Among the Longest-Serving Nonprofits on Pine Ridge
Re-Member began as a partnership in the fall of 1997 when Keith Titus and Mike Alles, of Grand Haven, Michigan, teamed up to start an outreach organization. Shortly thereafter both were apprised of the grim circumstances on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and in May 1998, Keith and Mike made their first trip, accompanied by Rev. Virginia Titus, Keith's wife and co-pastor. Following a bad Michigan storm, they decided to deliver firewood to Pine Ridge. As a result of that trip, it was decided that they would focus their efforts on the Oglala Lakota people of Pine Ridge, and in June 1998, Re-Member began as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization.
From that small beginning, Re-Member now brings hundreds of volunteers to Pine Ridge each year. Our volunteers complete home improvement projects, work in our community gardens, and immerse themselves in Lakota culture.
Re-Member takes its name from the ancient definition, “to put back that which is broken; to re-member.” The organization is among the longest serving non-profits on Pine Ridge, and is not aligned with any church, religious, political, or policy group. We challenge those who come as volunteers to learn about and to respect indigenous culture and spirituality. We see our role as friends and neighbors in a community with the Oglala Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Re-Member accomplishes its work by building things — like outhouses for those without indoor plumbing and ramps for the disabled, beds for people sleeping on floors and skirts for trailers susceptible to South Dakota’s unpredictable weather. Re-Member’s efforts are supported by private donations and the advice of tribal members who are generous with their time and insight as speakers, leaders, and builders of understanding, both on and off the reservation.