About the Pine Ridge Community Survey
Mitakuyapi. The South Unit of Badlands National Park is 133,000-acres of Tribally owned land within Pine Ridge Reservation that we refer to as The Stronghold. This land formation, which lies within the South Unit, is a sacred place for the Oglala Lakota people. It was where the last Ghost Dance took place, and where the people sought refuge from the U.S. military after the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Today this area holds potential to offer refuge of a different kind—a place where the Oglala Lakota people know they belong and can shape their relationship with the land and all their relations as they choose. There are few places like this on Pine Ridge.
In 2018, a public opinion survey was conducted to learn how Pine Ridge community members would like to see The Stronghold and other Tribal lands managed. Hundreds of Tribal members from across Pine Ridge’s nine districts responded to the survey. The results, including the selection that you’ll find on page two, indicate that survey participants value wildlife and natural and cultural resources on Pine Ridge and want to ensure that The Stronghold is accessible to the Oglala Lakota people and protected from outside exploitation. The results also strongly support a desire for greater opportunities to reconnect to the land and all the relatives including buffalo.
DEAR PINE RIDGE COMMUNITY MEMBER. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN:
· Learning and sharing the history of the Stronghold Unit (South Unit)
· Conservation of land, wildlife, ecosystem relationships
· Economic development and marketing to visitors of Badlands National Park
· Returning buffalo to our land
· Conservation of plant medicines and ensuring access for future generations
· Decision making for Tribally-owned land, including protection of fossils and natural resources, and developing signage that cites our laws, on our land
· Land use for health benefits and knowledge sharing
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then we would like to offer you the opportunity to join us in answering these questions.
Who we are: We are the Stronghold Working Group: a group comprised of Tribal members working to elevate the voice of the people. We conducted a reservation wide survey and are now working together to share the survey findings—the voice of the people. Our goal is to return our voice to the decision-making process on Tribal lands.
What we are asking: We are seeking interested Tribal members to join us. District members from Pass Creek, Wakpamni, Pine Ridge, Oglala, Wounded Knee, Porcupine, Eagle Nest, LaCreek, and Medicine Root are all welcome. We are an all-volunteer led group with a passion for conservation, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning.
Considering the future: How do we continue this work and grow as a group? One of our first steps will be to become a registered non-profit, Native-led organization that will continue to work on conservation, guided by acknowledgement of our life ways. Establishing partners, creating and developing sites, creating awareness and sharing information and ongoing funding research, planning and implementing.
What we do: We meet twice a month in person or on Zoom. We also have a weekly radio show called “Indigenizing Conservation: Being a Good Relative,” through which we share information and invite guests to talk about their conservation work. In addition, we are hosting a significant gathering. The “Restoring Connections and elevating the Voice” gathering will be facilitated by Indigenous Collaboration. The goal of the event will be to develop strategic ideas based on the people’s vision and voice. We need your help in making this happen!