This note was sent out to Friends by Project Coordinator Candy Boyd:

Project Lakota is in somewhat desperate need of funds. [In early November], we received 4 calls in 4 days from the reservation for assistance and we are still paying for some supplies from the summer (as the summer building season is so short in the Dakotas, we sometimes upfront a small budgeted amount, and fundraise through the winter). As Project Lakota is becoming better known on the reservation, we are also receiving more requests during the cold season for help with utilities, firewood, indoor repairs, underskirting, transportation emergencies, and assistance for elders – some to avoid foreclosures. The snow has already started to fly on the Lakota nation.

The Dakota summer was productive for Project Lakota. Candy went up early and we were finally able to get the land easements secured for Minerva Blacksmith and her 3 families of grandchildren. This meant that by the end of the building season, we had electricity and heat (hooray!) in to all 3 trailers.

In addition to electricity (yes!) and heat (yes!), we replaced a door which had been blown dysfunctional by the storms, put in a screen door, put vinyl tile flooring on top of the subfloor throughout one trailer, brought in tons of gravel for the long reservation driveway which we raked by hand, and helped to replace the old outhouse which had blown over a few times in the summer storms. We networked with another nonprofit who provided an electrician to hook up the electricity and labor for the outhouse, and we saved thousands of dollars by doing the work on the driveway. The grandchildren, children, and Minerva were working every step of the way. Minerva is currently negotiating with the tribe to do the mapping for her waterline and hookups for which we seriously need to fundraise.

The McGaa family trailer is now fully set up with underskirting, handicap ramps, electricity, indoor plumbing and water, and septic system. Hooray!

If you feel so led, please donate to Project Lakota, 7429 Brunswick Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119.

For more information on housing on the Pine Ridge reservation and the Lakota people, please see the following video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIPnl97Kwx4

Many thanks,
Candy Boyd