Bonney, Jack and Daniel of Seva left for South Dakota mid June to conduct interviews and listening sessions with Porcupine Health Clinic board and staff in addition to visiting our Ihanktonwan partner, Brave Heart Society in the south east of the state. Historically our Native American Community Health program originated with Seva partnering with local Pine Ridge Indian Reservation community to create the first 100% Native run rural health clinic in the US. We met several founding members, of Porcupine Health Clinic, among them, Velma Kills Back and Lorelei De Cora who shared a great deal of amazing stories and historical anecdotes on our humble beginnings. The start of our program started with Porcupine in 1982, so our anniversary is coming up next year!Shortly after reacquainting ourselves with our Porcupine Health Clinic roots we went on to our Ihanktonwan partner, Brave Heart Society. The nights were muggy with heavy showers flooding the Missouri River and surrounding farm towns. We stayed with our community partners and friends in the town of Lake Andes. It was here that we witnessed direct community involvement in food sovereignty work that catalyzed 13 community gardens across varied traditional Ihanktonwan land and families. Our project partner and brave grandmother, Faith Spotted Eagle took us out to her grandfathers land and garden where we witnessed 600 year old preserved corn seeds sprout and thrive alongside, radishes, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon and so much more! We interviewed many families including promising young farmers who were there to bring energy and promise to the continuation of traditional planting societies. Pictured above is Wakiya or Thunder posing with a fresh harvest of red-pink and blue-white hot radishes we picked in the warming South Dakota summer.
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