At least one of the purposes of Get Up and God 2014 is to
highlight good that is being done and by doing such, inspiring others to join
in and be the good where and when they can be.
And so begins the first of what I hope will be many Profiles in Light.
Deep in the heart of South Dakota, the Badlands rise majestically
against the prairie. They are a beautiful
sight. A sight whose wonder masks a
tragic secret-a sometimes forgotten people who have suffered many hardships and
disgraces, and yes, even tragedies-the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation-the
Lakota Sioux.
While the history of the Lakota goes much farther back, for
our purposes today, a good place to start is Wounded Knee. The date is December 29, 1890. For some, it was called a battle, but for
most, it was simply a massacre. The long
and short of it is this-a misunderstanding during an attempt to disarm the
native peoples led to the indiscriminate slaughter of well over 150 men, women,
and children-some estimate maybe as many as 300-and the resulting aftermath
left what remained in relative shambles.
Fast forward some 120+ years. Here are some facts about life on the Pine
Ridge Reservation:
* The 11,000-square mile (over 2 million acres) Oglala
Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation is the second-largest Native American Reservation
within the United States. It is roughly the size of the State of Connecticut.
* Pine Ridge Reservation is home to approximately 50,000
persons, 35% of which are under the age of 16. Approximately half the residents
of the Reservation are registered tribal members of the Oglala Lakota Nation.
* Recent reports point out that the median income on the
Pine Ridge Reservation is approximately $7,500 per year.
* The unemployment rate vacillates from 85% to 95% on the
Reservation.
* The nearest town of size (which provides some jobs for
those few persons able to travel the distance) is Rapid City, South Dakota with
approximately 57,000 residents. It is located approximately 120 miles from the
Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado located
about 350 miles away.
* Some figures state that the life expectancy on the
Reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 for women. Other reports state that
the average life expectancy on the Reservation is 45 years old. With either set
of figures, that's the shortest life expectancy for a community anywhere in the
Western Hemisphere outside Haiti, according to The Wall Street Journal.
* Teenage suicide rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is 150%
higher than the U.S. national average for this age group.
* The infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent
and is about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.
* More than half the Reservation's adults battle addiction
and disease. Alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition are
rampant.
* The rate of diabetes on the Reservation is reported to be
800% higher than the U.S. national average.
* The tuberculosis rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is
approximately 800% higher than the U.S. national average.
* Cervical cancer is 500% higher than the U.S. national
average.
* Each winter, Reservation Elders are found dead from
hypothermia (freezing).
* It is reported that at least 60% of the homes on the Pine
Ridge Reservation are infested with Black Mold, Stachybotrys.
* School drop-out rate is over 70%.
* Teacher turnover is 800% that of the U.S. national average
* The small Tribal Housing Authority homes on the Pine Ridge
Reservation are so overcrowded and scarce that many homeless families often use
tents or cars for shelter. Many families live in shacks, old trailers, or
dilapidated mobile homes.
* There is an estimated average of 17 people living in each
family home (a home which may only have two to three rooms). Some homes, built
for 6 to 8 people, have up to 30 people living in them.
* 60% of Reservation families have no telephone.
* Over 33% of the Reservation homes lack basic water and
sewage systems as well as electricity.
* Many residents must carry (often contaminated) water from
the local rivers daily for their personal needs.
* Many Reservation homes lack stoves, refrigerators, beds,
and/or basic furniture. Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are
always a factor. Traditionally, summer temperatures reach well over 110*F and
winters bring bitter cold with temperatures that can reach -50*F below zero or
worse. Flooding, tornados, or wildfires are always a risk.
This is what the beauty of The Badlands masks: this truly is a “bad land.” But, there is hope, even here. Enter
Chanku Waste Ranch, “The good road in the badlands.” Through this ministry, people like Matt and
Amanda Hadden, have reached out to do good and to be a light to the people on
the Rez. Day camps are held during the
weeks in the summer, serving the children of Pine Ridge with meals, activities,
worship, and study-all free of charge. Other activities are held throughout the
year. Matt also serves as a youth
minister at Sharps Corner Baptist Church.
Adjacent to the ranch, one will find Reservation Restoration-a ministry
that seeks to restore souls through the restoration and repair of
motorcycles.
Pastor Mike told a group this summer that a leader of the
Lakota people said after Wounded Knee that it would take seven generations for
the people to recover. The children being
served by Chanku Waste Ranch are that seventh generation, and through the
leadership of Pastor Mike, Matt and Amanda, and other, good is being done with
that generation, and more good will be done.
Let us all take a moment to give thanks and praise and celebrate that in
prayer.
Now, how can you help?
First, pray. There
are always needs to be met. Pray for
continued strength and guidance for Matt, Amanda, Pastor Mike, and other
leaders. Pray for the people. Pray for Chanku Waste Ranch, Reservation
Restoration, and Sharps Corner Baptist Church. God is moving there.
Secondly, maybe you can meet a need, financial or
otherwise. There is usually a list of
needs posted on Matt and Amanda’s blog.
The summer camp ran this summer out of an incomplete building, but it
ran .
Maybe you will be called to serve-groups travel to help run
the camp during the summer. Contact
Matt and Amanda for more details.
Whatever you do-prayer, giving, serving- know that you too
are joining in shining a light. Continue
to be the good, my friends. Get up and
go!
http://refinedbydesign.blogspot.com/
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