March Update
In less than a week, we will welcome our first volunteers of the season. It is always exciting when groups start flowing into our buildings again. The winter months can be long and sometimes lonely—it’s always nice to have the added company!
This is part of the reason we are here. To welcome individuals from across the country who travel to learn about the Oglala Lakota people and the Pine Ridge Reservation. A people and a place that too many know too little about. To share a story that hasn’t received nearly the attention that is merited. To give a platform and amplify voices from a community that has long been silenced and shut out.
A major part of what we do is provide meaningful support and complete projects that improve the quality of life for the folks who live here on Pine Ridge. We also create advocates through our volunteers. We are an access point through which individuals can learn about a history and a current reality that many have difficulty initially accepting as real. Why have I never heard about this? How could this happen? What can we do about it? Through our program people are exposed to and wrestle with these difficult questions.
Our instinct is to rush in to help, but we must also have the patience, humility, and discipline to ensure we are working in the right direction and not getting in the way.
Our program provides an invaluable perspective that enables people to be more compassionate and mindful individuals going forward. To understand that the important work isn’t just the external work we do for others, but the internal work we do to improve ourselves - that will make us better allies, advocates, and contributors.
Our early-season volunteers will spend time on various projects: supporting our Winter Heating Assistance Program by cutting, splitting and delivering firewood, building and delivering beds, and prepping our Feather II gardens for planting. As with all groups, they will hear from local speakers and cultural presenters daily. We will begin construction projects in the coming months as the weather warms more consistently.
There is much to look forward to this season and we are excited to get underway!
When Ya Coming? - Book Your 2025 Volunteer Trip:
Our 2025 Trip Calendar still has plenty of availability. Join us for an immersive week of listening, learning and engagement with a unique and wonderful community. Make a difference in the lives of others and feel the fulfillment within yourself that comes from meaningful service and genuine human connection.
We would love to see you on the Rez this season!
Shop the Re-Member Online Store:
Unable to make it out for a trip in 2025? You can still shop local arts, crafts and jewelry via the Re-Member Online Store. We have added inventory, and all sorts of items are available. All items are created by local artists from right here in the Pine Ridge community.
Keep an eye out for new Re-Member merchandise coming soon!
Support Our Program: Visit our Amazon Wish List:
Every year, we receive tremendous support from people who send program staples from the comfort of their own homes. Via the Re-Member Amazon Wish List, you can send items directly to our front door with a few simple clicks.
The list includes all sorts of items that support our program and our work in the community. We appreciate everyone who has already sent us items in 2025!
It is no small accomplishment that Re-Member has existed on Pine Ridge for the past 26+ years. It is a testament to our commitment to this community and the support we have received from individuals across the country and around the world. We would not be here today without the guidance we have received from the community and the direction that has informed.
We are grateful for the opportunity to pursue the best path forward alongside the Oglala Lakota people and for all those who make our work possible.
Thank you for being a part of the continuing Re-Member story.
Sincerely,
Will Paese
Executive Director