The Sicangu Lakota Winter Relief Fund

Maeve Kiley

The Rosebud Reservation

The Rosebud Reservation spans nearly 900,000 acres of rolling prairies, pine forests, deep ravines, and wind-cut hills in south-central South Dakota. It touches the northwest corner of Pine Ridge and extends to the Nebraska border, a landscape as stunning as it is unforgiving in winter.

This is the homeland of the Sicangu Lakota, one of the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota Nation. Before borders and fences, the Sicangu moved with the seasons, following the buffalo and living in relationship with the land. The buffalo was central to everything: food, shelter, ceremony, and teachings on respect and restraint. The Lakota took only what was needed, honoring the animal that sustained them.

By 1889, after forced removals and broken promises, the Sicangu were confined to what is now the Rosebud Reservation. Today, more than 26,000 enrolled members live across 20 communities scattered through forests, grassland, and deep winter cold. January temperatures regularly hover between 11°F and 14°F, dangerous numbers if your home lacks insulation, safe heat, or even a solid roof.

Aerial view of a community on the Rosebud Reservation

Why Winter Hardship Persists

It is important to be honest: The extreme winter hardship faced by Sicangu Lakota families is not a natural consequence of the climate; it is the direct result of generations of federal neglect and the failure to uphold treaty obligations.

The treaties promised support, healthcare, housing, and the basic conditions necessary for survival and dignity. Those obligations have never been fully met. Instead, families are left to navigate winters in aging homes, with limited access to propane, wood, or funds for emergency repairs.

For Elders, Veterans, single parents, and those living in remote rural areas, winter becomes a season of risk - burst pipes, frozen rooms, unsafe heating methods, and difficult choices between warmth, food, and medicine.

These are preventable crises.

The Sicangu Lakota Winter Relief Fund

The Sicangu Lakota Winter Relief Fund exists because these needs are immediate, real, and recurring, and because families should not have to wait for systems that fail them year after year.

The fund supports:

·                     Firewood and propane to keep homes safely heated

·                     Emergency heaters and heating supplies

·                     Critical home repairs, including broken windows, damaged roofs, and unsafe structural issues

·                     Essential winter clothing, such as coats, blankets, boots, hats, and mittens

·                     Comfort and care items for Elders, children, and Veterans

·                     Assistance for families in rural, isolated parts of the reservation

We operate with a simple promise:

Every dollar donated goes directly to the families.

No administrative costs. No overhead. No salaries. 100% of your gift becomes warmth, safety, and relief.

More Than Heat - It’s Dignity

Warmth isn’t just a number on a thermostat. It’s the ability for an Elder to stay in their home. It’s a child waking up without freezing air in the room. It’s a Veteran not having to choose between groceries and heating. It’s dignity, something treaty obligations promised but have never fully delivered.

Your support fills the gap left by institutional inaction. It keeps families safe while honoring the resilience and sovereignty of the Sicangu people.

Standing Together This Winter

Your generosity shows that these communities are not forgotten. It is an act of compassion, but also an act of justice.

Thank you for standing with the Sicangu Lakota this winter, for helping restore the warmth that every person deserves, and for honoring the commitments that should have been upheld long ago.

To support our cause, click the image below: