Agenda for Pine Ridge
We will start our two days together with brief presentations from each of the five participating organizations, to update the group on their projects and their recent proposal to NWAF. These brief presentations will lay the groundwork for our conversations over the next two days. Each group will have roughly 30 minutes. We ask that groups please keep their presentations to 10 minutes, leaving the remaining time for feedback. Each brief presentation should include the following information:
Thursday, May 28
Meeting Location: Thunder Valley CDC, 290 Empowerment Drive, Porcupine, SD 57772 (http://www.thundervalley.org/). Thunder Valley CDC’s offices are about a 25-minute drive from the Lakota Prairie Ranch, along Route 27. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to the event. Please see the “Logistics” memo in your binder for more information on this and for directions.
8:30 a.m. Light breakfast (coffee, tea, muffins) at Thunder Valley’s offices (for a full breakfast, please eat beforehand at the hotel).
9:00 Opening Blessing.
9:15 Welcome: Ted Howard and our hosts.
9:30 Opening Circle.
10:00 Introduction from Karla Miller at the NWAF: Karla will discuss the project proposals, where we are in that process, as well as expectations for the coming years. Talking points include shifting from a nonprofit to business mentality, working more closely with coaches, and new procedures for proposals.
10:20 Group Presentations: Each of the five participating organizations will have 10 minutes to present on the progress of their projects, plus 20 minutes for dialogue with the group. Business experts will be on hand to provide feedback.
10:50 Break.
11:00 Continue Group Presentations.
1:00 Lunch and Thematic Wrap-up: coaches will compile themes we heard during presentations and how they might be addressed.
1:30 Tour of Pine Ridge: Thunder Valley and NANF’s teams will lead a tour of their work, starting with Thunder Valley’s Regenerative Community site, and including key sites and aspects of life on the Reservation that impact their lives and their work.
5:00 Return to hotel.
6:00 Sweat Lodge: Our hosts have put together a sweat lodge that Learning/Action Lab participants are welcome to join if they would like. Find out more about sweat lodges here: http://www.barefootsworld.net/sweatlodge.html, where they state that “The Sweat Lodge is a place of spiritual refuge and mental and physical healing, a place to get answers and guidance by asking spiritual entities, totem helpers, the Creator and Mother Earth for the needed wisdom and power.” If you choose to participate, men should wear athletic shorts (such as basketball shorts), and women should wear a long sundress or t-shirt and long skirt. Please bring a towel. There will be a few extra items of attire for those who do not come prepared. See “Logistics” memo for more details. Location TBA.
Friday, May 29
Meeting Location: Native American Natural Foods (NANF), 287 Water Tower Road, Kyle, SD 57752 (http://www.tankabar.com). Native American Natural Foods’ offices are about a 10-minute drive from the Lakota Prairie Ranch, along Route 2.
8:30 a.m. Light breakfast (coffee, tea, muffins) at NANF’s offices (for a full breakfast, please eat beforehand at the hotel).
9:00 Morning Check-in.
9:30 Ownership and Governance Design Session. Attorney Jenny Kassan with Cutting Edge Capital will lead an in-depth conversation on different forms of organizational structure, ownership, and governance and how best to integrate nonprofit and for-profit activity into an appropriate social enterprise design. Steve Dubb and Marjorie Kelly, who also have significant expertise in this area, will be on hand for additional discussion. If you have specific issues to discuss with an attorney, please come with them.
11:00 Begin Open Space/Group Coaching Sessions: Jill Bamburg will lead a self-organizing session where groups will have the opportunity to design together how to use this time – having a group coaching session, working with an expert, group dialogue on keys topics, or some combination of all of these. We may choose to respond to some of the themes we heard on the previous day through sessions on the most important topics. Teams might also want to opt out for in-depth discussions with specific resource people. Some possibilities for topics include:
12:30 p.m. Lunch and NANF Office Tour and Update.
1:30 Continued Open Space/Group Coaching Sessions.
3:00 Break.
3:15 Closing Circle and report back on past two years of the Learning/Action Lab and discussion of next stage.
5:00 Return to hotel.
6:30 Closing Dinner: A cook-out and closing celebration at Nick Tilsen’s house. See “Logistics” memo for directions and details.
