The Log of the Guinston Gutters
Mission to the Sioux Nation, Fort Thompson, SD
Sept. 27 - Oct. 5, 2014
An Accidental Connection Spawns a Mission Trip
Arlina and Ed attended Wrightsville Presbyterian Church before coming to Guinston PC. They had
helped to support Willie and Curt Wood's work with the poverty-stricken Sioux on the Lower Brule and
Crow Creek reservations in South Dakota. Arlina and her friend Nancy (also of Wrightsville PC) had
received an e-mail from Willie in June asking for help in repairing several little churches on the
reservations, and Arlina passed the appeal on to Walter and Sue of the Guinston Gutters Volunteers.
And so we began the process to send a volunteer team to the Sioux Nation. Willie visited Guinston on
August 17, and we started planning: discussions within our core volunteers, scheduling dates,
researching contacts, travel and lodging, recruiting new volunteers, reviewing the desired work list and
developing a suitable tool and equipment load, obtaining commitments for trucks, estimating trip
expenses and seeking budget approval from the Session. By Saturday, September 27, we had a team of
13 ready for the 1500-mile journey to South Dakota by road and air.
The road crew (11 volunteers in 2 pickups and a Chevy Impala) departed from home at 6AM on
Saturday and stopped overnight in Morton, Illinois with 804 miles on the trip odometer. At dinner in a
restaurant we were pleasantly surprised by a man who praised and blessed us for publicly saying grace.
We woke up Sunday morning to in-room instant motel coffee, which may only be described as “lukewarm brown liquid prepared in the bathroom”. We arrived in Fort Thompson after dark on Sunday,
after only minor mishaps: Walter briefly drowsing off behind the wheel, some low-grade food
poisoning courtesy of the lunch buffet at a casino on the Iowa-Minnesota line, and a missed turn in Fort
Thompson en route to the Habitat for Humanity volunteer quarters located in the basement of the Fort
Thompson Senior Center. The highlight of this drive was Steve's mastery of a method for eyes-off
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solution of the Rubik's Cube based on a single look at the starting configuration. He had many hours of
practice to develop this expertise on our drive across 7 states.
The flying duo (Jim and Patty) were more seriously challenged. The air traffic control computers in
Chicago had been disabled by a bomb and fire, so their Sunday connecting flight to Sioux Falls was
canceled. They were delayed in Chicago several hours, then re-routed through Denver to Pierre. Willie
and Curt changed their plans and drove to Pierre to retrieve them, and we all united in Fort Thompson
and hit the sack.
The Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Quarters
The Gentlemen's Dormitory
Hanging out in the Habitat Kitchen
Breakfast in the Bunker
Monday morning we made breakfast in the Habitat for Humanity facility, then toured three churches
with Rev. Kim Fonder to assess needs, assign priorities and draft a bill of materials for each project.
After lunch we discussed each project, then split into groups: Ray led one crew at Iron Nation Messiah
Church to build the outhouse, and Rich led a second crew at Christ Church for entrance reconstruction,
fixing windows, and numerous electrical and plumbing repairs. Walter and Josh got to be the “gofers”,
driving a pickup to Chamberlain for lumber and hardware to support work on the three project sites.
The Iron Nation Messiah Church is a tiny, primitive frame building located a few hundred yards from
the Missouri River. It is notable for the cozy sanctuary and the artwork painted on the cellar walls. The
church cemetery nearby contains the grave of Maza Oyate, also known as Solomon Iron Nation, last
Chief of the Sioux Nation.
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The Iron Nation Messiah Church
Iron Nation Messiah Church
Sanctuary
Cellar Painting
Cellar Painting
Chief Solomon Iron Nation (center)
“Playing Ball In Heaven”
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Building The Iron Nation Outhouse
The Privy Council
The Concrete Form
Setting the Barrels
Dumping the Gravel
Levelling the Gravel
Pouring the Concrete
The Base
“GG” is for the Guinston Gutters
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Building The Iron Nation Outhouse
Framing the Back Wall
Framing the Front Wall
Headers
Rafters
Attitude Adjustment of Corner
Sidewall Sheathing with 1” Boards
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Building The Iron Nation Outhouse
Back Wall Sheathing
Sheathing Completed
With Doors, Steel Siding and Roof
Gents
And Plexiglass Windows, Too!
