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“Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat.”

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 Balancing in two worlds

As I sat next a fire in the crisp air of the country of where my family lived on the Northern part of the Cheyenne River Reservation, I began to think about the balance we must carry walking in two worlds. The modern-day Indigenous person has a social media account, watches their favorite shows, has a smartphone, drives a vehicle, makes their payments, et cetera. In a sense, many of us choose to live how we are programmed by western society, and it could be debated that we are colonized to an extent. Although, we must utilize what we have and learned to empower our people and those around us to strengthen our cultural identity within ourselves.  In contrary, our indigenous identities can never be suppressed as each and every one of us have a connection to the land, people, and the energy in our surroundings. We can feel it when we slow down our minds, when we shut off the electronics, when we turn down the noise in our brains that we are used to everyday. We feel the connection when we are in nature, when we are around water, when we hear our native tongue being spoken. It’s this connection that will never leave us as it is inherent, and our gut instinct tells us that the life we live is foreign to us, but we adapt to survive. 

            A balance can be found in almost every aspect of our lives, and it is this balance that our ancestors and elders teach us about. It’s difficult for a majority of Indigenous people to recognize this balance with everything we have to adjust to. The balance in life is referred to the Canku Luta Ki (The Red Road) and is a way of living that has kept our ancestors strong before settler contact on the western hemisphere. The red road has many interpretations but can be simplified as a way of living that is beautiful but difficult to adhere to. The concept or belief in the red road way of life is a positive way of living that can provide a better understanding of life and purpose. Indigenous people live by this concept to find their identity, to find sobriety, to seek honor while living with values daily. Living in the modern world, following the traditional way of living can have its challenges but I would say, life will be difficult whether regardless of what we decide to do. Why not strengthen our families through our cultural belief systems? 

            Now, there is a different way of living that many of our people follow which is called Canku Sapa Ki, the black road. This is the counterpart to the red road and the black road is filled with everything that is the opposite. We see this everyday of our lives with people, families, and the communities we may live in. The black road is the easy way to live because it keeps us from being held accountable for our own actions as the connection to our inner consciousness (nagi) becomes weak. We lose direction in life and become emotionless and self-serving individuals. We have a choice everyday which way of thinking we can walk in our every waking day. Many will not discuss the black road but will praise the red road the most. This is where we become imbalanced again as we cannot be all good and positive all the time of our life. The balance in our everyday life reflects where our integrity lies and how we are genuinely as a person. 

            The two concepts of the ways of living represented as Canku Luta Ki and Canku Sapa Ki are seen in many cultures around the world with a similarity to the yin and the yang. We have to find a balance everyday especially attempting to maintain our traditional identity while living in the fast-paced world around us. We have nothing to lose but only gain if we allow ourselves to accept our identities and strengthen our connections to culture, spirituality, and the land.

Hecetu welo 

Sunka Luta

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It's All Connected

Lakota spiritualty and traditions are the foundation for identity for many indigenous peoples throughout the world. I was not raised traditionally but the culture and language were always available through family gatherings and cultural activities. There were several times in my youth that opportunities presented itself to learn about our culture through art and actively participating in community events. The cultural identity become a strong pinnacle of strength when I became a father and had to take the necessary steps to become the role model I could. Based on my upbringing, I wanted my children to have complete access to the culture and language and what better way is for the parents to teach in the home. Upon my journey into spirituality, I was able to build relationships with family elders and community members to assist in teaching and sharing the culture and language. The wide variety of culture that is available on reservations takes years to understand and comprehend and by doing so, the lessons come through action. During the journey, I recalled a few elders who taught us how to make certain cultural items during my youth which I had put away items and kept them safe. 

Eventually, my mentor started relying more and more on my assistance which pushed me to become a newer version of myself. He also advised me to keep safe the sacred items I was taking care of and how I was to keep them safe. 

