Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience of the Program is the People of Standing Rock Lakota/Dakota Reservation. Adults have participated in many of our workshops, and have provided significant volunteer support for the programs supported by this grant, which include our Bison Program and our Horsemanship Program. The youth on Standing Rock are the primary target audience for most of the equine workshops and clinics. Youth from age 3 to 21 have participated in our activities. Approximately 300 students, adolecents, and Veterans are reached yearly with our Equine Assisted Learning Program and Horsemanship Programs taught by Phillip Bird Horse. We previously listed 50 individuals as being reached by our Gardening Programs, but with our cooking/ preserving workshops, we estimate that number to be closer to 200during the planting and harvest season.This number includes both adults and children, as our classes cover canning and preserving, but also making healthy treats from the garden. The kids get quite involved in those workshops. Changes/Problems:Minor problems that we have overcome: Weather and predation to our gardens and orchards, but we have managed to work through these issues. For example, when thegardens suffered some losses due to gophers eating all our corn seeds, we switched to amaranth, as the gophers do not eat the tiny seeds. We had a great crop - just not corn! What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?For our staff members, the grant provided funds for Margaret Knox and Aubrey Skye to attend FALCON Conference; grant-writing workshops; food preservation workshops; and seed storing workshops. Phillip Bird Horse and his assistants attended Equine Assisted Learning and Therapy workshops, thus expanding their expertise in these areas. The grant also assisted SBC in hosting the SBC Annual Sustainable Agricultural Conference. Aubrey Skye, an enrolled member of Standing Rock, was hired as the Director of the Extension Program. Under his direction, community members have shown a great deal of interest in the garden projects. Pete Red Tomahawk, Gladys Hawk, Tipiziwin Young, all enrolled members of Standing Rock, have been meeting with Aubrey, Mark Holman and Margaret Knox to discuss ways in which they can assist in the district gardens. The 'Garden Work Group' continues to meet in order to sketch out weekly projects to keep the gardens moving forward. The workshops on planting gardens, cooking and preserving have been well attended, as they help people develop new ways to reduce living costs, as food aquisition on SR remains a costly endeavor, as the reservation is located in a food desert, and driving to a regular grocery store can be anywhere for 20 miles to 100+ miles, one way. SBC rented the Mobile Kitchen from 'North Dakota Soil and Water' and did on-site food storage in the form of drying, freezing, and canning the produce. We also held numerous jam workshops, juicing demonstrations, and cooking workshops. All were well attended, and most notable were the children who attended for the Language Nest and schools. They were excited to learn what they could do with the food that grew in their community gardens, which many of them helped keep clear of weeds, watered, and then helped pick the produce. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have a radio program at Sitting Bull College that is overseen by our Librarian, Mark Homan. He has invited us to participate regularly in his weekly program. We also contact the local paper with events, and have a website we are developing. We advertise our programs in the classes at SBC, and we post notices up in District Cultural Centers and stores on Standing Rock. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The hide tanning workshops have been quite successful, and we have now added drum-making, bone carving and creating horse masks. All of these activities draw on traditional, generationally held knowledge that is now being shared and passed down to others on Standing Rock. We continue to use the "Buffalo Box" in local K-12 schools, providing multiple presentations at the schools. This is then followed up with a visit to the buffalo pasture when possible. The bison box contains examples of how all the parts of a Bison were used including the stomach, which was used to carry water, and bones that were used for scrapers and hoes. This is the visual, hands-on experience that works well for our students. It also provides information and knowledge to the students about a key part of the traditional Lakota/Dakota culture, and the values of sustainable living. The Sitting Bull College (SBC) Culture Club uses the buffalo in some of their activities that, at times, include ceremonies that involve bison. Buffalo meat from the SBC herd was used at gatherings on campus such as the 'Honoring Our Grandfathers,' and meat donations were made to the Elder Center and the Language Nest, where the significance of the buffalo in Lakota/Dakota culture continues to be taught in a culturally held manner. Margaret Knox, Mafany Mongoh, and Phillip Bird Horse have implemented their new management plan in order to increase the herd's size and maintain its health, so that the buffalo will continue to be part of the college's outreach through research, cultural education, and food. We continue to engage students such as Maurianna Loretto, who earned the ND Chapter of the Wildlife Society's award for 'Undergraduate Student of the Year!' We encourage them to design their research projects around the buffalo and incorporate their cultural knowledge into the Western science they are learning at SBC. Phillip Bird Horse continues working with the herd weekly, and is encouraging our students to participate more deeply with the buffalo, becoming involved with their care, nutrition, and cultural values. Phillip's understanding of the buffalo has made them more at ease in his presence, which has allowed him to take students and Elders from SR to the pasture to observe and learn. Phillip has created opportunities through his management techniques, which were handed down to him from his Grandfather, for students to learn in the type of setting that existed generationally: with Elders teaching the younger generation. These experiences are essential for the Lakota/Dakota Peoples to hold onto their culture, and see it prosper through time.
