ONCE I’M HOME, HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE LAKOTA AND RE-MEMBER?

by Alex Hultgren, Re-Member Social Media Director

Every week as the program comes to a close, this question almost always comes up.  As we all know, once you leave the Rez and return back to your busy life, it becomes challenging to reconnect.  So, here are six things you can do to help!

1.       SUPPORT RE-MEMBER FINANCIALLY

Keeping Re-member going requires a lot of resources, and we can only succeed with the generous support of people like you.  Fortunately, we've made it so easy now to donate online, either as a one-time gift or you can sign-up for automatic withdrawal monthly for on-going support of our efforts!  Please click here to help: we appreciate and can immediately use ANY support you can provide.

2.       AMAZON SMILE

Amazon has a great program through smile.amazon.com, where 0.5% of your purchase can go toward a charity of your choice!  All you have to do is designate Re-Member as your charitable organization, and then all of your purchases will start generating income for Re-Member!  Making purchases through the Smile program does neither changes your pricing nor interferes with Amazon Prime membership benefits.  Just make sure you bookmark smile.amazon.com, since you have to be accessing Amazon and make purchases through this url for Re-member to get credit. 

  

3.       GO SOCIAL

Have you been to our Facebook page?  If not, please pay us a visit and like the page today!  This is a great way to get current photos and keep in touch with some of the day-to-day happenings on the Rez.  You can also see our photos on Flikr here, and sign up for our email communications!  And of course, continue to read this blog diligently. 

4.       RECRUIT & RETURN

Re-Member’s work is never done!  If you've been out here before as a volunteer, share your experiences!  The Lakota story needs to be heard, and if we don’t tell it, no one will!  Once you've recruited a bunch of friends/colleagues/co-workers, come back next year – but book soon, as the weeks fill up fast!

5.   ATTEND A LOCAL EVENT
There are events and fundraisers in support of Re-Member happening all over the country, and there may be one near you! The website will have a list of upcoming events, so check back frequently!  On that note, if you are going to be in the southeast Michigan area on August 16, come to the Barn Dance, and folks in Geneva, IL should check out the Baseball for Bunk Beds event on August 21!

6. LEARN THE ISSUES

As you realize when you spend time on Pine Ridge, the Lakota (and almost all other Native American) stories are unknown and untold beyond the boundaries of the Rez.  In spite of this, there are issues in front of your state and federal representatives that will have a direct impact on life on the Rez.

Is there any pending Native American legislation in Congress, and what’s your Senator’s/Representative’s stance? Are you familiar with the Keystone Pipeline or the proposals involving the Tribal National Park?  One of the best ways to stay current on what’s happening on Pine Ridge is to subscribe to the Lakota Country Times and/or Native Sun News.  Learn the facts and make your (and the Lakota's) voices heard on these issues!

Thanks again and remember:  it's only through the generous financial support of people like you that allow us to continue making a difference on Pine Ridge!