Final Sharing

Throughout the past month something that I, and other PMs, heard occasionally from volunteers was “it’s so great for you to give up your summer to come out here”, but the thing was none of us feel like we’re “giving up our summer” and if we had it our way, most (if not all) of us would be out here much longer than the time we were hired for. It’s hard to describe why I feel drawn to being at Re-Member and working on Pine Ridge. I’ve tried to put it into words so many times, but nothing I say ever seems to accurately explain my connection. A part of me thought that after working at Re-Member this summer I would be able to better communicate to my friends and family why I enjoy traveling almost 2,000 miles to a place that many people have never heard of or have forgotten about, but if anything it just made that task harder and I’ve come to realize that the only way that anyone can truly understand why I keep going back to Re-Member and to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is if they experience it themselves, the best I can do is give them a snapshot of what makes the experience so captivating.

My time at Re-Member this summer was more than I could have imagined it could be: I learned how to not only skirt trailers, build bunk beds and outhouses, and work on roofs but how to instruct doing such tasks. I drove 15 passenger vans. I went horseback riding. I saw buffalo for the first time. I watch insane lightening. I inhaled more sawdust and dirt than I probably should have. I didn’t mind eating sandwiches for lunch everyday and potato bar was by far my favorite night of the week. I learned several new card games. I discovered that no matter how many times you fix the sandpaper on some of the sanders in the workshop, some of them are just a lost cause. I stargazed at the top of the hill. I formed friendships with not only fellow staff members but with volunteers. I saw the gratefulness of a woman who was having her roof repaired by Re-Member and the smiles on children’s faces as bunk beds were delivered. I loved the new blue sponges (Jordan understands how awesome they were). I “golfed” (aka drove around a golf course while others golfed). I survived 100-degree heat on a regular basis. I learned a new way to dance the Cotton Eye Joe. I reflected in the Badlands every Sunday.  I asked a lot of questions. I was able to carry a full water cooler by myself. I watched volunteers change throughout the course of the week. I watched a teepee be put up. I played with Kilo in office. I saw a lot of grasshoppers and dealt with endless flies. I wasn’t tied to technology. I learned the art of making Awesome Sauce. I appreciated feeling small in a wide-open space. The staff decided to go by their middle names for a day. I learned more about the Lakota culture. I felt at home.

As I sat down to write my final post about the month that I spent working at Re-Member, I find my mind wandering to “what’s currently going on on the Rez”. It’s tour day and I find myself missing the Badlands and counting the volunteers every time we got back on the bus. Inila is the speaker tonight and John will be making pasta for dinner. At about 6:30pm the weekly staff meeting will take place and it feels weird that I won’t be there. I miss everyone immensely, and I can’t express enough my appreciation for each of them and the role they played in making my experience what it was; Ted, Jen, Bill, Bryan, David, Jerry, Erika, Marissa, Jordan, Allie, T, Kate, Coco, Stef, Andy, Eric, Otis, Dan, Ryan, Paula and Yoli (sorry if I forgot anyone! I didn’t mean to J), thank you for helping to make this a great summer. I’ve only been away from the Rez for a little more than a day, but I’m already counting the days until I can return.