Monthly Archives: August 2022

Well, here we are–already the last day. Time is a vacuum here. This is one of the few places where I can be totally in the moment without the distractions of the usual time-pressured busyness. Yes, I miss home and stay in touch with my hubby and son, but beyond that, I try to block the rest out. I probably should be anxious about still having 3 of my 4 classes for Fall that I need to get ready or that I have final assignments for my summer online RN-BSN course to grade, but I refuse! I will be in the moment here, appreciating this opportunity and enjoying every minute as much as I can.

We went to see Mrs. G at the extended program at Wounded Knee School. They are getting ready to start school on Monday, 8/15 with 100% in-person classes for the first time since the pandemic began. Mrs. G talked to the students about the extended program and gave a tour of the building. In addition to dropping off our remaining donations, we were able to help get the classrooms ready a bit by cleaning desks and surfaces, and Chase and Aurora were able to get a door alarm/doorbell hung. Mrs. G gifted the students with Little Wound t-shirts and then showed us the high tunnel that is full of tomato plants and other herbs and produce. There is also corn growing just outside the high tunnel that was planted in the 3-sisters method. The extended program is very successful and such a different approach to school than what we are used to seeing–the holistic approach is one that should be replicated everywhere! I am hopeful that perhaps this coming year will allow us to visit Little Wound in the Spring for health promotion–it’s been a long 3 years since our last visit in 2019.

After the visit with Mrs. G, we had a spur of the moment, delicious lunch at the burrito stand across from the school (and why not, since the students essentially didn’t get lunch yesterday because I forgot the peanut butter! Big oops!). The OLC Historical Center is still closed but we stopped by the new art space that opened in Kyle by the Chamber of Commerce and were able to get a quick tour and hear about the very neat program that has begun there. Our final stop for the trip was the Wounded Knee Massacre site. The cemetery was quiet with no other people present beyond an older couple from Minnesota. We spent some time in somber reflection there, and as usual, I felt the restless energy that seems to always be present.

With Tuesday, one of the most anticipated days arrived—the day for horseback riding.  Unfortunately, the weather has heated back up with temps anticipated to be 100 degrees.  With this weather, outside activities must happen early so we headed to Singing Horse Trading Post bright and early at 7am. 

The group divided up with 4 starting their beading lesson and 4 going with Rosie to round up horses.  After about an hour, to my surprise, all 4 students arrived riding bareback—a first for any group!  All I can say is wow!  Rae rode Peppa (Suzie’s favorite horse); Chase rode Little Big Horse (a mustang); Madison rode Goldie (who had a baby on January 1); and Aurora rode Coon Tail (one of my favorites!).  They all looked like experts riding in from the hills of Rosie’s property!  After very long goodbyes, the beading group switched to take their turn.  Beading was a bit slower this time with not many in the group having the patience for this art form (especially in the 100 degree heat!).  After the others rode, we completed screenings on anyone interested at the trading post. 

During this day, I was able to sit and have a long conversation with A.  She has begun making buttons to sell in the store—of the old white church in Rockyford before it burned down; of Rosie’s beautiful flower garden; and a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) symbol.  The MMIW button was of particular interest to me, and in chatting with A., I found out why she began making them.  She has lost two family members in recent years.  Her cousin was found dead in a creek in Rapid City with defensive-type wounds on her body, yet this death was classified as a suicide.  Her aunt was found unconscious with a head injury and died in the hospital, yet this death was classified as due to a pre-existing medical condition.  The conversation with A. has really stuck with me and left me with many questions.  According to Whitebear (n.d.), “In the US, Native American women are more than twice as likely to experience violence than any other demographic. One in three Indigenous women is sexually assaulted during her life, and 67% of these assaults are perpetrated by non-Indigenous perpetrators”.   Also, not quite 6000 Indigenous Women were missing in 2016, but since then the count as been lost.  I am deeply troubled and overwhelmed with sadness thinking about A.’s relatives and the others that are out there that will likely never be found.  If you have any interest in learning more about the MMIW crisis, here are some links:

Persistent Native American Stereotypes — Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar (sheerarmuseum.org)

Native American Women Are Facing a Crisis – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Maze of Injustice – Amnesty International USA (amnestyusa.org)

MMIW | NWSGP (nativewomenssociety.org)

The first few days of the trip is always busy, busy, busy—trying to get organized, making contact with friends on the reservation, and getting to our health promotion sites in a timely manner.  As soon as the pow wow and related events are over, our schedule lightens considerably, and everyone can take a deep breath and recharge.  Monday brought us to a day of no planned health promotion so it was the perfect day to venture into Badlands National Park.  The park is super busy with vacationers and motorcyclists up for Sturgis.  We meandered through the park stopping for photos frequently.  The students were able to see buffalo from a distance, a big horn sheep, and of course, the prairie dogs.  We stopped at Robert’s Prairie Dog Town in the park for viewing a bit more up close.  After realizing that we were only 10 miles from Wall at this point.  We ventured into the town so the students could experience Wall Drug in all of its tourist-trap glory.  It was a bit too much of a crowd for me with again MANY motorcycles and vacationers, so we didn’t stay too long.

