The roots of the socioeconomic challenges faced by the communities we serve are complex: Ongoing injustices and inequities stemming from a history of colonization, genocide, dispossession and discrimination underlie the conditions of poverty on many reservations throughout the country. At the Tipi Raisers, we collaborate with our Indigenous partners towards the alleviation of these conditions through a variety of initiatives. While there are no simple solutions, we are committed to addressing the immediate needs of the families we serve and to advancing reconciliation through service.
Our Initiatives Include:
Firewood Distribution
Our Indigenous partners on Pine Ridge oversee the year-round organization and distribution of firewood to homes across the reservation. Through the generosity of our supporters and the direction of Pine Ridge resident Norbert "Nobby" Bell, Keeper of the Firewood, Tipi Raisers has regularly provided firewood and wood bricks for over 75 families and individuals - many of them elders. These services are critical during the winter months when South Dakota temperatures are extremely low.
Material Assistance
Food, hygiene, and cleaning supply boxes are regularly delivered to the over 25 Indigenous families we serve. Additionally, food and other needed supplies are frequently collected through donation drives held across Colorado's Front Range and transported to Indigenous communities throughout the West and Southwest regions. Material donations have even been transported to the communities we serve from as far away as Pennsylvania.
Employment, Internships, Skills Training and Contract Work
The Tipi Raisers' efforts go so much farther than effecting material change, but rather build the capabilities of those with whom we work – both through technical skills and through networking and relationship building on and off the reservation. We employ tribal members in various capacities on our housing repair team, through paid internships with our Gen7 Youth Leadership program, through administrative and construction-related contract work, and in additional roles that arise as our work unfolds each year.
Responding to Community Needs
Tipi Raisers responds year-round to urgent needs that arise within the communities we serve. Past examples of fulfilled requests include funeral support, disaster relief, holiday gatherings and meals, the provision of tipis for ceremonial and educational use, requests for wheelchairs, mattresses, and home repairs, construction of community gardens and more. The Nagi Circle network of supporters also regularly answer the call to fulfill such requests for needed items and services on various reservations. Our Indigenous partners are key to these efforts, working collaboratively with the Tipi Raisers and our volunteers during service trips and beyond in order to meet community needs.
