February Update

It was a cold and snowy January here on Pine Ridge. Overnight temperatures plummeted to seasonal lows, frequently below zero. Our wood-splitting crew continues to hustle to keep up with requests. Our team has driven thousands of miles across the reservation, making deliveries that have helped support almost 200 households.

Additionally, our Winter Heating Assistance Program has assisted over 150 households with utility payments to help ensure that the heat stays on and families don’t go cold. We will continue splitting firewood as long as the weather dictates that it is necessary and will continue offering assistance with utility payments as long as funding allows.

The 2025 season is only a month away. In just a few weeks we will welcome the first of many volunteers who will join us on the prairie for a week of learning and service. Many, if not most, who participate in our program for the first time are not fully sure what to expect when they sign up, but almost without fail, find the experience eye-opening, informative, and inspiring.

The Re-Member program connects people in unique and meaningful ways. People step away from the busyness of their daily lives and come together to do work that is simple, but significant. To have conversations that we don’t always take the time to have. Helping us realize that we all have a role to play and that what goes on in the world is what we all collectively decide to accept.

It was an eventful month in the news both nationally and here on Pine Ridge. Outgoing President Biden granted clemency and commuted the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist imprisoned for almost 50 years. The case and sentencing have long been contested, and recent actions are seen as a small victory in the context of the greater Native American struggle by many who maintain Peltier’s innocence. This was followed by a flurry of executive orders signed by President Trump as he entered office, leaving many with questions about what would happen next. Against the historical backdrop of federal relations with Native populations, it is not difficult to understand why there is a level of apprehension around not just Pine Ridge, but many reservations across the country.

There is growing concern around the reservation about recent political actions and ongoing conversations that will undoubtedly impact tribal populations. Fundamental questions are being asked about what it means and who is allowed to be American. It is important that we all stay informed and do not forget about our nation’s tribal communities during this time. Here at Re-Member, we will continue to stand with the Oglala Lakota people and work towards the promise of a better today – and tomorrow.

Target Circle™ Update: Thanks for your Votes

Thanks to everyone who gave us their votes during the final quarter 2024.

As a featured Target Circle™ nonprofit, we received over 55,000 votes, which resulted in a donation of more than $1,500 from Target to support our work. We are so grateful for the opportunity and for everyone who supported us through the Target App.

Support the Program While you Shop: Amazon Wish List

With the 2025 season just around the corner, we have recently refreshed our Amazon Wish List with various items we will need to support our volunteers. Check out the Re-Member Wish List and consider a purchase in support of our program.

There are all sorts of items on the list, all of which we utilize throughout the season. All donations are greatly appreciated!

We look forward to all that the year will bring. Although it is a time of great division and tension nationally – we celebrate that there are places like Re-Member where people can still come together. Where we can celebrate our differences and respect each other’s opinions. Where we can engage in dialogue without dismissiveness or disrespect. Where we act, not out of self-interest, but out of compassion and the recognition that we - and our collective best interests - are all related.

Where it is not “me vs. you” - it is simply “us.”

I hope to see you on the prairie in 2025!

Will Paese
Executive Director