            Around 2017, my father became very ill with COPD and his health declined rapidly which we utilized every aspect of the culture and spirituality to assist through ceremony and consistent prayer. I had felt that this was a monumental point in my spirituality that would test my belief system and help us utilize the strength of the prayers. We had reached out to other spiritual leaders and did everything we knew possible to offer our assistance to my father like we have done for so many others. We did a lot of traveling between reservations and the hospital for three weeks solid during this time. Additionally, this brings me back to the cultural items I was taking care of and had not utilized them for their spiritual purposes as of yet. Eventually, our entire family and extended families came together to support our father and families’ decisions as he was only able to write on a board now. Before his health dropped, he wrote me a last message of to utilize those cultural items now! This was a clear sign from my father who was on his death bed to bring them out and utilize them how they were intended. At the time, I was sure he would pull through because we did the very most we could do through our cultural spirituality, and this is where we see miracles happen. All the long days and nights through the past fifteen years were meant for this specific moment. His health deuterated quickly after receiving the written message, and the next day we watched him take his last breaths. I was in shock as I was certain that our prayers were heard, and he would make a recovery. Watching his pulse rate slowly subside and attempting to comprehend what happening while hearing the wails of my family members around me, I walked out to gather myself. From when I stood up and the walk to the elevator to the hospital chapel was quiet but filled with confusion and anger. In those moments, my mind was racing, and my inner monologue was saying this is not true, prayer doesn’t work, why do I believe these things, and it’s a waste of time. Once I reached the chapel it was a one room chapel or prayer room and sat there for twenty minutes in shock. Eventually, I seen a prayer request box and laughed to myself. For a half an hour, my belief in my culture was shook to its core but when I glanced at the prayer request box, the thought of my father writing me his last message hit me like a ton of bricks. It an instant everything that lead up to this moment crossed my mind and my belief in prayer came back tenfold. I began thinking about where he is headed, the people that he loves and that love him are going to be after this. I need to be present and strong for our family here!

            When it comes to spirituality and belief systems, we often need to see it to believe or need a sign to confirm our beliefs. In Lakota spirituality, there are many ways to reinforce our beliefs, but we must be open and aware of our surroundings to notice the signs that help us along the way. Finally, I leave with this, don’t be afraid to ask questions and always remember; everything happens for a reason but it’s for us to attempt to understand why?  - Sunka Luta

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Native American youth workforce

Over the weekend, something happened to my vehicle and at my mother's house that made me realize how fortunate I was to have grown up learning how to make various trades. The first thing to happen was on the way back up to Rapid City from the reservation, my ride got a flat tire, and it was dark and cold out when this happened. I changed the tire to my spare and was fortunate to make it back safely during these cold winter nights. 

The other dilemma was that the hot water heater went out at my mom's, and after trying a few ideas, we could temporarily fix it. Having the ability to make these trades made me realize how a lot of younger kids do not have people to show them how to do a simple task like changing a tire. After thinking about this for a few days, I realized something needs to be done to show our younger men the skills needed to be successful in their future.

           Looking at the workforce now and the help from tradespeople shows that some people do not need to attend college to make a living. The pay is way up due to the shortage of skilled workers these days, and it is a career young men can do to provide for families if they stick to it. When I researched the pay rates for skilled tradespeople, I came across this statement that makes me want to do something to help these younger Lakota people get the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. "These career benefits stem from the fact that there is a significant shortage of skilled trade workers. For the past several decades, the gap between the need for skilled trade workers and the supply has been steadily growing in the United States and other more economically developed countries. According to Forbes, more than 3 million skilled trade jobs will remain open by 2028. This means that trade jobs will continue to be in high demand." (SKILLED TRADE CAREERS: KNOW ALL THE OPTIONS, 2021).

When thinking about this fact and the need for workers for the future of this country to develop, if a person can get the skills they need and the knowledge passed down to them by older people, the sky is the limit for our youth. Having older people like my grandpa, uncles, and cousins showing me how to make various trades makes me feel lucky to learn these skills and makes me want to have our younger people know a skilled trade. The reservation is poverty-stricken by unemployment and other factors. If these more youthful kids can get the skills needed, they can come back to our reservation and start their businesses. 

           The time is now for us older people that know trades and skills to start passing these down to the next generation to give them and our reservation hope for a brighter future. Passing down knowledge and teachings is a value our ancestors used for hundreds of years to survive and is a virtue we Lakota men need to do for our younger kids who have no positive male figure to look up to and gain knowledge. 

Works Cited

SKILLED TRADE CAREERS: KNOW ALL THE OPTIONS. (2021, 07 21). Retrieved from ASVAB Career Exploration Program: https://www.asvabprogram.com/media-center-article/135

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More to be thankful for than a holiday

            As we are nearing close to the holiday season of family gatherings and dinners, we cannot forget how fortunate we are to celebrate times like these. It makes me ponder and think about the past few years of not being able to have large gatherings with family due to the pandemic that shut down our everyday tasks and business we did on the daily. It would be hard to imagine if that is how life would be for all of us going forward and not being able to make memories with our family, friends, and kids during the holiday season. The past year made me appreciate more things that get taken for granted and never take for granted the freedoms we must live our lives after not being able to celebrate holidays and family get-togethers.

