September Update
With just one month to go in our 2023 volunteer season, the arrival of September brings a moment to reflect as we transition from hosting volunteers to preparing for the winter months ahead. As we continue to celebrate our 25th anniversary here on Pine Ridge, this year has offered several additional milestones:
For the first time since 2018, we are approaching the end of a 30-week (almost) uninterrupted volunteer season – we lost a week in 2019 and again this spring to blizzards. On Friday, September 15, we begin accepting trip requests for 2024.
For the first time since 2019, we are just more than one month away from gathering in person with volunteers and supporters to celebrate the end of our season with a gala event. We invite you to join us in Medina, MN, on Saturday, October 7.
And for the fifth time in Re-Member’s quarter-century of service, we are preparing to welcome a new Executive Director to lead Re-Member forward. Our current Operations Manager, Will Paese, assumes the post on January 1, 2024.
These milestones have been marked amidst the daily routine of Re-Member’s work. Firewood delivered, gardens planted, beds constructed, outhouse holes dug, trailers skirted, handicap ramps and steps installed. Artisan nights and community dinners were reinstated, relationships forged, wisdom shared, and lessons learned.
We have welcomed several hundred volunteers, from first-time participants at age 12, to a five-year returner who is 93. Generous financial support continues to arrive from near and far and makes our work possible as we build relationships, build things, and build a better today here on Pine Ridge.
And so, as we turn the calendar to a new month, we thank you for being part of these milestones. Today and always, YOU are Re-Member!
2024 Season Information
We will begin accepting trip requests on September 15. The real-time availability calendar will be available on our website at 9 a.m. Eastern time.
Please visit our website to learn more about our 2024 trips, including dates for our special program weeks and updated pricing.
Meet Us In Minnesota
We are excited to be heading to Minnesota this fall and invite you and yours to gather with us in the Minneapolis suburb of Medina on Saturday, October 7, for a celebration of 25 years of service to the Oglala Lakota Nation.
Please help us grow our circle of volunteers and supporters in the region. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors to join us for a fun and informative evening to learn more about the exciting things happening at Re-Member and on the reservation.
Meet and greet with Re-Member staff and volunteers from near and far. Get an early start on holiday shopping by browsing Oglala Lakota arts and crafts for sale. Enjoy a delicious plated dinner. Then, learn more about Re-Member’s work in 2023 and celebrate the service of our outgoing Executive Director, Cory True. Hear words of encouragement from the Pine Ridge community, and enjoy a preview of our 2024 season under the leadership of our incoming Executive Director, Will Paese.
Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m. CDT
Location: Medina Entertainment Center
500 Highway 55
Medina, MN 55340
Cost: $75.00 per person; Tables and sponsorships available
Learn more and register to attend online, or call Jennifer Sklener, Director of Finance & Administration, at (616) 634-5921.
Shop The Re-Member Online Store
Get a jump start on your holiday shopping! Browse the Re-Member online store for an always-changing selection of handcrafted Lakota jewelry, crafts, paintings, and more. All purchases directly benefit Oglala Lakota artisans and support Re-Member’s ongoing work across the Pine Ridge Reservation. (We also have lots of Re-Member logo wear available).
Shop online, any time, by visiting our virtual store
On behalf of the Oglala Lakota community we serve, thank you for your continued support.