The Pine Ridge Community.

Why This Community Is Important:

  • In August of 2020, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation declared a state of emergency due to suicide rates during an active pandemic

  • Average per capita income in Oglala Lakota County is $4,000;

  • The infant mortality rate is five times higher than the national average;

  • Native American amputation rates due to diabetes are three to four times higher than the national average;

  • Death rate due to diabetes is three times higher than the national average;

  • Teen suicide is four times the national average.

  • Unemployment on the reservation hovers between 80% and 85%.

  • The school drop-out rate is over 70%, and the teacher turnover rate is eight times that of the U.S. national average.

  • The population on Pine Ridge has among the shortest life expectancies of any group in the Western Hemisphere: approximately 47 years for males and 52 years for females.

  • The infant mortality rate is five times the United States national average

  • Reservation access to health care is limited compared to urban areas, and it is not sufficient.

“The cycle of poverty is hard to break, but we believe it is possible through hope”