HISTORY OF REDHORSE CONNECTIONS, INC.

In the summer of 1997 a few people from the Austin , Texas area were invited to Fort Thompson , South Dakota to meet the people of the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes. While they were visiting, they were able to witness the annual summer Pow Wow held at Fort Thompson , a time of celebration and giving. They met many wonderful and loving tribal members who are dedicated to keeping the Sioux culture strong and alive. They experienced first hand the inborn nature of generosity and giving that native people have not only for each other, but also for all of creation. They also saw witnessed the poverty and hardship that is met everyday by Native Americans living on the reservations. They saw mothers struggle to feed and cloth their children, to provide adequate housing and fundamental education. They witnessed the courage, strength, and faith with which the many daily obstacles, joblessness, alcohol and drug addiction, abuse, diabetes and other life threatening health issues, youth suicide, and a prevailing feeling of hopelessness, are met and conquered. It was a humbling and enlightening experience. It opened their eyes to the true meaning of giving and sharing in order to provide for the whole. It showed them the true meaning of family sharing from the heart.

In the months that followed this heart-warming trip, the Texans found themselves committed to doing what they could to help ease the hardship and isolation of reservation life, to show that the outside world does care. They mailed baby clothes, warm winter clothing, school supplies and small household items to both Crow Creek and Lower Brule to assist both the individuals they had met, and the social services provided on the reservation. Two such services were the drug and alcohol resistance programs and the safe house for victims of abuse. They also did what they could to help with the youth programs offered on both reservations.

The biggest commitment of all was to provide Christmas with both food and small gifts. They found that they were making a difference, and that gifts sent to a few families were then divided up and shared with many, many more families.

What started as a small commitment began to grow and in 2001 this small group of people formed a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Native Americans living on reservations. They began asking for contributions from others who also want to experience this type of giving, to help cover the high cost of shipping boxes of donated items, and to help provide with the giving at Christmastime. They found that they could now expand and offer assistance in schooling and times of financial crisis. What began as a small dream of helping a few is materializing into a vision of helping many. With the support of contributors, Redhorse Connections, Inc. will be able to continue assisting with Christmas, clothing, household items, baby supplies, higher schooling, and family crisis.

WHAT IS RED HORSE?  

In the 1970’s, on the Crow Creek Reservation, a youth and family service center was built, and it was named Tasunka Duta Ote, or Red Horse Lodge. Due to cut backs in funding appropriations, the Lodge was closed after more than a decade of providing emergency and other assistance to children and families in need.

In the 1990’s, in Austin, Texas, a group of individuals concerned about the welfare of Crow Creek children and families, started a charitable organization to fill in the gaps where no other resources are available. Redhorse Connections incorporated in 2001, with the purpose of providing emergency services similar to those once given through Red Horse Lodge.