June Update

 

Things are heating up on the prairie! We are nearly halfway through our volunteer season and are so grateful for all the folks who have, and will, join us on the reservation this year, including two key team members: David Strobbe has arrived and will be in a training role for the rest of the year. David will begin his tenure as Program Director on January 1, 2027. I look forward to the next seven months of collaboration with David as he steps into this new position. Following her college graduation, we also welcome Abigail Guillemette back as our Program Manager, her second year in this key role. Please join me in welcoming both David and Abigail back to Re-Member!

Powwow season will officially get underway this week with the Veteran’s Wacipi hosted in Pine Ridge. This event takes place in early June every year and begins with the ceremonial entry of the Crazy Horse riders. This week, riders are making their way from Fort Robinson, Nebraska across the prairie. They kick off the weekend’s events with their arrival at the powwow grounds. Oglala Lakota College will also host ceremonies this weekend, celebrating this year’s graduating class. We look forward to attending numerous community events and powwows throughout the summer.

Our construction season is in full swing. We have completed dozens of projects across the reservation with the support of our staff and volunteers. It’s great to be able to support the community with functional projects that offer myriad benefits and address immediate needs. This week, folks have been out skirting a trailer, installing outhouses, constructing a wheelchair ramp and building beds in our workshop.

Volunteers have also done some awesome work to set our gardens up for success this summer. We had an incredibly heavy rain last week, causing water to collect inside one of our high tunnels. Undeterred, our volunteers and garden staff pumped and dried it out, saving the produce inside. That’s adaptability and reservation innovation at their finest! In response to this event our volunteers this week have begun digging several drainage ditches to mitigate this potential problem moving forward. It takes a village and we are grateful for the many hands that support our work!

Re-Member On the Road: Coming soon to Illinois & Wisconsin

We are hitting the road again this August to visit folks in the greater Chicago area, as well as various stops around Wisconsin. Join myself and former director, Cory True, to visit and learn more about current happenings on the reservation. Enjoy the company of fellow Re-Member volunteers over lite bites and sips.

We invite you to join us for one (or more) of the following events:

Support the Program: Shop the Re-Member Amazon Wishlist 

We are hosting many large groups over the coming months and that means we are running through program staples quickly. The Re-Member Amazon Wishlist. is a great way to support the program from the comfort of your own home. With just a few clicks, you can send needed items that support our volunteers and our work. Items received through the Wishlist allow us to reinvest more funds into the community, where they are needed most.

Seeing volunteers flow through our program weekly is a powerful reminder of just how much good there is in this world. People willing to give of themselves, to listen, to learn and to work hard in support of a community that has so much to offer. Thanks to all who have joined us so far this season and to those who have supported our work. We hope to see you on the reservation this season or on the road at one of our Midwest events!

Sincerely,

Will Paese
Executive Director

 
Will Paese