Pathways to Spirit is a non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to the provision of material assistance to and cultural preservation of Native Americans on the reservations of South Dakota and along the Front Range of Colorado. Pathways seeks the easing of the effects of poverty, the reduction of discrimination, and the transmission of Native American languages and way of life across generations. The organization pursues this mission through direct provision of goods and services, education and training, and evolving partnerships with other organizations.
Pathways to Spirit was founded in October of 1996, after traveling to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Our concern and compassion led us to begin loading pick up trucks with neighborhood donations. One year later we purchased a 48 foot semi-trailer. Since then we have expanded our work to include programs to assist with housing, utilities, basic needs for all ages, and other projects.
Click here to see our list of projects.
On Pine Ridge Reservation 80% are homeless, 50% of these people under the age of 18. Unemployment is 80-90%, 1/3 of homes have no electricity and water. Average die at age 45, infant mortality is 20 times higher than national rate, diabetes 10 times higher, cervical cancer 5 times, heart disease 2 times, tuberculosis and teen suicide 4 times. On Rosebud Reservation the situation is similar.
To grasp the depth of the poverty on the reservations, one must actually visit in person, but many cannot travel there, so reading statistics from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the words of others can give us a clearer idea of the overall situation. (Click here for more details.)