Woman’s solo efforts to help the homeless population of the Rosebud Sicangu Reservation

ROSEBUD RESERVATION. – Valencia Beth Guerue grew up helping others. When she was a child she began giving of herself to those less fortunate. It was how she was raised, believing that it is our duty to help those in need. On any reservation in America, you do not need to look far to find someone living without their basic needs being met.

The mother of 13, Valencia recruited her children to cook, set up tables and provide additional assistance in caring for those who did not have their basic human needs. As we enter October in South Dakota, the bitter cold weather is weeks away and some people have no shelter or food on the Rosebud Reservation. As a volunteer, Valencia does not have the means to support the people in the most danger of freezing to death or starving to death as winter approaches.

Valencia volunteered for three years at the shelter that was set up in Mission and later moved to the Pine Ridge Reservation to the Rooks Funeral Home. The Rosebud Tribe had a program for homeless veterans set up in a log house behind the veterans building. Since Valencia had worked in law enforcement, she knew it was important to separate the intoxicated homeless from those who were alcohol and drug free. Churches and volunteers from around the country brought or sent clothing. People were were given bedding and supplies for their personal hygiene. They were given new clothes and the clothes they were wearing were laundered or thrown away. If alcohol was a personal demon, they were set up in treatment programs and they were signed up for EBT cards to help provide food and possibly other necessities if their stipend is awarded in cash.

It is disturbing to learn that in order to receive help from a homeless shelter on the Rosebud Sicangu Reservation, one must sign over the EBT card people have been given which is worth a few hundred dollars at most, leaving the individual without any means of financial freedom. The form that clearly states this fact is attached to this article and must be signed before a person can be provided shelter.

The new president of the RST, Kathleen Wooden Knife, has worked on behalf of the homeless population of the Rosebud Reservation and was Valencia’s supervisor in this capacity. After recently taking over as tribal president, she has many pressing responsibilities that are calling for her immediate attention. However, the brutal winter months will not wait for her to become acclimated to her new role unless loss of life is acceptable to her administration. People are told that if they are from the Pine Ridge Reservation, they must return there. The Rosebud Reservation will not help them out.

This 55 year old woman has no car of her own and is dependent on her children for transportation. Valencia has been encouraged to look into organizations who collect and restore donated cars and gift them to people in need around the country. All of her work with the homeless has been done on a volunteer basis and no one can question the validity of the need not only for a vehicle but also for the funds for fuel and maintaining the vehicle once she finds it.

One of the people she assists is named Calvert Swallow. He is paralyzed from the neck down and living in an RV at the fair grounds on the Rosebud Reservation. His wheelchair was stolen and he has no running water. Calvert receives little to no help from the Rosebud Tribe. Valencia is bringing him hot food and fresh coffee and tribal president Kathleen Wooden Knife receives updates on his situation from Valencia. Still, his situation is dire. Valencia provides what help she can from her own pocket which is nowhere near enough. A line of funding needs to be established to provide basic services for the homeless population on Rosebud.

Currently, the Rosebud Tribe has 50 emergency cases. Past cases include one man who was frozen to death in a snow bank when road workers accidentally cut off one of his legs. Another was burnt to death in a tent, trying to stay warm.

One homeless young man was suffering from addiction to rubbing alcohol laced with vodka. The stories of trauma are endless. Some homeless are recently released members of the prison population. A safety network has not been set up to accommodate the needs of tribal populations at risk and provide them with a little help and hope. The system is already taxed to the limit making it easy for some residents to fall through the cracks.

Churches come around, primarily to work with the children, but what about all of the adults who are on the edge of oblivion?

Like many Native people, Valencia is supporting herself with her skills as a crafts artisan. She makes beautiful star quilts and sells her bread so that she can help support her family and funnel funds to the homeless population that remains almost invisible around her.

The Rosebud Sicangu Tribe had planned to honor Valencia for her work with the homeless population of the reservation with presenting her with a jacket that was made especially for her. The jacket was completed but the RST decided not to finalize the sale so the sporting goods store that arranged for the commission of the jacket called Valencia and to ask if she would like to purchase it herself. The price was $300 and she found a way to gather the funds to purchase the jacket that was intended as a gift in recognition for her service and dedication to her people. A picture of the jacket is included with this article.

Readers of the Native Sun Newspaper are asked to consider contributing socks, underwear, hats, scarves and other items such as personal hygiene needs like toothpaste, soap and shampoo to be given out to people in need. There is no time like the present to step up and make a difference in the life of someone else.

Mitakuye Oyasin. We are all related. And we cannot forget it.

Valencia Beth Guerue can be reached at bethcetanluta@gmail.com.

Native Sun News Correspondent Mia Feroleto can be reached at mia.feroleto@gmail.com

The post Woman’s solo efforts to help the homeless population of the Rosebud Sicangu Reservation first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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