sharing material goods, and many Lakota families share their belongings with others in their community. This sharing ensures that the needs of all Lakota are met while giving gently-used items a second life. In the spirit of okini, One Spirit supports two crucial programs: the Okini Market and the Okini List.

In partnership with the Sioux YMCA, Camp Marrowbone is a one-week summer camp for children to spend time outdoors and embrace Lakota culture. Activities include arts and crafts, hiking, outdoor sports, and water activities as well as traditional Lakota education and traditions.

The Pine Ridge Reservation is one of the poorest areas in the United States. With poverty and unemployment (up to 90%) come hunger, lack of healthy food alternatives, and concomitant health issues such as heart disease and diabetes. The despair of poverty also results in social ills such as drug and alcohol abuse, shorter lifespans, high suicide rates (especially among teens), and a feeling of hopelessness.

The youth employment program offers young adults the opportunity to leave the reservation to work and live in a new town for the summer to gain work training and experience new surroundings and activities.

We built the first and only meat processing facility on Pine Ridge Reservation, the Charging Buffalo Meathouse. The facility provides employment opportunities, helps bring back the buffalo herds, and provides healthy, traditional meat.

Horse Spirit Camp provides traditional Lakota horse activities to children and adults. While lessons include caretaking and riding, participants also learn about self-respect, responsibility, and self-confidence. The goal of these camps is to teach traditional Lakota culture and language to enhance physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health.