It’s Spring Break so that means another new adventure. This is my second spring trip to Pine Ridge with students, and this time, there are 4 senior nursing students, 3 of whom made the trip in August and one fellow faculty person emeritus/friend. Because of our donation volume (which is good!), we ended up with a two-vehicle caravan, and the students divided between the two vehicles. The trip up went smoothly with no untoward issues or complaints—we are always blessed in that way.
We made it to Pine Ridge early in the afternoon on Sunday, after an overnight in Sioux Falls. We’re trying something new this trip, staying in Rosie’s “Cozy cabins”. We’ll miss the Lakota Prairie, but the cabins are great and quite comfortable. We visited for a brief time and then headed on to Rapid City for the requisite grocery shopping. And if we’re going to Rapid, then there, of course, is sightseeing on the agenda as well. One of the four students had not seen Mt Rushmore so we took a quick trip there. I don’t usually even get out of the car anymore, I’ve been to Mt Rushmore so many times now so I just quietly in the car enjoying the calm before the storm that is the activity-filled week on the reservation. While the mountain goats were not in the parking lot this year, we could see them on the mountain next to Mt Rushmore so that was worth the trip in itself! After a delicious Japanese steakhouse meal and what seemed to be a midnight Walmart shop, we drove back to the rez in heavy snow. I may or may not have wanted to kiss the ground upon our return to Rosie’s—quite happy to be out of the car for the night!
My day on Monday started with a quick trip to visit Allyssa and meet the new baby, Liliana Shae. Oh, this baby! Just absolutely beautiful and precious and perfect. So thrilled that I got to see her and that everything is well. Pictures later! This was a great beginning to the first day on Pine Ridge.
Students’ health promotion for this trip is focused on the Allen Youth Center with a week-long teaching initiative. The students are such great team players-they have a great program planned with activities, healthy meals, and giveaways. Monday’s teaching was focused around oral care, healthy drinks, and nutrition. As soon as the students walked in the youth center, the hugs started. There were many of the same kids, and they clearly remembered the students. With a lively crew of about 14 kids of varying ages, the students completed their activities, adapting like pros. With varied ages of participants, students had to problem solve limited attention spans; competing interest in phones and tablets; and occasional shyness. But, as previously noted, they worked together like champs. After teaching and a delicious chicken soup and fruit prepared by Hayley, the students played with kids (which is, I think, what all of them wanted to do more than anything since they are all kids at heart). Great to be back here in Allen with such a warm welcome. Our week is off to a fantastic start! We celebrated a successful beginning with a stop at the Lakota Prairie Restaurant for pie and debriefing and then a night of rest that can only be experienced after a full day on the rez.
Nursing Students at Pine Ridge 