What We Do
"And your ancient ruins should be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in."
- Isaiah 58:12 |
We are a faith based organization that seeks to work in partnership with others who share our compassion for Native people. We plan to continue to host short term teams from churches who have helped us on a number of projects, as well as continuing to bring in outside resources to help teach life skills to young people on the reservation. To find out how you can partner with us in this way, please click below.
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Testimonial
"I am so moved and almost in tears knowing that somone has such a heart for our people! Ashley Down Mission is exactly what the youth on the Pine Ridge Reservation so desperately need. As an enrolled member living on the reservation, I have seen so much wrong done to our youth, as well as all the baggage they carry at such a young age. I too experienced many of the same things but by the grace of God I found healing in Jesus Christ and I want my people to experience the same healing starting with our youth. Our youth here on the reservation experience sexual abuse, verbal and physical abuse, spiritual abuse, depression, suicide and poverty. They are burdened with things that many adults do not even face. Some of our youth are also raising their siblings because mom and dad aren't around because they choose alcohol, drugs or relationships instead of their children. Our youth here desperately need a safe resource like Ashley Down Mission. They need to know that there is more to life and things are not always dark. The reservation is not just one of the poorest places in the United States, it is also a place with a lot of historical trauma because of what was done to our people in the past. Our people have never fully healed but I feel that Ashley Down Mission is a perfect start. It can provide the people with hope, love, healing and independence!"
Alice Jack-Enrolled Lakota member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe at Pine Ridge Reservation, SD.
Alice Jack-Enrolled Lakota member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe at Pine Ridge Reservation, SD.
Black Hills, SD
Statistical Facts about Pine Ridge Reservation, SD.
- Pine Ridge Reservation is the poorest county in the United States, and the second poorest place in the Western Hemisphere, second only to Haiti.
- Rapid City, South Dakota, is the nearest town of size (population approximately 57,700) for those who can travel to find work. It is located 120 miles from the Reservation. The nearest large city to Pine Ridge is Denver, Colorado, located some 350 miles away.
- 97% of the population lives far below the U.S. federal poverty line with a median household income ranging between $2,600 and $3,500 per year.
- There is no industry, technology or commercial infrastructure to provide employment for its residents, contributing to its 90% unemployment rate.
- There are no banks, motels, discount stores, and the one grocery store of moderate size is tasked with providing for the entire community.
- There is a 70% high school dropout rate.
- The average life expectancy on the Reservation is 47 years for men and 52 years for women.
- Teenage suicide rate is 150% higher than the U.S. national average.
- Infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent, and about 300% higher than the U.S. national average.
- There’s an estimated average of 17 people living in each family home, a home that may only have two to three rooms. Some Reservation families are forced to sleep on dirt floors.
- At least 60% of homes on the Reservation need to be demolished and replaced due to infestation of potentially fatal black mold; however, there are no insurance or government programs to assist families in replacing their homes.
- Weather is extreme on the Reservation. Severe winds are always a factor. Summer temperatures can reach well over 100 degrees and winters bring bitter cold and can reach -30 degrees below zero or worse.
Ashley Down Mission is a faith based 501(c3) non-profit organization whose goal is to serve the needs of Native American people, paricularly the Oglala Lakota Sioux people of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Thank you for stopping by our site and listening to our story.