A community advocating for tangible solutions to homelessness

RAPID CITY – As expected, the winter chill is setting in and worse conditions are expected. It’s the natural progression in Rapid City South Dakota, as natural as Tate (the Wind) whipping leaves from the trees followed by freezing temperatures and piles of snow. It’s a punishing and deadly environment for the homeless population.

Most of the members of this population are Native American according to The Homeless Coalition’s Point In Time Count survey from January of this year.

Even though Rapid City has spent a lot of time and money creating local resources like the Care Campus, Pivot Point, Rapid City Police Quality of Life Unit, Journey On and other assistance for those working through mental crises, addictions and temporary homelessness, the homeless population has not abated and in fact has increased.

After it was announced that the Hope Center would be closing in early December, Urban Roots Ancient Wisdom sponsored a Healthy Communities event on October 31 at The Dahl, in an effort to create collaboration and cooperation so the community can work together to find solutions to complex issues like homelessness.

Annie Bachand CEO/Founder of Urban Roots Ancient Wisdom (formerly Recovery Communities of South Dakota) said the city’s effort to reduce homelessness has not been successful because their focus is inaccurate. “The root is not homelessness. The root is not self-medication through drugs and alcohol. The root cause is unresolved trauma and grief. Both as a community overall and the individuals that reside or move through this community. We all have it. And either we’re actively addressing it or we’re not.”

Bachand said the community has segmented out, judged and dehumanized people and this has created a new caste system. “The unsheltered in our community or the quote un-quote homeless in our community are a part of the untouchable in the caste system within this community.” She said the narrative around the issue of addiction and homelessness has to change. “We don’t’ tell people who are in the middle of cancer treatment to just get a job and you’ll feel better. We don’t do that. But we do that with people who are experiencing unresolved trauma and grief.” Bachand said it’s a lie. She said its’ unpopular to speak truth to power but her life today can be attributed to a certain privilege. “Today I get to celebrate 31 years of sobriety and I get to do that, and get to be alive, because of the friends around me, who allowed me to sleep on their couch instead of on the streets. I get to do that I am convinced because my skin is really light and I have blue eyes. I got a lot of privilege. I got a lot of grace that my sisters and brothers with darker skin did not get “

Scotland native Aiveen Martin, who has made Rapid City her home, is a well-being consultant. Because she has done this kind of work a lot in the United Kingdom – bringing disparate groups together for a common end – she was asked by Urban Roots to facilitate the conference.

Martin explained in a heavy Scottish brogue, “I think I’m the perfect person to take this position because I don’t bring a lot of baggage. I’m not from one side or the other. But I am carrying in my heart the experience of historical genocidal policies. I have Irish ancestry too as well as Scottish. I have an understanding.” Martin said we are all the same. “We all have the same hopes and dreams about the lives we want to live. We all want to be safe, we all want to live in peace and flourish. These are things that everybody should be able to expect in their lives. The disparity here is really stark and static. “

She said the event is specific to crafting immediate measures that the community can take as well as longer term solutions to help the people and families who are living on the streets. Martin said their efforts during the conference was to collaborate on desirable outcomes and strategy from the conference. She said something needs to be done right now to make sure people are safe for the winter. She said it might be that a couple of pilot programs will have to be tried in the next couple of years but must be transparent and measurable. “But we can’t just leave people out in the streets”.

The 70 plus participants were grouped at different tables and asked to collaborate through 4 sessions, identifying specific issues, solutions, outcomes and strategic plans to help homeless families and individuals.

At one point, Bachand said there had been conversations about purchasing hotels and investing in hotels and while she said she would be more than happy to talk about that after the event she said the conference is part of an ongoing process. Bachand said. ”In the past, we’ve had one organization or one person trying to come up with solutions. That’s not a solution. This is a community challenge that a community together has to be willing to take and move forward. It’s called a Community Readiness Model .And if the community is ready to work together, then the community will move this forward.” She said it’s not upon one person or one person’s idea. ”That does not have longevity nor does it have sustainability. And every table I heard talk about was this notion that we get grants, a program gets set up and then goes away because the grant goes away. That has to change. Bachand continued, “That’s what this is about today, is finding long-term, sustainable solutions.” She assured attendees that Healthy Communities would continue to meet to solve the short-term challenges.

Bachand noted that the homeless members of the community who were in attendance were all sitting at the same table. They were very much focused on immediate needs as they worked together seeking short-term solutions. Speaking for the group, the table host said “The men are out there, you know, there’s a lot of alcoholics and they need counseling, they need sponsors. Women, we need a place to cook. We don’t want to eat just hot dogs and pizza every Wednesday and whatever days. We need to go out there and cook our Lakota food.”  Her voice was filled with urgency to find a solution to prevent more deaths.

Bachand said Urban Roots will compile a report from the event.  

The Urban Roots website has comprehensive community engagement resources from a Healthy Communities workshop to a Civic Citizens Learning Center where visitors can learn about U.S. naturalization, U.S. Federal Government and information about elected officials, with exams to test your knowledge. You can also track bills to get. You can also learn more about the Interfaith Council, and their collaboration with Urban Roots and Ancient Wisdom to create a community of understanding and healing by bringing together people of different faith and spirit traditions to talk and work together. There are resources to help employers better understand discrimination and their legal obligations, for instance The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Religion or Belief: A Guide to the Law. The Equality Act of 2010 and the Human Rights act of 1998 which protect people with or without religion or belief.

For more information contact info@urbanrootancientwisdom.org or call 605 646 3395.

(Contact Marnie Cook at staffwriter@nativesunnews.today)

The post A community advocating for tangible solutions to homelessness first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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