Ladies
Flushed With Success
In addition to outhouse construction, we also repaired a serious horizontal foundation crack running
around the entire building, and removed a large, defunct organ from the sanctuary, just in time for a
Friday morning funeral service.
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Christ Church, Fort Thompson
Christ Church Front
Christ Church is one of the few buildings moved from the old site of Fort Thompson before the town
was destroyed by construction of the Big Bend Dam and hydro-electric plant. Our original work list
included minor repairs to windows, electric fixtures and plumbing, plus rework of the side entrance for
easier access during services. The side entrance job was relatively simple.
Building the Cantilevered Entrance Roof Structure
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Christ Church, Fort Thompson
Entrance Before
Entrance After
What was not simple were the “minor repairs” to the electrical wiring and fixtures in the Christ Church
building. Much of the wiring had been done with cloth-insulated 2-conductor wire lacking an earth
ground (probably dating from the late 1940's). Most of the switches and receptacles were grossly
corroded, and some of the lamp fixtures in the sanctuary were powered with telephone hook-up wire!
Our crew spent 3 days replacing 7 light fixtures and repairing the most hazardous wiring.
Lights in the Sanctuary
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Christ Church, Fort Thompson
In addition to the electrical repair work at Christ Church, we also patched leaky windows in the
narthex, improvised a massive plexiglass storm window over a large, decrepit stained-glass sanctuary
window, and installed plumbing for the sacristy sink. In addition to all the repairs, we did a thorough
cleaning of the entire church.
Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Lower Brule
Front Entrance
Sanctuary
Holy Comforter is the most modern of the three churches we worked in. Tony led the construction of a
kitchen counter and shelving, installation of wall molding in the sanctuary, and construction of a passthrough box in the sacristy. Walter and Sue replaced leaking sink drain plumbing. As at Christ Church,
we did a through cleaning of the building interior, then dusted the ceiling light fixtures and replaced
burnt-out light bulbs. At the parsonage house next door, we repaired the outdoor wiring to the drainage
pump and chain-sawed a backyard full of brush and saplings.
Building a Kitchen Counter: 1 Worker and 5 Supervisors
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Connecting with the Sioux
Our initial contact was with Rev. Kim Fonder, the recently ordained pastor who serves seven little
churches on the Sioux reservation. His previous careers were in mining and law enforcement; he
currently does some farming to generate income. His wife, Tammy, works as a dispatcher for the tribal
police.
The Tuesday Hymn Sing in Lower Brule
Indian Taco on Fry Bread
Tuesday evening we were guests of Father Kim and the Holy Comforter congregation for Indian Tacos,
Fry Bread and a Hymn Sing, with songs in both English and Lakota. This was an ice-breaking evening
of food and songs. The reservation people are full of honest fun and laughter, but their eyes are sad.
Wednesday was a day of demanding labor for all and lasted too late in the day; Willie stepped up and
cooked a great spaghetti dinner so that we would not delay the evening cultural program which she had
arranged for the evening.
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Two young ladies, Macy and Morgan, demonstrated traditional ceremonial dance for us.
Macy doing the Cape Dance
Morgan Preparing for the Hoop Dance
Dancing in the Dark
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The dancers were followed by their grandfather, Corbin Shoots-the Enemy; Corbin is a tribal historian
who related the history of white persecution of the Sioux. He presented information which we were
never taught in school, backed by original photos and records dating back to the administration of
Abraham Lincoln. This was a historical record of economic and military warfare, genocide, land theft,
treaty-breaking and repression; the results are evident in the current state of the reservation.
