Brandon Ecoffey
A note from the editor’s desk
By Brandon Ecoffey
LCT Editor In this age of social media information is transferred from one person to another at almost instantaneous speed. This information varies widely with nearly every type of communication now available for use by both friends and strangers. In Indian Country social media has served to unite our peoples against common enemies as both young and old have seemingly embraced it. What is lacking on social media however is the mass recognition of successful programs in our communities that we simply do not hear from as a result of them being successful and thus under the radar. Sure, we hear plenty about the program that isn’t fulfilling its duties to the citizenry. We hear stories of some program director’s being poor administrators. It isn’t often that we hear about the positive but there are plenty of high functioning entities on the reservation that are efficiently working to improve the lives of the people.
Graduation ceremony at Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Photo from American Indian College Fund / Facebook
One such organization that seems to receive far too much criticism is the Oglala Lakota College. Of course the school is not above reproach, but one thing for certain, OLC has consistently turned out highly capable and professional graduates at a consistent rate for some time now. Tribal citizens across the reservation and even in Rapid City have the opportunity to earn everything from certificates to Masters Degrees at a tuition rate that allows them to hit the ground running once they have completed their coursework. The value of having a tribal college with the capabilities of OLC are immense as our caregivers in the healthcare field are now often locals who attended OLC, our children’s classrooms are now being taught by young people from the very same communities they work in, and our people’s access to higher paying jobs both on and off the reservation are expanded exponentially once they earn their desired degree at OLC. The problem facing graduates of OLC and our other young and educated people across our reservation is that their simply isn’t enough work available to them. Ironically, many of the available work out there has been taken by both non-Natives and non-citizens as many reservation based organizations have, for whatever reason, overlooked them.
A view of the Oglala Lakota College campus in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo from OLC
As OLC continues to produce professionals of all ages and our young people continue to pursue college educations at higher and higher rates it is imperative that the tribe guarantee that there is work available to them by expanding economic development and drafting legislation that gives our young people the opportunities they deserve by granting them preference in hiring. For many who have gone on and completed college the task of returning home is an arduous one as they are forced to encounter logistical problems that those living off the reservation simply do not encounter. On the reservation it is nearly impossible to find housing due to the shortage of homes. If someone plans to build a home questions about the civil infrastructure of the site will inevitably have to be asked and dealt with. These difficulties are even further compounded by the lack of jobs present. If we want our young and educated people to thrive and give back to their communities simply expecting them to come home is not enough. What is needed are incentives beyond family that would make them want to. Brandon Ecoffey is the editor of Lakota Country Times and an award winning journalist who was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He can be reached at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter.
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