Eagle Butte - Habitat

DAY FIVE - Tuesday March 29
Today we had a lot of great experiences but we decided to spotlight everyone in the group and ask them what they thought of their experience thus far:

Dory: “The best part of this trip is that not only are you able to travel to a different place, spend time with new people, and do service work, but also immerse yourself into a completely foreign culture.”

Casey: “The trip and the atmosphere of the group gets better and better each day and I have a feeling that by the end of our time in Eagle Butte, we won’t want to leave.”

Maura: “This has been the best volunteer experience I’ve ever had – and we’re not even done yet! It is such a privilege to be here and see a different culture close-up. Taking in the scenery and meeting the people on the reservation has been an unforgettable experience.”

Jen: “I feel although I am a leader in the sense I helped plan the trip and coordinate things, I couldn’t be happier that I feel like I am a part of a group of individuals who take the lead at different times and in different ways. The fact that our group is comfortable enough for every member to feel as though they can step up at different times has made this experience mean a lot to me. Words cannot describe the connection I have felt with the people of Eagle Butte, all I can really say is that I am extremely glad I can share this experience with my group.”

Luke: “The best thing about this trip is everything. I came into it with a few expectations, because I’ve been to a reservation before, but this has blown all of them away. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Sunny, which is awkward because he’s like three feet from me. But him and I have been cutting boards every day, and I have gotten to know him, a real Native American man, pretty well. It’s been such an opening experience so far. And it’s Wednesday.

Jessica: “My favorite part of this trip is getting to know the people here in Eagle Butte. People are so giving and excited to welcome us into their community.”

Angela: “"When Larry came to visit us at the house I was interested to hear that he was disappointed with the position of the elder members of the tribe clinging to the attitude of victimization. As someone in power I was glad to hear that he had hopes of moving his tribe forward and progressing in a modern world. An example of this progression was brought up by John when he mentioned at the community dinner that there are four Habitat offices in South Dakota that work with reservations and they had plans to organize in the future. This excites me, as one of the leaders who researched sites, because until that conversation I was unaware that other Habitat sites exsisted. Hopefully, by working together, in part, other sites will be able to capitalize on the attention and success this organization is beginning to see."

Jake- My favorite part of the trip so far has been meeting and getting to know the people here. Their stories and openness have great for helping us to better understand the day to day realities of American Indians.

Claire: “I love this trip because I have been able to get to know the people we are working with personally. I appreciate that our site leaders, co-workers, and community members are extremely friendly and more than willing to spend evenings with us, invite us to dinners, and welcome us into their homes.”

Mary Ellen: “Being here at the Cheyenne River Reservation has taught me so much about the way life should be lived. Their way of life is not only fascinating, but highly admirable and difficult in an unseen way. For the first time in my life I’ve seen a group of people who value people based on who they are as a person over how they look on a piece of paper. I will forever treasure my experience here and emulate the way of life I have witnessed.”

Danny: “Never having been to a ‘Rez’, I was shocked at first by the poverty and dilapidated houses and businesses. But, after meeting John Bachman (Mayor of Eagle Butte), Larry Fiddler (Director of Habitat for Humanity Eagle Butte) and Ted Eagle (construction foreman), its obvious that there is a lot of work being put forth to change things for the better on the reservation. There has to be a system that allows preservation of Sioux culture and major infrastructure change, simultaneously.”