Why Pine Ridge?

You will experience life on the Pine Ridge Reservation, meet Lakota believers, and learn how God cares for the brokenhearted.  This is an opportunity to listen to our Native neighbors and learn how to love them well.  You will also get to meet students from Oglala Lakota College as you spend time on two OLC campuses.  Join us to meet God in a new context and new ways.

Where is Pine Ridge?

Pine Ridge is located in the southwest corner of South Dakota along the Nebraska border. The reservation lies east of the Black Hills and south of the Badlands National Park on the Great Plains. The nearest urban center, Rapid City, is 120 miles north. Ninety-eighty percent of the people live below the poverty line with very limited access to adequate food, adequate housing, common forms of entertainment and banking.

Meet our Director
RICK DEMAREST

Rick has a long history of sharing the love Christ with the Native Americans. In 1994 Rick first visited Pine Ridge with students from SDSU. They partnered with the a local Lutheran ministry; this propelled Rick on a wonderful, difficult journey. Rick says that "through this journey I've learned much about ethnic identity, humility, the Lakota people, and the significance of hanging out. I’m excited to welcome students to Pine Ridge."

our Vision

Our vision is to love Native Americans around us. Often the first step is simply seeing these people. We want to learn about who the Lakota are and the history that impacts them so much. We want to listen to what God is doing and what He wants to do in Native America. And we want to listen for God’s direction as we respond well to what we are learning and experiencing.