South Dakota

(I disabled that silly Hindi transliteration thing, everything should be in English from here on out)


The first day we arrived at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, we were greeted by a meal of mystery meat topped with a layer of mushy tater tots and a side of cauliflower. Based on the food selection alone, I immediately freaked out. I wondered how I was going to survive for a week on such unappetizing fare. Then Tom (the director of the organization) said something that changed my attitude about the whole situation. He basically told us that we ate better than everyone else on the reservation. As the week went on, I realized Tom really wasn't kidding. There is mind-numbing poverty on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. 19 people in a one bed-room trailer home, no running water, no electricity, no telephone, and no income-- and these are all common occurrences. For a reservation that is slightly larger than Connecticut, there is only one supermarket. The life expectancy is the second lowest in the whole western hemisphere. Children as young as 5 are often involved in gang activities and drug-dealing. When I heard these facts, I couldn't believe them. It was really eye-opening. After hearing these things, I couldn't help but feel a little angry and guilty. But the ever-so-wise Tom soon reminded us that it wasn't his goal to make us feel guilty. Instead, he wanted us to stand alongside the Lakota people and be their advocate. Overall, it was amazing week. I learned so much and I'm so glad I had this experience.

-Liz