We have had some laundry challenges this week with no facilities at the cabins.  Suzie very kindly allowed us to come to her house to do laundry with some students staying behind to do laundry by hand. Even laundry provides unexpected opportunities for learning. The two students who did go got the experience of a lifetime when Lance arrived and provided a very detailed explanation of the Sundance ceremony.  I learned quite a bit from this discussion—in my experience some are not open to discussing the ceremony in-depth which I understand completely.  The conversation with Suzie is always lively and filled with laughs so this was a nice break from the trip’s other activities. 

Sunday brought my favorite of our usual activities—the Indian Relays, which have not been experienced since 2019.  Unfortunately, I woke up feeling a tad droopy, not unlike one of the many sunflowers present here—a bit past their best bloom.  No time for droopiness though, best to try to keep blooming. 

So off we went to stop by the Singing Horse Trading Post on the way to the relays.  Even though the store wasn’t open and Rosie’s family is visiting from Germany, she gave us an enthusiastic welcome.  The students browsed the store, found many treasures to purchase while I was able to visit with A. and L., who is now a very chatty 4-years old.  We stayed longer than planned visiting but made it to the relays for the best of the races. 

We set up our canopy along the track fence a bit further from the action than I preferred but in the only available spot—the crowd for the relays was huge, just like the pow wow.  We settled in and got organized with a group of students sent out to recruit screening participants.  The tent got busy very quickly, which has been my experience with past relays.  I’ve said it before—this is just a different, more relaxed vibe. 

While I would like to screen as many people as possible, my bigger wish is for students to open themselves up and really make a connection with the people here and the Lakota culture.  This happened at the relays.  For the group of students out in the crowd trying to recruit screening participants, they met a 6^th Generation descendant of Red Cloud.  Mr. B’s wife was making beaded bracelets, and Mr. B had a hand-made walking stick for sale.  One of the students instantly connected with Mr. B and felt drawn to purchase the walking stick.  The walking stick is an absolute work of art—made of cottonwood with a dreamcatcher, porcupine quillwork, and sage attached. Mr. B told the student that this walking stick would lead him on future journeys.  Mr. B invited this student and the rest of the group to visit his tipi at the pow wow after the relays!  Toward the end of the races Mr. B and his wife and family came to visit the screening tent—they were an absolute delight to chat with. 

We finished watching the races with Suzie and Lance, ending our time at the track with the main event—the relay championship.  The students stood at the fence and watched the relays in awe of the horsemanship, athleticism, and bravery.  Always my favorite, and it never disappoints!

We drove over to the pow wow grounds to see Mr. B at his tipi, but unfortunately got there before he did.  The student who bought the walking stick plans to connect with him on social media to let him know that we had stopped by but missed him.  A few more pow wow snacks were purchased and then our long drive home with no storm, no shortcuts—instead we had nothing but tired, dusty, and non-droopy blooming students! 

With the mindset of having a pre-COVID-type trip (still considering infection prevention though), I have resumed planning for the activities that have worked well in the past—a weekend full of busy pow wow activities to get us started. 

Saturday began with a later start, which the students more than deserve after the heat of yesterday and sketchy drive home in the thunderstorm.  When we got to the pow wow, it was absolutely hopping!  I have never seen such a large crowd at the pow wow.  We had to park pretty far out in the parking lot but found a great spot for set up.  The weather had also 100% turned the corner from the day before with a perfect day for being outside at about 80 degrees.  Our 8 students switched roles with 4 students staying to complete screenings and the other 4 walking around to recruit screening participants.  We again could not get the cholesterol monitors to work so blood pressures and blood sugars and BMI’s were the offering instead.  It is always a transformational process with how the week goes, beginning with some fear of the unknown and lots of anxiety about how they will be perceived by the people.  In my mind, this is very good for them because it gives a taste of how it feels on the other side—when our patients are diverse and may feel uncomfortable with a provider who is different.  The students quickly overcome this though and are able to open themselves up to the experience, including facing rejection from those who are not interested in being screened.  Several of the students described feeling like “solicitors” initially as they approached people, but this gave way to conversations with families and individuals about nursing and health care and how much their efforts are appreciated.  Really great job of screening non-stop for a solid two hours today with some good catches, including a 443 blood sugar.

The tent was busy today with many visitors and some great discussions about health.  We gave away many bubbles, rubber duckies, and fruit snacks to the kids who waited while their parents were screened.  My favorite was a boy of about 7 or 8 who was in his partial traditional (bustle) dancer regalia.  We talked for a minute about his hopes for winning second place in his dance category, and he showed me some of his dance moves (his category is my favorite of all of the dances).  He was quite impressive, and I told him that he should win first.  His mom said he wouldn’t win first because the day before he really didn’t want to dance and his performance showed that.  I would not have been able to physically dance in the heat of Friday so any performance seems like a good one to me!  I remembered how hot we were the day before sitting under the canopy in the shade in our shorts and tshirts, but all of the dancers in their full regalia actually danced in that heat without complaint.  Puts things in perspective as usual. 

