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Discover Western Prince William
November 2024
12
The
Rotary Club of Manassas is dedicated to
donating their time, service, combined talents, and
passions to our local community as well as expanding
their scope of service to many organizations and
causes beyond Prince Willam County. As we enter
this season of giving thanks, and ever mindful of our
own blessings, it is appropriate to recall the origin
of Thanksgiving and its symbolism of honoring a
peaceful harvest feast in 1621 between English
settlers and Native Americans. This November we
highlight the Rotary Club of Manassas' heartfelt
efforts to raise awareness of and desire to support
and advocate for the people of the Oglala Lakota
Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Native American
Reservation in South Dakota.
The Treaty of Fort Laramie established the Great
Sioux Reservation in 1868; it included the Pine
Ridge Reservation in the southwest corner of South
Dakota near Mount Rushmore and encompassed
the Badlands and Black Hills until gold was
discovered in the Black Hills and a new treaty was
drawn, removing that area from the reservation.
According to the National Archives, "the goal of
the [original] treaty was to bring peace between
White settlers and the tribes, who agreed to
relocate" after years of fi ghting "to preserve their
lands, sovereignty, and ways of life." The area
spans over two million acres with less than 10%
suitable for agricultural use. The 2020 Census
repor ts 18,850 people residing on the
reservation; however, fi refi ghters estimate as
many as 36,000.
Pine Ridge is considered to have the lowest
income level of any county in the United States,
with over half of its people living below the poverty
level and an 80% unemployment rate. While
quality of life should not be determined by
geography, the people of Pine Ridge are affected
by unique statistics, including a 70% high school
drop-out rate (only 30% of their high school students
receive a high school diploma or equivalent); 20%
who acquire college degrees; and 85% of residents
are affected by alcoholism and substance misuse
and abuse. In addition, there is a 300% higher infant
mortality rate, 25% of babies are born with fetal
alcohol syndrome, and 50% of the reservation's
residents over the age of 40 are affected by diabetes.
According to the Social Security Administration, the
average life expectancy of the Oglala Lakota people
is 52 years for women and 48 years for men. There
is an 800% higher occurrence of
tuberculosis on the reservation according
to Re-Member.org. Sadly, the people of
Pine Ridge experience an extraordinarily
high incidence of suicide.
This year, Rotary Club of Manassas
embraced the impassioned service
mission of fellow Rotarian member
Cheryl Dashiell, who has long been an
advocate for the Oglala Lakota people
of the Pine Ridge Reservation and the
challenges they face. To understand the
true needs of the community, she and
other Rotarians visited the reservation
in person in July, meeting with
r e s e r v a t i o n g u i d e s a n d t r i b a l
spokespeople, including parks and
recreation representatives, homeless
support and housing mission agents,
water management offi cials, the Be Excited About
Reading (BEAR) director Yvonne "Tiny" DeCory,
store owners, fi refi ghters, artists, and a director of
Oglala Lakota College.
While Cheryl had previously visited the reservation
multiple times through mission trips, repairing homes
and building wheelchair ramps, the July trip with
fellow Rotarians led to a new approach, focusing on
supporting the youngest and future generations of
the Oglala Lakota people with hopes of affecting a
higher impact of positive change for the reservation.
The BEAR Program, run by Tiny, assists Pine Ridge
youth from elementary-aged students to young adults.
The program encourages reading, education, and
learning; good mental health practices; and survivor
support. It also assists with resources, including
food, clothing, fi rewood for cold winters, and dresses
and suits for proms. The BEAR Cave is in the
basement of a building honoring 1964 Lakota
Olympian Billy Mills and offers the reservation's youth
a safe place to hang out, play games, do homework,
support each other, and acquire needed essentials
from the clothes closet and food pantry. The
organization hopes to offer apartments, add shower
and laundr y ser vices, and make full-time
psychological and substance abuse support and
counseling services available in the future.
There are many ways in which Rotary Club of
Manassas, loc al businesses, c ommunit y
organizations, and residents have begun to offer
outreach support to the people of Pine Ridge. Dr.
Gil Irwin of Medical Missionaries, Buckhall United
Methodist Church, and local residents helped collect
1,800 pounds of supplies for the native community,
including tents, clothes, shoes, food, hygiene
supplies, and sporting equipment. Fellow Rotarians
Jamie and Patty Baisden, owners of Wind River
Chimes, provided the shipping of those supplies.
Rotary Clubs around the country are
comprised of citizens (professionals, retirees,
or anyone seeking enrichment in their own
lives through service to others) with a desire
to make our world a healthier and more
enjoyable place for all. Rotary Club of
Manassas invites you to join them for lunch
at noon on Wednesdays at City Tavern to learn
more about their efforts with Pine Ridge's
BEAR program and their countless other
service opportunities locally, nationally, and
internationally. To donate directly to The BEAR
Project of Pine Ridge visit
bearproject.net,
call Tiny at
(605) 454-0518, or send a check
made out to The BEAR Project to PO Box
415, Pine Ridge, SD 57770.
Rotary Club of Manassas Efforts Shine a Spotlight
on Pine Ridge Reservation Native Americans
~ Katie Quadrini