Bormann noted that South Dakota state laws governing charitable fundraising are almost nonexistent. A combination of poverty and tribal government dysfunction keep most people on Pine Ridge from asking questions about philanthropic organizations, according to Little Spotted Horse. A local activist and musician, Spotted Horse has been a leader in a grassroots effort to push for transparency among these organizations.
Worse, however, is a culture of acceptance of disrespectful treatment, especially from religious groups according to Little Spotted Horse. According to Steve Newcomb , a Shawnee and Lenape scholar and author, the Christian Doctrine of Discovery of served as an essential basis for later U. Newcomb, who researches the origins and implications of the Doctrine notes that the law gave European explorers the right to kill Indigenous inhabitants of the New World who refused to convert to Christianity.
This philosophy of white Christian hegemony continues to drive contemporary Christian proselytizing and conversion among Native peoples. He describes their current methods as stealth evangelizing.
Rachel Tabachnick , a writer and researcher about the religious right, says contemporary evangelical charities and churches often cloak their agendas by offering social programming such as drug and alcohol recovery, child care, food and activities for teenagers.
Indeed, Native American membership in evangelical Christian churches and ministries seems to be growing. In this line of thinking, all of human history is an ongoing battle of Satan against God. Native Americans have a special role to play in this world view. Denouncing the evil of idolatry inherent in traditional Native spirituality forwards the evangelical mission to drive out demons from the earth and paves the way for the end times and entry into the kingdom of God.
Eric Sutton pastor of the Oglala Re-Creation and Worship Center on Pine Ridge insists that the church, part of the Assemblies of God missions does not forbid its Native American members or program participants from practicing traditional Native spirituality. The Native American Fellowship , a ministry of the Assemblies of God, however, publishes the Native Book of Hope in which traditional Native spirituality is described as deceiving. Indeed, mainstream medical research has shown a demonstrable connection between traditional spirituality and improved mental health as well as improving resilience among Native children.
Demonizing traditional spirituality while offering help seems wrong-headed at best noted Little Spotted Horse. According to Little Spotted Horse, community members have told her of their children being baptized without permission and being scolded for speaking the Lakota language at the Re-Creation Center and other evangelical churches and charities on the reservation. Sutton denied these allegations.
From that we are hoping god will have his way here and bring deliverance and light. According to a former participant at Re-Creation activities, however, the church has not always been a safe place. A young Lakota woman, T. According to T. In , T. They reported it to tribal police. The last I heard, he was in Pennsylvania. Tribal police did not respond to inquiries about the perpetrators arrest or if charges were referred to court in another jurisdiction.
Now an adult, she lives away from the reservation and is pursuing a college degree; she is working to overcome the lingering trauma from the abuse. Reservation communities, usually strapped for cash and resources, may not look too hard at charities offering to help address social problems in their communities and offer programs for young people.
The tribal government infrastructure budget, mostly based on federal funds, is stretched thin these days. In the meantime, the number and capacity of philanthropic organizations on the reservation are growing. It almost seems as though they spring up overnight. According to Locke, her grandson John participated in one of the ministries events for children but had no ongoing relationship with the church.
Locke and her family follow traditional Lakota spirituality. Cultural Awareness. Lakota Language. Religious Education. Family Integration. Physical Health. Mental Health. Explore our Programs.
We build beds for children who do not have one. We build outhouses for those without functional plumbing. We build knowledge and support self-sufficiency in our community gardens. We build economy with our support of local native-owned business. We build hope for a better tomorrow, by focusing on the promise and possibility of what can be. Founded in , Re-Member is among the longest serving non-profit organizations on Pine Ridge and is not affiliated with any religious, political, or policy group.
Conditions exist here that should not exist in the middle of the wealthiest country on earth. Our volunteers and other visitors to Pine Ridge are often shocked by what they see. We believe we can best fulfill our mission of improving reservation life by bringing together volunteers, organizations, and governmental entities both on Pine Ridge and across the nation to help alleviate the most pressing immediate needs of the Oglala Lakota people.
We grow fresh produce each summer in our community gardens, and distribute firewood every winter to those in need. The officially reported average life expectancy on Pine Ridge is 67 years, the lowest in the United States. Other statistics, attributed to the Pine Ridge hospital, cite an average life expectancy for men of just 47 years.
Women fare slightly better, with an average life expectancy of 55 years.
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