In Oglala Lakota County in South Dakota, the life expectancy is 66 years old compared to the average American at age 78. In rural tribal communities where there are food deserts and extreme poverty, health education and resources are necessities. One way that the Native American Aid (NAA), a program of Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA), helps Native families is with its Healthy Living service. Program Partners receive support from NAA to help their tribe through classes that offer nutrition information and life skills.  

Our Program Partner on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Mary, runs the nonprofit Families Working Together (FWT), educating people to become self-sufficient. Through the NAA partnership, Mary receives hygiene items and cleaning products to use as incentives for class participation. These supplies are incredibly useful on the reservation, where there is limited availability of affordable products. 

Mary has seen great success in her community since offering classes. She told us, “We offer 50 different types of classes from preserving and canning to freeze drying and dehydrating. We also teach nutrition portions.” 

After joining the classes, Eli of the Oglala Sioux Tribe changed his lifestyle to better deal with his nutritional needs. Since 2019, he’s applied lessons from Mary to eat better and lose 25 pounds. “Mary is adamant about helping people eat healthily. Now I eat healthy at home,” he shared. Growing up living on commodities filled with carbs and sugar, Eli now has a greater interest in healthy food and said, “I love making pumpkin butter from scratch.”  

Eli even helps others at FWT through the tribe’s Day Labor program. He noted, “People here need to be healthy. There are a lot of diabetics.” In fact, diabetes is one of the top five leading causes of death for Elder Native men.  

Eli grew up in Wanblee, where FWT is headquartered, and he only wants the best for his community. He shared, “I’m glad [NAA] stepped in to support what Mary is doing here. She’s teaching people to preserve food the right way.” 

Despite knowing the right information, there’s still the challenge of purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables and gluten-free items for his new diet. Local stores are expensive, and without a car, his shopping options are limited.  

Mary is proud to offer support to her community through NAA. She shared her gratitude, saying, “We’re just boots on the ground. We can’t do anything without support, so we appreciate PWNA.” Your donation to NAA is crucial in continuing health education for Natives like Eli.