PineRidgeIndianReservationCultural
ImmersionandMissionTrip2017
SouthDakota
HomeoftheOglalaLakota(Sioux)Nation
June6-21,2017
APPLICATIONSFORTHE2017IMMERSIONTRIP
WILLBEAVAILABLEOCTOBER1!
2016participants
Eachsummer,BrebeufstudentsareinvitedtoexperienceauniqueculturalimmersionandmissiontriptothePine
RidgeIndianReservationinthesouthwestcornerofSouthDakota.Thisculturalimmersionexperiencereflectsthe
BrebeufMissionStatementinthatthistypeofexperiencefostersacultureofunderstandinganddialoguewithpeople
ofdiversereligious,ethnic,andsocio-economicbackgrounds.
NativeAmericanreservationsintheUnitedStatesareamongthemostimpoverishedareas,andstudentsare
immersedintherealitiesof“thirdworldcountries”withinourown.PineRidgeReservationisthesecond-largest
reservationintheUnitedStates.Percapitaincomeisapproximately$2,600to$4,000peryear,andthe
unemploymentrateisapproximately80-90%.About97%ofthepopulationlivesbelowfederalpovertylevels.Tribal
Governmentrecordsshow38,000enrolledmemberslivingonPineRidgeReservation.
TheOglalaSiouxTribeispartoftheGreatSiouxNationwhoselandbaseisinaccordancewiththeFortLaramie
Treatyof1851.TheGreatSiouxNationextendedfromtheBigHornMountainsinthewesttotheeasternWisconsin.
TheterritoryextendedfromCanadainthenorthtotheRepublicanRiverinKansasinthesouth.TheGreatSioux
Nationwasreducedinthe1868FortLaramieTreatyfromtheBigHornMountainsinthewesttotheeastsideofthe
MissouriRiver,theHeartRiverinNorthDakotainthenorthandthePlatteRiverinNebraskatothesouth.This
includestheentirewesternhalfofSouthDakota.TheBlackHillsarelocatedinthecentertheGreatSiouxNation.The
BlackHillsaresacredtotheLakota/Dakotapeopleandtodayconsideredanimportantpartoftheirspirituallives.
DespitealltheadversityencounteredbytheOglalatheyremainapeopleofvitality,hopefulness,andwiththeir
culturalidentityintact. ThepurposeofthePineRidgeCulturalImmersionandMissionTripismultifaceted.Studentswill
• learnaboutthehistoryandcultureoftheOglalaLakotaSioux
• cometounderstandthetremendouspoverty,socialinjusticeissues,andeconomicchallengesthatthe
Lakotastrugglewitheveryday
• exploretheJesuitconnectionsandmissionstotheNativeAmericans
• meetandestablishnewfriendshipswiththeLakotapeople
• observeand/orparticipateinculturallyimportanteventsanddeeplyspiritualceremonies
• connectwithandengageindiscussionswithJesuitscurrentlyservingontheReservation
• participateinvolunteerworkonthereservationforoneormorefamilies
ThePineRidgeCulturalImmersionandMissionTrip2017plannedactivitiesinclude:
v CampinginthesacredBlackHills,learningaboutLeaveNoTracewildernesspreservation,anddiscoveringwhy
theBlackHillsaresosacredtoseveralNativeAmericanTribes,notablytheLakota(Sioux)
v HikingtothesummitofHarneyPeak,locatedintheBlackElkWilderness.Atanelevationof7,242feet,
HarneyPeakisthetallestmountaineastoftheRockiesandthesitewhereBlackElk,BattleofLittleBigHorn
survivorandLakotaholyman,receivedhisgreatvision.
v TouringMt.RushmoreandtheCrazyHorseMemorial
v ExploringWindCaveNationalPark,thecaveitselfasacredsiteintheLakotacreationnarrative
v CampinginBearButteStateParkatthefootofBearButte,oneofthemostsacredmountainstoNorthern
PlainsIndiansforthousandsofyears.Beforethehike,NativeAmericanparkrangerslecturestudentsonthe
historyofthemountain,andinstructstudentshowtocompletethehikerespectfully
v TouringBadlandsNationalPark,adjacenttoPineRidgeReservation
v VisitingtheWoundedKneeMassacreMemorialandmassgrave,siteofthe1890massacreandtheAIM
(AmericanIndianMovement)occupationforequalrightsandsocialjusticein1973
v AttendingteachingsessionswithGuyDullKnife,Jr.,FrancisWhiteLanceand/orotherLakotaspiritualleaders
andelders
v ParticipatinginaSweatLodgeceremonyledbyGuyDullKnife,Jr.,decoratedVietnamveteranandLakota
spiritualadvisor
v CelebratingNativeAmerican/LakotacultureataWacipi(PowWow)
v Observing,withspecialpermission,partoftheSunDanceritual,themostsacredreligiousceremonyto
variousnationsofthePlainsIndians
v ParticipatinginaLakotalanguagelearningsession
v TouringtheOglalaLakotaCollegeandculturalcenter,includingthememorialtoallLakotawarriorveteransof
allwars
v VisitingRedCloudIndianSchoolinthetownofPineRidgeandtouringtheMuseumandHeritageCenterof
RedCloudIndianSchool,andspeakingwithcurrentJesuitpriestsandscholasticsservingattheschool.Red
CloudIndianSchool(GradesK-12)wasfoundedasHolyRosaryMissionin1888bytheJesuitsattherequestof
ChiefRedCloud.
v ParticipatinginandhelpingtoorganizeprogramsforLakotachildren,includingVacationBibleSchool
v Engaginginvolunteerworkonthereservationforoneormorefamilies
EstimatedcostofthePineRidgeCulturalImmersionandMissionTrip2017:$1,100.Alltransportation,lodging,
food,tours,andcultural/immersionexperiencesincluded!
ScholarshipsandJesuitfundswillbeavailable!