We will start our two days together with brief presentations from each of the five participating organizations, to update the group on their projects and their recent proposal to NWAF. These brief presentations will lay the groundwork for our conversations over the next two days. Each group will have roughly 30 minutes. We ask that groups please keep their presentations to 10 minutes, leaving the remaining time for feedback. Each brief presentation should include the following information:
- Update (progress since last gathering).
- Proposal for next three years (review of what was submitted to NWAF).
- Key question(s) and issue(s) for group input.
Thursday, May 28
Meeting Location: Thunder Valley CDC, 290 Empowerment Drive, Porcupine, SD 57772 (http://www.thundervalley.org/). Thunder Valley CDC’s offices are about a 25-minute drive from the Lakota Prairie Ranch, along Route 27. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to the event. Please see the “Logistics” memo in your binder for more information on this and for directions.
8:30 a.m. Light breakfast (coffee, tea, muffins) at Thunder Valley’s offices (for a full breakfast, please eat beforehand at the hotel).
9:00 Opening Blessing.
9:15 Welcome: Ted Howard and our hosts.
9:30 Opening Circle.
10:00 Introduction from Karla Miller at the NWAF: Karla will discuss the project proposals, where we are in that process, as well as expectations for the coming years. Talking points include shifting from a nonprofit to business mentality, working more closely with coaches, and new procedures for proposals.
10:20 Group Presentations: Each of the five participating organizations will have 10 minutes to present on the progress of their projects, plus 20 minutes for dialogue with the group. Business experts will be on hand to provide feedback.
10:50 Break.
11:00 Continue Group Presentations.
1:00 Lunch and Thematic Wrap-up: coaches will compile themes we heard during presentations and how they might be addressed.
1:30 Tour of Pine Ridge: Thunder Valley and NANF’s teams will lead a tour of their work, starting with Thunder Valley’s Regenerative Community site, and including key sites and aspects of life on the Reservation that impact their lives and their work.
5:00 Return to hotel.
6:00 Sweat Lodge: Our hosts have put together a sweat lodge that Learning/Action Lab participants are welcome to join if they would like. Find out more about sweat lodges here: http://www.barefootsworld.net/sweatlodge.html, where they state that “The Sweat Lodge is a place of spiritual refuge and mental and physical healing, a place to get answers and guidance by asking spiritual entities, totem helpers, the Creator and Mother Earth for the needed wisdom and power.” If you choose to participate, men should wear athletic shorts (such as basketball shorts), and women should wear a long sundress or t-shirt and long skirt. Please bring a towel. There will be a few extra items of attire for those who do not come prepared. See “Logistics” memo for more details. Location TBA.
Friday, May 29
Meeting Location: Native American Natural Foods (NANF), 287 Water Tower Road, Kyle, SD 57752 (http://www.tankabar.com). Native American Natural Foods’ offices are about a 10-minute drive from the Lakota Prairie Ranch, along Route 2.
8:30 a.m. Light breakfast (coffee, tea, muffins) at NANF’s offices (for a full breakfast, please eat beforehand at the hotel).
9:00 Morning Check-in.
9:30 Ownership and Governance Design Session. Attorney Jenny Kassan with Cutting Edge Capital will lead an in-depth conversation on different forms of organizational structure, ownership, and governance and how best to integrate nonprofit and for-profit activity into an appropriate social enterprise design. Steve Dubb and Marjorie Kelly, who also have significant expertise in this area, will be on hand for additional discussion. If you have specific issues to discuss with an attorney, please come with them.
11:00 Begin Open Space/Group Coaching Sessions: Jill Bamburg will lead a self-organizing session where groups will have the opportunity to design together how to use this time – having a group coaching session, working with an expert, group dialogue on keys topics, or some combination of all of these. We may choose to respond to some of the themes we heard on the previous day through sessions on the most important topics. Teams might also want to opt out for in-depth discussions with specific resource people. Some possibilities for topics include:
- Employee training for ownership.
- Other requests for training: the Democracy Collaborative will be doing curriculum development; what topics would you like to see training provided on?
- Meeting with experts to discuss business planning, sales forecasting and development of pro-formas (projected financial statements). Jill can lead discussion.
