Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is vast – over 3,000,000 square miles. The distances families and elders must travel to access healthy food are long and prohibitive for many. Hundreds of families visit the Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center each month to access fresh food grown in our Medicine Root community gardens. They also come to receive food boxes, each filled...
In the heart of the expansive Pine Ridge Reservation, a community once burdened by the heavy weight of water scarcity is now experiencing a remarkable transformation, brimming with hope and promise. While challenges persist, there’s a newfound sense of optimism, all thanks to the water scarcity solutions and tireless efforts of organizations like Running Strong for...
Mastcam planned a large mosaic to image the top and bottom of the Pinnacle Ridge scarp, complementing the Mastcam mosaic that was acquired over the weekend. ChemCam included a long distance RMI image of the face of the ridge with intriguing tonal and textural variations. The targeted science block on sol 4178 also includes a MAHLI mosaic of an interesting layered...
According to the planting calendar developed by The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the last spring frost of the year on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwest South Dakota is, on average, May 22, and the first fall frost occurs on September 22 – a total of 123 days. This means gardeners must make the most of the days they have during the short growing season. However...
We begin the first sol of our plan with a lot of remote science. ChemCam is taking LIBS mosaics of “May Lake,” a small block that is tilted, and “Pavilion Dome,” another large dark block in the workspace. ChemCam also is taking a 3×3 RMI mosaic of a distant cluster of dark pyramidal blocks. Mastcam then takes large mosaics of two different targets on Pinnacle...
In August 2022, Running Strong for American Indian Youth® announced a new, exciting expansion of our Dreamstarter® program –Dreamstarter Incubator – designed to continue supporting the dreams of Native communities for the long term after their original Dreamstarter projects have concluded. Our first Dreamstarter Incubator is Dreamstarter entrepreneur Josh Smith from...
In 2023, the Slim Buttes Agricultural Development (SBAG) program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (founded in 1985) distributed seedlings, tilled gardens, refurbished raised beds, built and distributed planter boxes, conducted workshops about food preservation and how to use food as “medicine” to prevent diabetes, and promoted healthy lifestyles and overall well...
(Update on World Water Day, March 22, 2024) Our Mni Wiconi (Water is Life) water line connection program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation will soon ramp up once the frozen ground on the Great Plains of South Dakota thaws. This will allow our Oglala Lakota contractor to resume digging six-foot-deep trenches and running water lines from the main service water line...
In 2023, the Medicine Root Garden program, operated by our partner on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the Oyate Teca Project, trained or assisted 62 individuals ages 5 to 57 in its mission to “help teach our people how to feed themselves by teaching them how to grow their food,” reported director Rose Fraser. Impact by the numbers! The program served people in 13...