Since our pow wow time last night was interrupted by the storm, we stayed for another grand entrance, and this time got to sit with Suzie and her boyfriend, Lance. Because the pow wow was so crowded, we ended up sitting much further back; however, Lance took the students up to sit on the ground right at the edge of the arena so that they could be up close. Chatting with Suzie, eating pow wow food, watching the beauty of the grand entrance again, and seeing the students’ reactions made this a great night. Our travels home were without event this time (no short cuts!), and even though it was late, it feels good to have had a full day that went according to plan!

As we try to resume our usual activities at Pine Ridge after a hiatus for COVID in 2020 and then a limited trip in 2021, hope has been the sentiment for 2022—hope for less COVID; hope for continued support for the trip; hope for a full trip; hope for continued acceptance of health promotion efforts there; and hope for the best (whatever that is). Eight students are traveling this year, and with this number, I am know requiring a second person to travel with me to allow for transportation. A fellow faculty member very bravely and selflessly volunteered for this (she really has no idea what she is in for!).
Driving up is a must for us since I have so many supplies and donations; however, the majority of students flew. The adventure started with a rental car fiasco that was finally resolved after several hours and a trip to more than one Enterprise branch. We left to drive up at 5am on Wednesday and made it to the Cedar Pass Lodge in the Badlands by 9:30 pm Mountain Time. During the drive we received texts from several students about flight delays and changing flight schedules for the next day. Three students who were supposed to be on the same flight from Louisville ended up having to fly from Lexington; Indianapolis; and CHICAGO (!). Another student had delays affecting her arrival time with it being moved to 7:10 pm (originally scheduled to arrive at 11am). After a day in Rapid City, picking up travelers, visiting the monuments, shopping at Walmart, and getting dinner, we made it back to the cabins much later than planned but thankful everyone made it.
Our plans are fluid as usual but our first activity is always the pow wow. Having Suzie with IHS as been such a benefit to us. She was able to get permission for us to set up with the IHS Mobile clinic for the first time ever. After a busy morning of sorting and organizing donations, we were ready to head to the pow wow with a quick stop in Kyle to get my health promotion bin from Suzie. We stopped at the clinic in Kyle, and Suzie graciously gave the students a tour. Even though I catch up with Suzie fairly often, I still marvel at her stories of providing urgent/emergent care from the confines of an outpatient clinic that is not set up to do so.
We are much farther from Pine Ridge with our current lodging, so the drive one way is 2 hours. It goes by fairly quickly as there are frequent questions from students about the reservation, and on this trip, a stop to help a person who ran off the road in front of us. The two-lane road to Porcupine is as rural as any of the roads here, and I noticed the car coming toward us whose tire seemed to be wobbling. As I watch her go past, I see that she veers off the road and down the shoulder. My first thought was that she had for sure flipped the car. We did a quick U Turn and got out to check on her. Thankfully there was a fence down the shoulder that kept her from going in a ravine which definitely would have flipped the car. She was shaken up but uninjured. We offered her a ride and use of a cell phone, but she was afraid to leave her car. Family lived closed by so they were going to be there pretty quickly to help her. As we were saying goodbye, she stated that she did not have her seatbelt on—’next time’ was our quick bit of health promotion or this encounter. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and we made it to the pow wow.
We sat up by the IHS Mobile clinic with our canopy and many donations. The challenge for health promotion is always the weather, and this day provided probably the most extreme challenge ever—a temperature of 107 degrees. The cholesterol monitors are very sensitive, so I immediately put them in a Ziploc bag and put them in the cooler (they don’t like heat or direct light). Unfortunately, our ice melted quickly, and our Ziploc bag leaked so the cholesterol monitors are out of commission. Students went out to try to recruit visitors to the canopy and became drawn into the tipi races (contest to see which team of three women could build their tipi the fastest). We had a trickle of visitors, but it remained pretty slow. The first day of health promotion being slow is actually OK though, it gives the students a chance to get the lay of the land as far as the environment and process with screenings. The heat was nearly unbearable, but the students did not complain even one time. Lots of fluids, wet washcloths, fans, and sitting in the SUV in the AC periodically helped everyone make it through.
We made it to grand entrance time at the pow wow-always a much-anticipated event. I am always overwhelmed by this event even though I have attended many times, and this was no different. I teared up and sat feeling grateful to be back in this very special place.
Our trip home was an adventure—a gps guided “shortcut” allowed for a 20-mile drive on a very uneven gravel road in the dark during a storm in an unfamiliar area of the reservation. We made it safely—hope springs eternal!