Over the past two days we were honored to spend time at the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center on the Pine Ridge Reservation located in Southwestern South Dakota.
We first became familiar with Henry Red Cloud and his work through our friend Jordan who interned at the RCREC through a partner organization Trees, Water, People. The internship led to Berea College's honoring of Mr. Red Cloud's work with the 2014 Berea College Service Award. It was during that ceremony that we were able to hear his story .
Anna, another friend and fellow Berea College student who interned last year at the RCREC was able to set us up with the connections for this year's stop on our journey westward.
The work being performed there has made a tremendous difference in the lives of the Sioux Nation, people who have been long forced to suffer intolerable poverty after the United States government forced their submission in 1890 following the Wounded Knee Massacre. Today, many live in poverty, finding it difficult to afford the basic comforts of life, including food and heating during the winter time.
Red Cloud saw an opportunity to help his people and began Lakota Solar Enterprises which has now installed solar heaters in 275 homes on the reservation, as well as in other locations. The heaters utilize the sun to warm air which is then blown into the home, thereby achieving 20-30% reduction in heating costs.
Along with Trees, Water, People, LSE works to promote other forms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability work, including solar photovoltaic workshops, green business development trainings to help other indigenous nations, tree plantings, and organic gardening. For more information, please check out their websites.
www.treeswaterpeople.org
www.lakotasolarenterprises.com
Tomorrow we will be heading to the Powder River Basin area were we will be meeting people there who are working to protect their land and water from massive strip mining operations and coal fired power plant pollution.
We first became familiar with Henry Red Cloud and his work through our friend Jordan who interned at the RCREC through a partner organization Trees, Water, People. The internship led to Berea College's honoring of Mr. Red Cloud's work with the 2014 Berea College Service Award. It was during that ceremony that we were able to hear his story .
Anna, another friend and fellow Berea College student who interned last year at the RCREC was able to set us up with the connections for this year's stop on our journey westward.
The work being performed there has made a tremendous difference in the lives of the Sioux Nation, people who have been long forced to suffer intolerable poverty after the United States government forced their submission in 1890 following the Wounded Knee Massacre. Today, many live in poverty, finding it difficult to afford the basic comforts of life, including food and heating during the winter time.
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| Lakota Solar Enterprises |
Red Cloud saw an opportunity to help his people and began Lakota Solar Enterprises which has now installed solar heaters in 275 homes on the reservation, as well as in other locations. The heaters utilize the sun to warm air which is then blown into the home, thereby achieving 20-30% reduction in heating costs.
Along with Trees, Water, People, LSE works to promote other forms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability work, including solar photovoltaic workshops, green business development trainings to help other indigenous nations, tree plantings, and organic gardening. For more information, please check out their websites.
www.treeswaterpeople.org
www.lakotasolarenterprises.com
Tomorrow we will be heading to the Powder River Basin area were we will be meeting people there who are working to protect their land and water from massive strip mining operations and coal fired power plant pollution.
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