Sustainable Land Utilization Project

Land Utilization and Environmental Justice on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

According the United Nations High Council for Human Rights (UNHCR), land utilization is one of the most important issues facing the survival of indigenous people across the globe.

"The seminar adopted final conclusions and recommendations on indigenous land rights and claims. It emphasized, inter alia, that the promotion and protection of rights over lands and resources of indigenous peoples are vital for the peoples' development and cultural survival."

--UNHCR - Fact Sheet No.9 (Rev.1), The Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Village Earth works with Tiyospayes (traditional Lakota extended families) to develop innovative solutions, like this low-cost wind turbine installed near Slim Buttes, to make it possible to move back onto and utilize their remaining land base.

Background:

Over the past 150 years the land base of the Oglala Lakota people has been slowly eroded away, from a territory that spanned large parts of Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakota Territories to the 2 million acres that remains today as the Pine Ridge Reservation. Even with this remaining land base few people on the reservation have access to the resources needed to utilize it. In a recent survey conducted by the Department of Anthropology at Colorado State University, the majority of households (over 70%) said that if they could live anywhere on the reservation, they would choose to live on their own land. However, because most residents of Pine Ridge do not have access to the resources needed to live on or utilize it, their only option is to live in HUD housing projects and lease out their land to non-tribal members for $0.50 to $3.50 an acre to grow crops or graze cattle

The Red Cloud Tiyospaye standing behind their supplies that will be used for a fence for raising buffalo on their land. The expense for these supplies may not seem like much - but for most families on the reservation, raising this kind of capital is almost impossible task. With your help Village Earth can help other families like this one return to, and utilize their land base.

Vision:

In workshops facilitated by Village Earth and in research conducted by Dr. Pickering at CSU, residents of Pine Ridge have articulated a vision to return to and utilize their land base with their traditional extended families called Tiyospayes to pursue various income generating activities such a raising buffalo, growing herbs and vegetables, and/or tourism.

Obstacles:

Residents of Pine Ridge have identified numerous obstacles in the way of their vision most significant of which is access to financial resources and technical expertise.

Strategic Directions:

To begin to overcome these obstacles Village Earth is working to:

· Develop a pilot "land utilization" project to identify a set of best practices that other families can use as they begin to utilize their land. Village Earth is currently working with the Iron Side Tiyospaye to develop this pilot.

· Develop an association of tiyospayes wanting to move back onto their land. The purpose of this association is to share information and resources needed by members to realize their vision.

· Develop a strategic network of technical and financial resource providers that exist on and off the reservation. This network can include individuals, organizations, universities, foundations, and companies that have the resources that will be needed by tiyospayes.

For more information contact: David Bartecchi - david@villageearth.org