Hidden away in South Dakota lies the forgotten Indigenous people of The Pine Ridge Reservation. The Pine Ridge reservation was established in 1878. It is the second largest reservation in the United States, bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined. The reservation is about 2.7 million acres but only half of it belongs to the Lakota people, it is the home to about 28,000 to 40,000 people in Lakota and Sioux tribes. According to an demographics article, 35 percent of the population is under 18 and only half of the population are registered tribal members. An indigenous issue that is apparent in many reservations but especially in the Pine Ridge Reservation is poverty. Most Americans read and hear about indigenous issues but don’t realize the amount of poverty and hardship that the indigenous people of The Pine Ridge Reservation experience.
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Without proper heating systems many families have to use their ovens to heat their homes during the winter and if they do not have an oven then they usually turn to propane or wood instead. Although, sometimes these resources can be difficult and expensive to obtain so families have no choice but to suffer and endure the cold winters. Winters on the Pine Ridge Reservation are extremely severe, reaching an temperature of -50 degrees fahrenheit or even worse. Unfortunately, during the winter many residents are found dead due to hypothermia. Since the Pine Ridge Reservation is located in South Dakota, they are always at risk for tornadoes, flooding and wildfires. There are very few roads on the Reservation that are paved which makes it hard for families to access their homes during times of heavy snow or rain. As you can see, poverty ridden families have little to no access to supplies or heating systems which makes it hard to survive harsh
Without proper heating systems many families have to use their ovens to heat their homes during the winter and if they do not have an oven then they usually turn to propane or wood instead. Although, sometimes these resources can be difficult and expensive to obtain so families have no choice but to suffer and endure the cold winters. Winters on the Pine Ridge Reservation are extremely severe, reaching an temperature of -50 degrees fahrenheit or even worse. Unfortunately, during the winter many residents are found dead due to hypothermia. Since the Pine Ridge Reservation is located in South Dakota, they are always at risk for tornadoes, flooding and wildfires. There are very few roads on the Reservation that are paved which makes it hard for families to access their homes during times of heavy snow or rain. As you can see, poverty ridden families have little to no access to supplies or heating systems which makes it hard to survive harsh