- Social enterprise development: moving from thinking like a nonprofit to thinking like a business, moving from grants to revenue. Is profit always the goal? Barbara Wyckoff can lead discussion. NANF might speak on what it means to focus on revenue.
- Discussion about the new phase of our work and the changing expectations of NWAF.
- Chance to meet with cooperative development specialist Bill Patrie; or Barbara Wyckoff, expert in social enterprise, rural development, and food systems.
12:30 p.m. Lunch and NANF Office Tour and Update.
1:30 Continued Open Space/Group Coaching Sessions.
3:00 Break.
3:15 Closing Circle and report back on past two years of the Learning/Action Lab and discussion of next stage.
5:00 Return to hotel.
6:30 Closing Dinner: A cook-out and closing celebration at Nick Tilsen’s house. See “Logistics” memo for directions and details.
Logistics
Airport Information
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP): http://www.rcgov.org/Airport/
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is the closest airport to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and about an hour and 20 minute drive from our hotel in Kyle, SD. The only way to get from the airport to the hotel on the Reservation is to drive. We recommend that you rent a car and/or coordinate carpooling with your colleagues or other attendees of the Learning/Action Lab. Please contact Sarah at the Democracy Collaborative (sarah@democracycollaborative.org) if you need assistance in coordinating a carpool. A full list of rental cars that serve the Rapid City Airport can be found here: http://www.rcgov.org/Airport/rental-cars.html
Directions from RAP to Hotel: Exit the Airport on Terminal Road to Airport Road. Take South Dakota Route 44 East for 33 miles. At the town of Scenic follow Main Street to Bombing Range Road for 7.2 miles. Bombing Range Road will become Big Foot Trail/BIA 27. Continue for 22.7 miles until intersection with Sharps Road/BIA 2 at Sharps Corner. Turn left. The hotel will be on your left in 8.4 miles.
Hotel Information
We will be staying at the Lakota Prairie Ranch Resort, the only hotel on the Reservation. The hotel is located in Kyle, roughly a half hour from Thunder Valley CDC’s offices and 10 minutes from Native American Natural Food’s offices, where we will be meeting for the Learning/Action Lab. The hotel is across the street from the Oglala Lakota College and on the same grounds as the Pine Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Welcome Center, and Art Gallery (http://pineridgechamber.com/cc/).
Lakota Prairie Ranch Resort
7958 Lakota Prairie Drive
Kyle, SD 57752
Phone: (605) 455-2555
http://www.lakotaprairie.com/
Meeting Times and Locations
Our meeting will begin promptly at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 28 and will end with a cookout dinner on the evening of Friday, May 29. We will meet at different locations on each day, at the offices of our two respective hosts. We will be meeting at Thunder Valley CDC’s offices on Thursday, May 28, and at Native American Natural Food’s office on Friday, May 29. As mentioned above, Thunder Valley’s offices are about a 30-minute drive and NANF’s a 10-minute drive from the hotel. More information on both organizations can be found in the “hosts” section of the binder.
Thunder Valley CDC (TVDCD) – Thursday, May 28
290 Empowerment Drive
Porcupine, SD 57772
Phone: (605) 455-2700
http://www.thundervalley.org/
Directions from Lakota Prairie Ranch: Head west on Sharps Road (BIA 2) for 8.5 miles until you come to an intersection, turn right at the intersection on N. Big Foot Trail (BIA 27). Thunder Valley’s offices will be on the left.
Native American Natural Foods (NANF) – Friday, May 29
287 Water Tower Road
Kyle, SD 57752
Phone: (605) 455-2187
http://www.tankabar.com
Directions from Lakota Prairie Ranch: Head east on Sharps Road (BIA 2) for 5.1. Turn right on to Water Tower Road and NANF’s offices are on the left in the same building as Lakota Express.
Getting Around and Tour
There is no public transportation on Pine Ridge, and the easiest way to get around is by car, so participants in the Learning/Action Lab will be responsible for getting from the hotel to the meeting locations on time. Please work with your colleagues and other participants to carpool to and from the meetings, or contact Sarah at the Democracy Collaborative (sarah@democracycollaborative.org) if you would like assistance arranging carpools. Directions to the meeting locations from the hotel are above and on the map below.
