Lakota housing

As promised the other day, here are some shots from Pine Ridge. As mentioned in the LarkCrafts post, there is a real need for donations. For everything, not just mittens.

Batesland is a 'neighborhood' on the rez. Population 88. The towns on the reservation are not like a typical small town. This one has a lot of mobile homes.

You will not find a gas station or restaurant or grocery store in most neighborhoods on the rez. No coffee house, either.

You won't find garbage trucks stopping in the neighborhood to pick up your trash every week.

You probably won't find a bank or church or library. No big box anything. No sidewalks. No street signs. No fire hydrants (and prairie fire risk is very real).

The houses look similar to conventional houses from a distance. But many of them have graffiti. The windows don't have a place to install a screen. You probably will find three generations living in one house. The generations probably include branches of the family.

Statistically, at least one person in the house has a serious medical issue and all are expected to die before the age of 53.

Any house you visit may not have a floor, but a hole in the floor. With a view of the ground below. There is most likely no carpet, no air conditioning. We're building a wheelchair ramp here. Imagine being trapped in your house. 

The South Dakota climate is terribly harsh. The free project mentioned at LarkCrafts would be a fast and easy donation. I have plenty more to say if you want to listen.