Some new perspectives

This afternoon, the college kids from Nebraska left for home. They were students studying to become teachers, elementary and special education mostly. They spent their days in local schools and their evenings here at Habitat. Some of them were able to squeeze in some time working on our homes; for the most part though, their nights were spent here in the building. They had speakers every night, and I was able to listen in on a few.

The most striking presentation was from a local couple. He is a supervising nurse at the hospital, while she is a social worker. The stories they told about their time here on the Rosebud were amazing and frightening. And they passed along statistics I hadn't heard about, like the fact there are 73 active gangs on the reservation. They spoke about 30-year-old grandmothers, the diabetes epidemic, physical abuse, alcoholism, teenage suicide, the lack of resources, and other local social ills. I'd heard about these issues before, of course, but it's different hearing a first-hand account compared to reading about it online or even in the local newspaper.

Listening to them speak so matter-of-factly about what they have seen and experienced really provided me with a new perspective of what life is truly like for a significant portion of the reservation. I did ask them what kept them motivated in their respective lines of work considering the challenges here. Surprisingly, I heard a lot of the same reasons from them that I have mentioned when I tell folks why I'm loving living in Mission: the sunsets, the sense of humor people possess, the wanting to make a difference, the landscape. That was reassuring.

I've made a strong effort to not only get myself out in the community to meet people and learn their customs, but to make this my home as well. But one of my concerns came up in last night's presentation by a teacher who taught locally for a number of years. She spoke about the ideas of and need for continuity and consistency in the lives of the children in her classes here. I look at this as not only a challenge for the youth, but for everyone here.

And that's where I come in. How do I build credibility in the community when there has been a pattern of people from outside the reservation moving to the Rosebud, staying for a few years, and then going away? Aren't I in the same position? I'm in a one-year commitment, which is by design. But I've been here two months already and before I know it, my time will be up. Yes, I'm planning to stay maybe six months longer, but the end result will be the same.

I can hang my hat on the fact I know I'm here for the right reasons. I'm a big believer in Habitat's mission, and if any population is in need of safe, affordable housing, it's the residents of the Rosebud. I want this affiliate to remain a presence on the reservation, which is a challenge in itself. And I have a sincere interest in learning what life is like for the families who have been here for generations.

Another positive result from this week's presentations was having my insistence on living on the reservation affirmed. The VISTA position I had actually applied for was on another reservation here in South Dakota; however, housing was only available off-reservation 20 miles to the south. The teacher who spoke actually lived in Valentine while working on the Rosebud. I asked her specifically how that dynamic worked, living in a mostly-white community and working on the mostly-native reservation. She talked about the misconceptions present on both sides of the border, issues I was concerned about. I think I was right in thinking I could build more credibility by living in the same community as my co-workers and the partner families.

That I'm thankful for, among many other things.