Morgan Creighton: Student Reporter
Over Spring Break, I had the opportunity to participate in the SEND trip to South Dakota. We worked with an organization called Re-Member on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The name Re-Member comes from the idea of building back the reservation. Re-Member works with the Oglala Lakota people and provides services to anyone who needs them on the Pine Ridge Reservation. They make firewood deliveries to provide heating assistance in the cold winter months. They deliver beds to families who don’t have them. They install outhouses, ramps, and complete small construction projects to make homes safer. There were a group of nine Merrimack students and two advisors, and we were joined by a crew of about the same size from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. We were lucky to be paired with such an excellent group from Xavier.
The trip got off to an interesting start as we found out at 6am the morning of our departure that our flight had gotten canceled. Fortunately, we were able to reschedule our flight for the next day. We made the most of our extra day at Merrimack by eating at a restaurant and playing darts at a bowling alley. On Sunday, we arrived at the Rapid City airport and were greeted by one of the Re-Member staff members named Bill. I had heard about Bill from some past Re-Member volunteers, and he certainly lived up to the hype. He has to be one of the most interesting people that I’ve ever met.
On Monday, the Merrimack group traveled about ten minutes from Re-Member to the site of the Massacre of Wounded Knee. This was the location where over 250 Lakota people were killed by the U.S. military in 1890. In the afternoon, we began our service by cutting and delivering firewood. That night, many of us went outside and got to look up at the stars. Getting to see the Big Dipper and a sky full of stars was a breathtaking experience.
Every evening, we had a speaker come in who was a resident of the reservation. They talked to us about Lakota culture, history, language, and art. They were not afraid to share their own opinions on the issues facing the reservation. Several brought their relatives who played music and one even performed a magic show for us. I am thankful to these speakers for sharing their time and stories with us.
The service work continued on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, I traveled with a small group to make a firewood delivery. We traveled through the town of Pine Ridge, and I could not believe my eyes. The level of poverty was shocking. I could not believe that I was still in the United States. Our day on Wednesday was delayed slightly due to a snowstorm. We watched a movie about a high school basketball player from the reservation who tragically died in a car accident, and then we continued with our service. I helped with chopping wood and making deliveries, while others delivered beds.
Thursday was our last day at the reservation, and we spent the time taking a tour. We saw the Pine Ridge Hospital, which was the only hospital on the reservation and was understaffed by about 200 employees. Many people with medical emergencies have to take a helicopter off the reservation since there is only one part-time surgeon at Pine Ridge Hospital. We visited the Red Cloud school and saw the burial site of Red Cloud, a leader of the Lakota people. Much to the delight of our group, we traveled into Nebraska which was only about a fifteen minute drive from Re-Member. In the afternoon, we went to a store on the reservation and got to see a garden property that was owned by Re-Member.
Overall, I am very grateful that I got to go on this trip. I am glad to have made an impact, even if it was a very small one. This trip certainly made a big impact on me. Thank you to the people of Pine Ridge for teaching us “Mitakuye Oyasin!” We are all related!
