Help Build the Sacred Earth Lodge

It has been a very busy summer up at the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center, headquarters of TWP's Tribal Renewable Energy Program and home to the Sacred Earth Lodge! We have hosted many groups of volunteers as well as Native American trainees, and having the Lodge available to our guests has made a huge difference in the quality of the Program. We thank you, our generous friends and donors, for your support of this important project! 

New Septic System Installed

This is not the most glamorous part of today's update, but I am happy to report that we have installed the new septic system at Sacred Earth Lodge. This is obviously an important part of any building's infrastructure and your donations have helped us to complete this part of the Lodge.

Connected to the World: WiFi Installed at the Lodge

For most of us, access to WiFi is a normal part of life, not a luxury to be desired. However, for many people living on the Pine Ridge Reservation, WiFi is not accessible due to cost and poor infrastructure. Well, we are happy to report that we now have WiFi at the Sacred Earth Lodge. The internet access has improved the learning environment and has cut down on transportation costs to locations on the reservation that do have internet. The WiFi was installed just in time for the Green Business Development training in June, allowing students to do research for their business plans right inside the Lodge. In addition, it has created even more of a coffee house environment for students and guests alike.

Summer Workshops and Volunteers at the Sacred Earth Lodge

The summer months are the busiest time for the Tribal Program and the Sacred Earth Lodge. Over the past few months, we have hosted multiple training events and have many more on the schedule through the Fall. The Sacred Earth Lodge provides a quality learning space for our students as well as comfortable accommodations for multi-day workshops. Since our last report, we have hosted the Building with Compressed Earth Block, Green Business Development, and Solar Air Heating workshops. Each training has had a diverse group of students from tribes around the country. Students have been very happy with the new Sacred Earth Lodge and the comfortable space it provides for learning and socializing. Next on the schedule is a Solar Air Heater/Solar Electric training that we will host in partnership with GRID Alternatives, Solar Energy International, University of Colorado, and Thunder Valley.

In addition, we have hosted many guests at the Lodge to volunteer on a variety of projects, including compressed earth block construction, strawbale construction, and organic farming at Solar Warrior Farm. In total, we have had more than 200 people visit the Sacred Earth Lodge this summer!

Clinton Global Initiative

At the Clinton Global Initiative event in Denver, we announced our commitment to green business development in Indian Country. In partnership with Henry Red Cloud, owner of Lakota Solar Enterprises, and many other partners, we look forward to fulfilling this commitment and creating a better future for Native entrepreneurs. Your investment in the Sacred Earth Lodge and the Tribal Program is a major part of this effort. Thank you again for your generosity!