09/12/2026
Last week, a group of volunteers and tribal members on the Pine Ridge Reservation came together for a week of service. Within hours, the complicated legacy of broken promises, historical betrayal, economic injustice, and systemic failures bubbled to the surface. What came to life in the days that followed was profound.
Honest conversations, open dialogue, and raw, vulnerable reconciliation made it possible for deeply impactful service projects to take place. Side-by-side, across generations and cultures, the group worked together to repair a bison pasture fence, deliver 25 food boxes and 105 backpacks full of school supplies, stack firewood, paint and clean a family's house, and reconnect water and electricity to reservation homes.
Beyond these projects, it is the cross-cultural connections that stay with us longest — like beloved elder Nobby sharing a story and photograph of his late son. Witnessing his grief and resilience was a true honor.
We are grateful to our volunteers for serving with such tenderness over Labor Day weekend, and to this beloved elder for trusting us with his memories. By the end of the trip, the shift towards healing and progress was complete when a young Lakota tribal member shared that working together had restored his faith in humanity.
Our Executive Director captured the spirit of the trip with a quick report from the field earlier this week:
"After six years without water to the main part of his home [...] the best of humanity brought fresh water back to Nobby's home.
Beyond the water being turned on -- the inspiration given by volunteers who refuse to quit when overwhelmed, exhausted and without the basic resources... that is perhaps the greatest gift of all. I literally stand in awe and gratitude."
Wopila.
