Pine Ridge, S.D. (KELO) — College and high school students from across the region are on the Pine Ridge Reservation today.
They’re volunteers with Re-Member and are spending the week building beds and wheelchair ramps, and even cutting firewood for those in need.
Ian Johnson is a high school student from Colorado. He’s here not only to work, but to listen and connect with people.
“It gives them some privacy and some dignity. It just makes life feel a little less tragic I think for a lot of people and just gives them a baseline of respect that I think everyone deserves,” Colorado Junior Ian Johnson said.
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Up to 40 student volunteers show up each week ready to work.
“So they need to be things that we can teach people how to do sort of the day of, but make sure that obviously we are constructing a solid, safe, effective project that really helps people out functionally,” Executive Director William Paese said.
It’s about more than manual labor, during the visit, students also learn about life on the reservation.
“And also hear from local speakers and cultural presenters throughout the week. Voices from within this community, to share the stories and some of the history and some of the reality of Pine Ridge,” Paese said.
Through knowledge and hard work, the program is connecting people and teaching students about different perspectives. Everyone involved benefits.
“There’s a real sense of community in that. Being able to serve people in need, not only helps form connections with you and the person you’re serving, but also the people around you. It really just gives you a sense that you know, like the Lakota say, we are all related, we are all family,” Johnson said.
Re-Member has been working with volunteers for over 27 years and each week a new group of students and teachers step up to help.
