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LEARN ABOUT LIFE ON PINE RIDGE RESERVATION |
 TRIBE: Oglala Lakota
LOCATION: South-West South Dakota
SIZE: 2.7 million acres (similar in size to Connecticut)
POPULATION: approx. 40,000
HISTORY: The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is part of the Great Sioux Reservation that was established under the Treaty of 1868 and is comprised of Shannon and Jackson Counties.
Originally the Reservation encompassed approximately 60 million acres of parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. After opening the Black Hills area to homesteaders and prospectors, in 1889 the remaining area of Great Sioux Reservation was divided into seven separate reservations: Cheyenne River Agency, Crow Creek Agency, Lower Brule, Rosebud Agency, Sisseton Agency, Yankton Agency and Pine Ridge Agency.
Challenges facing this reservation include:
• Life expectancy on the Pine Ridge Reservation is the lowest anywhere in the western hemisphere, except for Haiti. A recent study found the life expectancy for men is 48 years, for women it is 52 years on the Reservation.
• The Pine Ridge Reservation has the highest infant mortality rate in the United States.
• The unemployment rate in Shannon County is 70% and the average family income is $ 3,800
• Many families have no electricity, telephone service, running water, or sewers and must use wood burning stoves to heat their homes.
Running Strong for American Indian Youth® is proud to have a strong presence on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Oglala Lakota face many challenges, but are the descendents of such famous warrior chiefs as Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and Crazy Horse. They have a rich culture and protect many of their traditions.
Through grassroots organizations such as the Slim Buttes Agricultural Project and our water-well project, Running Strong seeks to build opportunities for youth on the Reservation so they can create a bright future for themselves.
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