The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is home to more than 19,000 members of the Oglala Lakota Nation. It is one of the poorest communities in the United States and has the lowest life expectancy in the country. 

The Tribe prides itself on its resilience. For generations, the members have fought through poverty, oppression, discrimination and a long history of broken treaties and aggression from the United States government. Now they are being faced with another potentially devastating invader: COVID-19. 

Thanks to quick action by tribal leadership, the Reservation went on lockdown early.  At the time of this recording the Reservation had seen around 100 cases of the virus.  Still, the residents know that even a small outbreak in their community could have grave consequences.

In this episode, Brian Lucas interviews Helene Gaddie, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and a resident of Pine Ridge. Helene and her husband run a non-profit called, Generation Indigenous Ways, which runs camps for American Indian Youth focusing on integrating science curriculum with traditional Native values and practices. Since the outbreak, Helene has been part of an Indigenous Response effort, reaching out to people across the reservation to offer education and support.

Because of the many issues related to the pandemic and life on the Pine Ridge Reservation, we are breaking this interview into two episodes.  In this episode, Helen talks about the lockdown of the reservation and how the pandemic may be an opportunity for the Lakota Nation to reconnect with its roots.