Oglala Lakota College, whose main campus is in Kyle, is sponsoring a voter registration drive through Thursday, Oct. 11, at its Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City satellite campuses. PHOTO COURTESY/GUILFORD NATIVE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION INC.
Oglala Lakota College gets out the vote
By Brandon Ecoffey
Native Sun News Staff Writer RAPID CITY — With election season upon us, Oglala Lakota College has taken it upon itself to get out the vote. From now through Thursday, Oct 11, the college will be sponsoring a voter registration drive at all seven of its Pine Ridge Reservation college centers – Eagle Nest in Wanblee, East Wakpamni in Batesland, Pejuta Haka in Kyle, Pahin Sinte in Porcupine, Pass Creek in Allen, Wounded Knee in Manderson and Pine Ridge Village – as well as its He Sapa College Center in Rapid City. At each of these sites potential voters will have the opportunity to receive and submit voter registration packets which will allow for them to cast their vote come November. When Dr. Kathryn Kidd, an assistant professor of social work at Oglala Lakota College and part organizer of the event, was asked what sparked the idea to have a voter registration drive, she responded by saying, “The initial thing was that while I was watching the coverage of the (political) conventions, even though I saw Native people, I saw no attention being made to Native issues. I know that change is incremental and slow, but I also know that voting is an important way to ensure that an individual’s and a group of individuals’ voice is heard.” Voter turnout has in the past been particularly low in Native American communities in South Dakota as well as across the United States. Dr. Kidd also sees this as an opportunity for Oglala Lakota College to serve the interests of the community. “I think that the thing about OLC doing this is that people are spread out, particularly on Pine Ridge, and registering to vote, for people, is not easy or accessible,” she noted. “OLC’s goal in this is to serve the community by making voter registration more accessible to people on the reservation.” Ursula Gaertner, vice president for instruction at OLC and another event organizer, informed Native Sun News that information for those wishing to register to vote would be made available at each of the college centers. She also told NSN, “We will have notices up here in the main campus area at Piya Wiconi (in Kyle). We will also have registration forms and instructions available, which we will hand out and take back.” The same information relayed by Gaertner will be available at all campus sites. OLC will take all complete voter registration packets and submit them to the state of South Dakota for processing. The voter registration drive began on Tuesday, Oct. 2, and will run until Thursday, Oct. 11. Event organizers ask that those looking to register to vote call the site where they are planning to register for the hours voter registration drive volunteers will be available or visit Oglala Lakota College’s website at www.olc.edu. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey @ staffwriter2@nsweekly.com)
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