On Thursday afternoon we will be taking a tour of the Reservation, guided by Nick Tilsen from Thunder Valley CDC and Mark Tilsen from NANF. We have arranged for a bus to pick us up from Thunder Valley’s offices at 1:30 p.m., and it will drop us off at the hotel by 5:00 p.m. Find out more about our tour stops in the “Hosts and Tour” section of the binder. Please dress comfortably and wear walking shoes as we will be getting off the bus and touring key sites on the Reservation.
Sweat Lodge and Closing Dinner
Our hosts have put together a sweat lodge for the evening of Thursday, May 28 that Learning/Action Lab participants are welcome to join if they would like. If you choose to participate, men should wear athletic shorts (such as basketball shorts), and women should wear a long sundress or a T-shirt and long skirt. Please bring a towel. There will be a few extra items of attire for those who do not come prepared. Also, please note that it is recommended that participants eat a light meal roughly an hour before the sweat. Our hosts will provide more detail on the timing and location when we are together on Pine Ridge. Find out more about sweat lodges here: http://www.barefootsworld.net/sweatlodge.html.
For our closing dinner on the night of Friday, May 29, Nick Tilsen has generously offered to host a cookout at his home. Nick lives off of Big Foot Trail/BIA 27, 15 miles from Thunder Valley’s offices, right after the “Big Foot Memorial.” Nick and his team will provide more detailed directions when we are all together.
Alcohol on Pine Ridge
Please note that despite a public vote to legalize alcohol on the Reservation, Pine Ridge is still dry and it is illegal to both sell and consume alcohol on the Reservation.
Weather
The weather on Pine Ridge is notoriously volatile and extreme – in fact, earlier in May they had nearly two feet of snow. While the normal temperatures from this time of year usually hover in the 70s, that can change at any time, so please be sure to check the weather in advance. At the moment the forecast for our time there shows highs in the mid-60s to low-70s, with lows in the 40s, and chances of scattered storms and periods of high wind. Be sure to bring layers and rain attire.
Expense Arrangements
Please note that as participants in the Learning/Action Lab you are responsible for your own hotel, transportation, and food costs. As part of the Lab, the sponsors will be providing certain meals (as specified on the Agenda) and will be paying for these. Other food costs are your responsibility.
Map Link to Interactive Map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/edit?authuser=0&authuser=0&hl=en&hl=en&mid=z6iPBDzZy9E4.k_4RwOlyHdgw
Please note: More information on Pine Ridge’s history and demographics can be found in the “Resources” section of the binder, as well as from the Chamber of Commerce on the same grounds as the Lakota Prairie Ranch hotel.
Airport Information
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP): http://www.rcgov.org/Airport/
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is the closest airport to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and about an hour and 20 minute drive from our hotel in Kyle, SD. The only way to get from the airport to the hotel on the Reservation is to drive. We recommend that you rent a car and/or coordinate carpooling with your colleagues or other attendees of the Learning/Action Lab. Please contact Sarah at the Democracy Collaborative (sarah@democracycollaborative.org) if you need assistance in coordinating a carpool. A full list of rental cars that serve the Rapid City Airport can be found here: http://www.rcgov.org/Airport/rental-cars.html
Directions from RAP to Hotel: Exit the Airport on Terminal Road to Airport Road. Take South Dakota Route 44 East for 33 miles. At the town of Scenic follow Main Street to Bombing Range Road for 7.2 miles. Bombing Range Road will become Big Foot Trail/BIA 27. Continue for 22.7 miles until intersection with Sharps Road/BIA 2 at Sharps Corner. Turn left. The hotel will be on your left in 8.4 miles.
Hotel Information
We will be staying at the Lakota Prairie Ranch Resort, the only hotel on the Reservation. The hotel is located in Kyle, roughly a half hour from Thunder Valley CDC’s offices and 10 minutes from Native American Natural Food’s offices, where we will be meeting for the Learning/Action Lab. The hotel is across the street from the Oglala Lakota College and on the same grounds as the Pine Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Welcome Center, and Art Gallery (http://pineridgechamber.com/cc/).
