Thursday, March 4, 2010
Mission group to South Dakota
GCOTR, Remind me of your trip (s) to South Dakota. We have a group of youth from our church that are going to South Dakota to one of the Reservation-I think the Pines Reservation. Some of them have been going for a number of years. The poverty and hardship remains. Remind me what and where you did.
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Oh now that is a few hours long conversation. I went two summers to an Episcopal Camp in the Blackhills (Camp Thunderhead) just north of Lead. It was suppose to be for just two weeks, but one of the regular counselors quit so they asked me to stay for the rest of the summer. I went back the second year as the assistant cook - but the head cook did not know how to cook (he was a clergy kid and got the job because his Dad wanted him to "straighten up." I ended up being the main cook.
ReplyDeleteWe went to several reservations and to a gathering called the Niobrara Conference. It was held different places each year and was strictly native american except for a few guests. I went to the Pine Ridge and Rose Bud reservations, as well as a few smaller ones. One summer we collected clothes all summer and then took them to Pine Ridge. Jan Skinner was on that trip with us.
Even back then the poverty was overwhelming. I have often wanted to go back and was hoping this coming summer to at least drive through the area, but I don't think we will be able to this summer.
I was very lucky to get to interact with the people of Pine Ridge and Rose Bud when I did. Just a few years after I was there was when there was so much violence and it was dangerous for "whites" to go to the reservations, but when I went, we were embraced. I remember staying with a family that Father Ron knew (he was the priest at Pine Ridge at the time - I will remember his full name later, but we all called him Father Ron) and sharing a room with 5 other girls - one bed, lots of pads on the floor. They wanted me to have the bed, but we all ended up on the floor. The room was just big enough for wall to wall sleeping mats with the bed in the corner. No other furniture that I can remember. But of course it was an adventure for me. I didn't have to go home to that every single day.
I could really go on and on and would love to hear some of the experiences your church youths have had and are having.
Maybe we can talk more later.
Thanks, I will share this info with some of those going and get their feedback on what is going on now.
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