           The Thanksgiving holiday has always been a favorite of mine because of getting to eat good food and spend time with family. The only issue that, like many Native American members across the country, is not knowing the real story behind the holiday and how it affects people who know the truth about the day. Reading a story online made me think about the day and how even though it brings our families together to eat and spend needed time together, it also brings back memories of the past times our ancestors went through. The article stated, “Not only is Thanksgiving offensive to Indigenous people, but it glorifies colonialism, slavery, and even epidemics. Many Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving have no idea just how cruel the holiday’s origins are.” (Hirsh, 2021).

Our country needs to acknowledge the history of past traumas and attempted genocide committed against Native American tribes in the US. Without trying to heal and move forward caused these issues, we can never move to have a strong relationship with our government, and the past actions will never be forgotten. By at least telling the truth about the holidays and traditions that offend people of different races will attempt to have stronger relationships with our citizens and move towards getting away from the hate we have been experiencing. 

           Here is another holiday season of spending time with our families and trying to make up for previous years of being apart. Now is the time to show our loved ones how much we love them and spend needed time together despite all the death we have seen over the past few years on my reservation. With this, I challenge all my fellow people to put down their phones for the whole day and talk to our family without any distractions or interference to show them the love and attention they deserve,

Works Cited

Hirsh, S. (2021, 11 22). Thanksgiving Glorifies the Abhorrent Colonization of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from GreenMatters: https://www.greenmatters.com/p/why-is-thanksgiving-bad

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Our Children's future with the rise of school violent shootings in the USA

             As my son gets older, he enters high school in less than a year - one thing has been on my mind and bothering me. Over the past decade, one could say the rise in school shootings in the United States has become more than a problem; now, where it is a crisis and how often they happen. The last shooting in Uvalde, Texas, made me break down. I was scared that kids who should enjoy returning to school after Covid being away from their friends shouldn't suffer through such an unimaginable act of violence. 

When I looked up the statistics on the shootings over the past years and read this, it made me fear for my son. I want him to enjoy his high school years. According to an article in Education Week - "There have been 35 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths so far in 2022, more than in any single year since Education Week began tracking the incidents in 2018." (Blad, 2022). 

When will enough be enough for our country to think about the future of the USA? That our kids who should not have to fear going to school worrying about a school shooter. What made me question this situation is knowing that schools have put in place drills for shootings and measures to protect teachers, staff, and children in case a shooting occurs. Even with all these practices and drills put in place, there are still no gun reform laws being set in law to protect our children, and these shootings are still an ongoing occurrence. 

One thing that stuck with me about all this violence in our schools in this country is no matter how bad our reservations get a terrible reputation for violence and drugs; I cannot recall a school shooting on a reservation in South Dakota. What makes our people and culture special is how we consider each other relatives and care about each other where no violence like this has happened in a reservation school. High school is supposed to be a particular time in a young man's life, which is why I feel nervous about my son entering high school.

      When senseless acts of violence happen in our country and our kids' schools, it makes you think about gun rights and safety being taught at home by the parents who give these kids easy access to guns. When an 18-year-old teenager can walk into a gun store and legally purchase an assault rifle with no questions, it makes you wonder why these kinds of weapons are so easy to buy and why these school shootings happen. I favor the right to bear arms to protect your home and family, but when it comes to this point in my life where I feel unrest about my son being able to attend high school without me having to fear a shooting can happen. Longer and deeper background checks are needed to purchase a gun not used for hunting or a handgun used to protect yourself; gun laws need changing to prevent future school shootings. 

In the aftermath of all this senseless gun violence, I am asking my fellow Americans when enough is enough of us to see our children die in their schools. What bothers me the most is how our government tries to make this crisis political and wants to brainwash people. Into believing the government is trying to take away their guns and guns right when that is a proven lie to make their supporters believe the lies told. No parent should worry about if their child will come home safe from school and hope gun violence stops.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Blad, E. (2022, 10 5). School Shootings Reach Record Level, Data Show. Retrieved from Education Week: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-reach-record-level-data-show/2022/10

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State Elections 2022

It is an important year for my state of South Dakota regarding people getting to the voting booths and letting their voices be heard. Over the past four years, our state has seen our votes not matter, and the people who lived here their entire lives get treated like we are not smart enough to make the changes and choices we voted for. I cast a vote two years ago to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in our state, and I feel like my voice was not heard by our governor. Over the past couple of years, seeing how our state ran during the Covid pandemic made me think about voting again to see if my vote and voice are not going to be heard. The citizens of South Dakota showed up at the polls in 2020 to vote for Amendment A which data shows 225,260 voted yes compared to 190,477 who voted against it. (Sneve, 2020). The votes don't lie about what the people of our state wanted, and it is unfair our voice was not heard when voting is the most patriotic right we have in our country.

