In the summer of 2006 we had a vision of building a community house here on the reservation; a multi-purpose building that would be a living cultural empowerment center and the foundation for our future work. This community house would provide a place for traditional Lakota ceremonies on the weekend, and would be a center for youth to gather on weekdays to learn songs, language and culture. There is a serious lack of open space for community gatherings on Pine Ridge, and we wanted to build a place that could be owned by the community: a space for community gatherings, birthday parties, community meetings, ceremonies, cultural education, etc. What started as a simple idea was embraced by the community, and we decided to take the idea and turn it into action.
One year later, in late summer 2007, we completed the 1750 square foot Thunder Valley Community House. The project was 100% volunteer-built by local people from right here in the community. It contains a huge 1100 square ft community gathering space, two bathrooms and large community kitchen. Today it is used at least five days a week for ceremonies and community gatherings.
Building the Community House was an amazing accomplishment for us as a community and an organization. We made it a point to keep the project 100% volunteer because we wanted to show ourselves that we can accomplish anything we put our mind to. We also wanted to show our donors and supporters that we are invested into this work and it is a collective effort by the entire community. The success of the Thunder Valley Community House has set a precedent for us and it will be the foundation that we will grow from.
Even at 1750 square feet the building does not have enough room. Since we have built the building we have had ceremonies and community gatherings with over 200 people attending. We are making plans to build an addition that will house the offices for the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation. There is a lack of available office space on the reservation, so this space are essential for our work to expand and for our projects to be successful. This addition to the community house is high on our list of priorities to accomplish within the next six months.
With a combination of ceremonies, cultural events, and community development projects, this community house will continue being a living cultural empowerment center for youth and families here on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and a key part of our long-term vision for our community.