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Teh target audience is the the people of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation (SRSR). In particular, we are targeting the youth of the SRSR. One of the main purposes of the bison herd is to reacquaint the youth with the bison, whch are a big part of the cultural past of the Lakota/Dakota people. The extension youth assistant is working with adult volunteers so they feel comfortable working with youth in such areas as gardening, leather arts and raising animals. The Youth Horsemanship Educator works directly with youth at-risk to hopefully empower them toward better lives ad a brighter future. Changes/Problems: The PI on this program resignedhalf way into this reporting period to take another job and this resulted in difficulties in the continuity of the program. A new PI was hired, but resigned after about four weeks. After a period of reassessing the position, a new PI , Ms. Jackie Bigger was hired shortly after the end of this reporting period.She is working hard to get the program up to speed and functioning well. The ExtensionYouth Educator also resigned during this time, and we have not been able to fill her position with a qualified person. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The Youth Horsemanship Educator and and four teachers form the Wakpala School and Standing Rock Community School recieved training and certification in EAL from the OK Corral. Thirty eight people from the SRSR tanned a bison hide and received training in how to set up their own business in hide tanning. The Extension Youth Assistant trained 29 adults and 36 children how to make traditional items such as, raw hide, hand drums, quillwork, head roaches and meat drying. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The workshops in hide tanning and for making other cultural items were advertized through the newspapers, on KLND radio, and by flyiers posted at local community centers. EAL activities were developed by working with local school administrators, teachers and parents. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? since our PI resigned during this period of time, we plan to readvertize and hire a new PI who will take over the activities of this grant and move them forward. The Extension Youth Assistant also resigned during this period and we plan to rehire someone to continue on her work. The EAL program is off to a good start and we plan to expand the program to more school districts and increase our work with the Boys and Girls Clubs and the Oahe Group Home.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In preparation for the completion of the bison pasture area, over seven miles of bison fencing was completed. The corral was started and still needs some work. The well, waterline and winterized stock tank were installed. The planning is complete for buliding the flood gates. This will be completed by local tribal members. Extesnion staff helped to plan and conduct a Sustainable Agriculture Conference in April of 2013. A total of 45 people participated. The bison herd was used for cultural ceremonies and student research. One hide tanning workshop was completed in June of 2013 with eighteen hides tanned by a total of 38 people. The Extension Youth Assistant planned and taught or hosted six multi-day workshops on how to make rawhide, hand drums, quillwork, head roaches and meat drying for 29 adults and 36 youth. The quillwork class was recorded on video for showing during future workshops. The Youth Horsemanship Educator held an organizational meeting attended by 90 people who offered to help teach horsemanship to youth. He has worked with fiveof the younger youth leaders (17 to 22 years old), preparing them for futire leadership. He participated in four group horse rides, assisting and guiding many Standing Rock youth and adults along the way. He has worked wit a total of 245 youth and 227 adults in 23 events, memorial rides and clinics.He completed eight Equine Assisted Learning sessions with selected at-risk eighth grade students from the Wakpala school. He also gave a presentation on horse grooming to the boys and Girls Club of McLaughlin. He also gave two EAL training sessions to the Lake Oahe Home staff. The Lake Oahe Home is for juvenile aoofenders form the SRSR. He has looked at several locations on the south Dakota side for a new barn and pasture for the Sitting Bull College horse program.