One of many treaty violations was the Corps of Engineers seizure of Fort Thompson for construction
of the Big Bend Dam in 1960-66. The tribal land was taken in violation of treaty obligations, and the
residents of Fort Thompson were forced to move the town elsewhere to higher ground. The fertile
bottom land upstream from the dam was flooded by the newly-created Lake Sharpe, and the native
farmers there were out of luck. Thirty years later, the federal government established tribal trust funds
in compensation for land taken for the Big Bend and other dams under the 1944 Pick-Sloan flood
control plan; interest generated from these trust funds was intended to be used for general welfare of
the affected tribes, but very little has actually flowed down to the people who are in greatest need.
We also heard testimony from Audrey and Dorothy, who credited the church for their recovery from
their hopeless earlier lives. Elder Terry talked about the Brotherhood of Christian Unity, an attempt to
end interdenominational squabbling on the reservation.
A newly-elected Crow Creek tribal councilwoman, Chairwoman Sazue, played guitar and sang
powerfully in Lakota for us. We hope that she will set a new standard for the council, as the previous
members of the tribal council are now in jail for embezzlement.
Corbin is trying to restore the native culture (which early Christian missionaries did their best to
destroy) by teaching the Sioux traditions and the Dakota/Lakota/Nakota languages at both college and
grade-school levels.
We finished off Wednesday evening down in the dormitory with a surprise birthday party for Mae.
Corbin Shoots-the-Enemy
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Thursday evening we were invited to Holy Comforter in Lower Brule for smothered burritos.
“Lakota George” Estes came to talk about the Sioux heritage and flutes. He is known as the
“Flute Man” because he makes, plays and sells flutes and does tours all over the country.
He is a delightful speaker and a master at using humor to ease pain.
“Lakota George” Estes
The evening culminated in a surprise ceremony, in which Walt and Sue were presented with a Star
Quilt, the modern equivalent of a buffalo robe, which indicates a joining. They are given only at
weddings, adoptions and as a special honor. Sue promptly burst into tears. They also gave a Star Quilt
to Nancy, since without her this mission trip would not have happened. Nancy also gave out prayer
shawls made by women at the Wrightsville Presbyterian Church- something very precious to those who
received them.
Wrapped in a Star Quilt
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Prayer Shawls for Juanita and Theresa Red Bear
By the end of the day on Thursday, we knew we had made a vital connection of hands and hearts with
at least a few of the Sioux on the Lower Brule and Crow Creek reservations, and that we would be
welcomed back as friends.
The Iron Nation crew finished work on the outhouse on Friday at 9:30 AM with 30 mile per hour winds
and 28 degrees Fahrenheit, just in time for an 11AM funeral service. The Holy Comforter kitchen
work was also finished before noon, so we decided to knock off for the rest of the day. We rested for a
few hours, then started packing for the return trip.
Homeward Bound
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The road crew pulled out of Fort Thompson at 5:30 AM and made an overnight stop 900+ miles later in
East Indianapolis. Making reservations on the fly limited our motel options; the place we chose
seemed OK on the smart-phone but turned out to look, sound and smell like a good place for drug
dealing and hookers. At least the hot water worked and our vehicles weren't vandalized. We hit the
road for home at about 6AM in continuing good weather. Apart from severely numb buns and some
relatively mild gastrointestinal upsets which served to restore our sense of humility, we were granted
travel mercies for the rest of the 1,538 miles home. We arrived home in daylight, unloaded everyone's
personal gear, and thanked our Lord for the opportunity to serve Him.
Buffalo Grazing Near Lower Brule
Nice Rack!
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Mitakuye Oyasin: We Are All Related
Our volunteers included Sue and Walter Blumenfeld, Nancy Crumling, Elizabeth and Tony Deller, Rich
Dohm, Steve Fantasie, Patti Johnson, Ray Kaufman, Mae Lewis, Dave McCredie, Jim Roye, and Josh
Stiffler. We also acknowledge Willie and Curt Wood, who generously gave of their time, experience
and resources to make this mission a reality; along with Nancy, Steve, Dave, Jim and Josh, they are
now members of the Guinston Gutters. Thanks are also due to the Wrightsville Presbyterian Church,
for sending Nancy, Dave and Jim and for their generous contribution to help with expenses.
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