VE, EWB Complete Initial Survey of Wounded Knee Sewage Lagoon

On May 26th April Tischer and Mark Perry from Engineers Without Borders - CSU met with David Bartecchi from Village Earth, Calvin White Butterfly from the Wounded Knee District Economic Development Association and Stanley Hollow Horn, Wounded Knee Community President, to do an initial assessment of Wounded Knee's wastewater lagoon system. Village Earth has been working closely with Calvin and the Wounded Knee Communit Board on this problem to help access the resources such as Engineers Without Borders. There is still a great deal of work that needs to be done to fix the system which backs up into people's homes during the summer months. Currently, we are working to bring all of the various stakeholders together with the community including the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Rural Water Program, Indian Health Services, engineers and funding agencies. Networking is a fundamental part of how Village Earth helps support community-based efforts on the Pine Ridge Reservation.