Lakota Prairie Ranch Resort
7958 Lakota Prairie Drive
Kyle, SD 57752
Phone: (605) 455-2555
http://www.lakotaprairie.com/
Meeting Times and Locations
Our meeting will begin promptly at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 28 and will end with a cookout dinner on the evening of Friday, May 29. We will meet at different locations on each day, at the offices of our two respective hosts. We will be meeting at Thunder Valley CDC’s offices on Thursday, May 28, and at Native American Natural Food’s office on Friday, May 29. As mentioned above, Thunder Valley’s offices are about a 30-minute drive and NANF’s a 10-minute drive from the hotel. More information on both organizations can be found in the “hosts” section of the binder.
Thunder Valley CDC (TVDCD) – Thursday, May 28
290 Empowerment Drive
Porcupine, SD 57772
Phone: (605) 455-2700
http://www.thundervalley.org/
Directions from Lakota Prairie Ranch: Head west on Sharps Road (BIA 2) for 8.5 miles until you come to an intersection, turn right at the intersection on N. Big Foot Trail (BIA 27). Thunder Valley’s offices will be on the left.
Native American Natural Foods (NANF) – Friday, May 29
287 Water Tower Road
Kyle, SD 57752
Phone: (605) 455-2187
http://www.tankabar.com
Directions from Lakota Prairie Ranch: Head east on Sharps Road (BIA 2) for 5.1. Turn right on to Water Tower Road and NANF’s offices are on the left in the same building as Lakota Express.
Getting Around and Tour
There is no public transportation on Pine Ridge, and the easiest way to get around is by car, so participants in the Learning/Action Lab will be responsible for getting from the hotel to the meeting locations on time. Please work with your colleagues and other participants to carpool to and from the meetings, or contact Sarah at the Democracy Collaborative (sarah@democracycollaborative.org) if you would like assistance arranging carpools. Directions to the meeting locations from the hotel are above and on the map below.
On Thursday afternoon we will be taking a tour of the Reservation, guided by Nick Tilsen from Thunder Valley CDC and Mark Tilsen from NANF. We have arranged for a bus to pick us up from Thunder Valley’s offices at 1:30 p.m., and it will drop us off at the hotel by 5:00 p.m. Find out more about our tour stops in the “Hosts and Tour” section of the binder. Please dress comfortably and wear walking shoes as we will be getting off the bus and touring key sites on the Reservation.
Sweat Lodge and Closing Dinner
Our hosts have put together a sweat lodge for the evening of Thursday, May 28 that Learning/Action Lab participants are welcome to join if they would like. If you choose to participate, men should wear athletic shorts (such as basketball shorts), and women should wear a long sundress or a T-shirt and long skirt. Please bring a towel. There will be a few extra items of attire for those who do not come prepared. Also, please note that it is recommended that participants eat a light meal roughly an hour before the sweat. Our hosts will provide more detail on the timing and location when we are together on Pine Ridge. Find out more about sweat lodges here: http://www.barefootsworld.net/sweatlodge.html.
For our closing dinner on the night of Friday, May 29, Nick Tilsen has generously offered to host a cookout at his home. Nick lives off of Big Foot Trail/BIA 27, 15 miles from Thunder Valley’s offices, right after the “Big Foot Memorial.” Nick and his team will provide more detailed directions when we are all together.
Alcohol on Pine Ridge
Please note that despite a public vote to legalize alcohol on the Reservation, Pine Ridge is still dry and it is illegal to both sell and consume alcohol on the Reservation.
Weather
The weather on Pine Ridge is notoriously volatile and extreme – in fact, earlier in May they had nearly two feet of snow. While the normal temperatures from this time of year usually hover in the 70s, that can change at any time, so please be sure to check the weather in advance. At the moment the forecast for our time there shows highs in the mid-60s to low-70s, with lows in the 40s, and chances of scattered storms and periods of high wind. Be sure to bring layers and rain attire.
Expense Arrangements
Please note that as participants in the Learning/Action Lab you are responsible for your own hotel, transportation, and food costs. As part of the Lab, the sponsors will be providing certain meals (as specified on the Agenda) and will be paying for these. Other food costs are your responsibility.
Map Link to Interactive Map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/edit?authuser=0&authuser=0&hl=en&hl=en&mid=z6iPBDzZy9E4.k_4RwOlyHdgw
Please note: More information on Pine Ridge’s history and demographics can be found in the “Resources” section of the binder, as well as from the Chamber of Commerce on the same grounds as the Lakota Prairie Ranch hotel.