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Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience is the Native American people of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation(SSR). There are about 8,000 people who reside on the SRSR, of whcih about 50% are of Native American ancestry. The SRSR is located in two adjoining counties on the west side of the Missouri River: Corson County in north central South Dakota, and Sioux county in south central North Dakota. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? There were not any specific opportunities for the Director or other staff member for training or professional development. Training opportuniteis for thethe participants in the hide tanning workshops and other workshops for making rawhide, hand drums, quillwork, head roaches and meat drying,were great. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results and the opportunities for training have been spread mainly by word of mouth. In a close knit community such as the SRSR this is a good way todisseminate the information to the community. The activitiesthat we carry out are also advertized onKLND radio and through flyers that are distributed to community centers, Districts of the SRSRand businesses onthe SRSR. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Goal 1. The Youth Assistant will apply for supplemental grant funding, will plan and host or teach needed cultural skill workshops, and will recruit adults as volunteer youth leaders to teach art, craft, and life skills lessons to youth in their neighborhoods. Background checks will be done on all of the volunteers. She will provide leadership in planning, requesting financing, and conducting one or more culture camp(s) for around 65 youth each year. SBC Extension staff will do a better job in conducting end-of-meeting evaluations of workshops. Goal 2. The bison pasture corral and the fencing will be finished in time to begin the bison grazing demonstration in November, 2013. We will help support and plana Sustainable Ag Conference by SBC in April of each year.A bison Care and Culture workshop is also planned for early April.One or several livestock care and health workshops will be held in late summer. Thishas beenrequested by one SBC stakeholder, and other stakeholders support this. Goal 3. One bison hide-tanning workshop will be held in June.We hope that twenty adults and 5 youth will have learned how to tan bison hides. Twenty percent of adult participants will earm more money by brain-tanning hides, and twenty percent of the adults will teach others how to tan hides.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Atthe Standing Rock Community School in May, using four bison hides in different stages, a short hands-on lesson on hide tanning was presented to 130 children and youth and 20 teachers. In June and July we held two 7-day bison hide tanning workshops where 23 adults tanned 17 hides. Five chhildren participated with their parents. In June the Extension Youth Assistant job was filled as a half-time position.We have learned that few people are willing or confident enough to teach a skill they know. The cultural skills in demand (mentioned above) are known by just a few people. Her purpose is to teach people who will, in turn, voluntarily, or for a small honorarium, teach these skills to local youth and other adults. All of the Districts want to hold a series of cultural workshops for their youth and adults, so she has spent many hours planning these with local leaders. There is a consensus to have SBC submit a large grant proposal to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (SRST) for SBC to coordinate cultural education in each Standing Rock District. Goal 2.The Project Director focused on completing development of the Sitting Bull College (SBC) new bison pasture for the grazing demonstration. As of February 2013, 7.2 miles of fencing has been built (more than 70% of the planned total), and about 85% of the corral. The well, waterline and winterized stock tank were installed in fall 2011. Local tribal members were hired to build the fences, flood gates, corral, and a solar-heating system for the stock water tank. We have applied for a research grant to fund the grazing study, to begin in the fall of 2013. As part of the Agriculture Department, we helped plan and conduct a Sustainable Agriculture conference atSBC in March, 2012 with35 participants. Goal 3. At the June and July hide tanning workshops alesson on starting and conducting a hide tanning business was given at each workshop. By participating in these hide tanning workshops, over 60% felt they had improved their Native American cultural knowledge, 100% felt these should be taught in the future, all of those who had tanned hides before felt they could now tan hides better, and 40% wanted to start earning money tanning hides. The newly hired Extension Youth Assistantplanned and taught or hosted six, multi-day workshops on how to make rawhide, hand drums, quillwork, head roaches, and meat drying for 29 adults and 36 youth. Three deer have been contributed to the project which were skinned and boned for the meat drying workshops, and the hides tanned for a future moccasin-making workshop. A quillwork class was recorded on video for showing during future workshops. An evaluation was conducted at one of these workshops.
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