PERMACULTURE AT PINE RIDGE RESERVATION
Wednesday, July 9 7 PM
Loren Luyendyn House 4528 Casitas Pass Rd Ventura Ca 93001/near Carpinteria (more directions below)
Bring refreshments or snacks to share.

Learn about the projects happening at PIne Ridge that are really making a difference!
To contributed to our campaign at http://www.gofundme.com/ac3gyw
 

Pine Ridge reservation has long been one of the poorest counties in the United States. Living conditions are harsh, yet many tribal members continue to try to better their lives and the lives of others.

Pine Ridge is an extreme food desert, meaning that healthy food, or even any food, is not available within walking or public transport distance for most people. The closest organic produce is found 100 miles away for many tribe members. Grocery stores on the reservation are full of processed white flour based food. Diet related heart disease and adult and juvenile diabetes are at epidemic rates (60% diabetes for adults), and average age of death for a male Lakota is age 48, for women, 52.

Some try to grow their own vegetables and fruits, but weather is extreme, with hail the size of golf balls in July, freezes or snow occasionally reported in June or August, powerful, hot, drying winds, and temperature extremes from 115 F in summer to as low as -50 F wind chill in winter. Pests such as grasshoppers invade en masse on a regular basis. It can be very challenging to grow food on the reservation. The area is called the “Badlands” for a reason.

Housing is also a huge problem, with sometimes 20 people living in one household. Some families live in RV’s with holes in them, and there has been black mold discovered in the walls of federally provided housing which makes people sick. Every year, people freeze to death in their own home because of lack of insulation, and inadequate heating. The hand that has been delivered to the Lakota has not been a fair one, and we want to help remedy that.

Oglala Lakota Cultural and Economic Revitilization Initiative (“OLCERI”) http://www.olceri.org/our-projects  is a Lakota-run organization dedicated to demonstrating resilient solutions for living and surviving on Pine Ridge reservation. Grow Permaculture is a partner organization, collaborating to create resources to address the most severe situations on the reservation - the essentials of life: food, water, shelter, and energy. We are asking your help with a project that can make a difference for a lot of people.

We will be building a prototype experimental passively cooled and heated greenhouse at a permaculture demonstration site on the reservation that is designed to meet the specific needs and lifestyle of the Lakota, and address the challenges of the harsh climate.

Our desire is to empower locals to create their own resilient and self-reliant future so we will incorporate education into this project. In addition to training Lakota in greenhouse building, we will build a number of Little Free Libraries to install in the towns of Pine ridge. Pine Ridge has NO public libraries! We have gotten a number of permaculture, natural building and similar books donated, and have partnered with an organization that is working to provide 7000 books that we can access for this program.

A professional natural builder will be traveling to the reservation this August, and we are slated to do as much building as we can on these two projects - we have the expertise and the personnel to pull it off - we need your funding help to meet our goal this August.

Pine Ridge reservation is the home of Wounded Knee, Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, Sun Dances and sweat lodge; living in harmony with big land, and developing a warrior spirit.

At this event, you will hear about the history of permaculture efforts at Pine Ridge, stories about the Lakota approach to permaculture, what our challenges and accomplishments have been, and what the future looks like!

DIRECTIONS
message me Loren Luyendyk lorenluyendyk@hotmail.com  for more info  or call 805-452-8249
Loren Luyendyn
4528 Casitas Pass Rd
Ventura Ca 93001

Directions
"Exit 84 Hwy 150 to Ojai Lake Casitas" from US 101
Drive 6.1 miles towards Ojai
When you see the signs for the Casitas Valley Farmstand get ready
Driveway is on the right with split rail fence and metal gate
Number on fence is 4620 (also several real estate signs)
Once you enter take immediate left down dirt driveway to the white house at the end
Call Loren at 805-452-8249 for directions

Bring refreshments or snacks to share.





Santa Babara Permaculture Network Logo  
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie@sbpermaculture.org
www.sbpermaculture.org

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