P.O. Box 696, Hull, MA 02045
PHONE: 781-925-9395
Email: info@lakotakidz.org

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

November 2011

Sometimes it seems as if the Great Spirit is always placing obstacles in our paths, even if those paths are noble and righteous.

It's no secret - over the last few years, things have been getting tougher and tougher for more and more Americans. Some of Lakota Kidz' long-time members and supporters have suddenly found themselves jobless, even homeless, and unable to help anyone else. As people lucky enough to have jobs and homes during the First Great Depression used to tell panhandlers and hobos, "Things are tough all over."

All I can say is that things at their best have always been tougher on Pine Ridge than things at their worst have ever been for most Americans. And now, during this Second Great Depression, things on the rez are getting even tougher.

Take for example the Red Elk family of Wanblee SD, by census one of the poorest towns in America. We've been supporting the Red Elks ever since we learned that Roger Red Elk had been diagnosed with cancer. Roger and his wife, Annie, had 11 children living in their home, only five of which were their own. (One of the most heartwarming - and heartbreaking - Lakota traditions is the people's willingness to share responsibility for each other's children and elders.) Roger bravely battled on for years, struggling to support them until he could no longer do so.

Things got even tougher for the Red Elks in 2011. Roger has finally been released from this troubled world and Annie is going to need our help even more. We want to continue to be there for those kids, but to do that we're going to need your help even more.

The bottom line is that Lakota Kidz received fewer and smaller contributions in 2010 than in 2009. As a result, every Lakota home enrolled in last winter's Emergency Fuel Assistance Program (EFAP) suffered a 20% cut in life-saving fuel allotments. And be assured, every one of those families has its own tragic circumstances.

In closing, I want to personally thank you for continuing to support us over the years. Wakan Tanka nici un. May the Great Spirit walk with you and guide you.