           The governor we have right now in charge speaks on freedom and people's right to speak out, but this only applies to certain people. The Native American tribes across South Dakota showed the sovereignty power that we have when they shut down our borders to outsiders when Covid was rampaging through our state. All the leaders in our communities were trying to do was protect the health of our tribal members, and this caused a division between our governor against Natives tribes across South Dakota. All this showed was the power and authority she wants to force upon the residents of this state, even if it is wrong and goes against the safety of her own people she governs. The division caused between tribal leaders and our state government will impact the future of our members if we cannot understand how to create better relationships and communication between them.

           It is crucial that people vote for the changes we desperately need within our country and, importantly, the states we set our roots in. If we feel like our voices go unheard and don't vote, it will not create the changes the people want to see to better the future of our children's lives. Voting is a human right that people take for granted in our country, and they do not realize that governments worldwide do not have this human right and have no voice in their country's democracy. I hope people exercise this opportunity; we must make the changes the residents of this country and state want to see to impact the way we think about how our choices matter and how voting is the key to change in any government.

Works Cited

Sneve, J. (2020, 11 4). Recreational marijuana passes in South Dakota. Retrieved from Argus Leader: https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/04/2020-election-results-recreational-marijuana-amendment-a/6147937002/

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Healthcare for Everyone

As the winter season comes upon our state once again it makes me wonder about the people that do not have access to the proper health care or insurance hospitals require. People get left with huge medical bills from not having health insurance when they are referred out to hospitals from our IHS clinics on the reservation. I know this from my own experience I got stuck with a medical bill after being referred out and getting stuck with a medical bill from the Monument hospital. Having good medical insurance from my old job, I realized how fortunate I was to have this luxury, and people from my reservation do not have this to cover their health and medical bills.

            The clinics on the reservation do not offer the best health care to our members even though it was put in the treaties for our people to get free health care that is adequate. The tribal members see these issues when they have family members get sent home without proper care and pass away due to not getting the medical help from our clinic. Many families lose loved ones due to being misdiagnosed and not getting the proper health care when they go to the hospitals on reservations. When they do get sent out to hospitals that can give them the care needed this is when our members get stuck with expensive medical bills that they are stuck with and can ruin their credit score. Tribes in our country were promised free and adequate health care when we signed the treaties with the US government and are seeing these not honored with our health care that is provided on our reservations. The Pine Ridge Reservation sees the effects of these problems with our people not getting to the hospital in a timely manner due to our ambulance service being short staffed with workers and not having doctors at our hospital that treat members with the proper medical treatments.

            Even though we do not get the best health care, I am thankful it is free and makes me feel sympathetic for the people in our country that don’t have any access to free health care. We see countries that give every citizen access to free health care and this is an issue our country needs to address. Getting proper health care should be a human right to which every person is entitled no matter what country they live in. I am glad there are options like affordable health care being offered to people but this still doesn’t fix the issue our citizens face in the U.S.A of not having access to free health care like other countries offer to their people. Problems like our health care are issues that need to be addressed in the coming years and the reason why voting is important is to get elected officials in there that work for the people of this country.

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Social Media Influence

With the rise and power, we have seen how the internet and social media influence people's beliefs worldwide, especially our youth, when enough is enough. Our country already had enough division and hatred after the former President spread his bigotry and racism to his supporters, making them storm our nation's Capital. The people who believed these lies and attacked Federal officers after going into Capitol show the influence of powerful and famous people on people's lives nowadays due to social media apps and the internet. This disgusting act on January 11th showed everyone around the world, not only our country, how easy it could be for famous people who get looked up to can use their influence for the wrong reasons.

           This week we have seen Kanye West use his influence and status to speak and spread hate speech towards the Jewish community and the power he has over his followers joining him. Not only has he lost his massive deal with Adidas worth millions and his clothing line, but it caused a division among his kids mother, and people close to him. These hate speeches and rants these celebrities go on affect their own families and influence their supporters to join in on the hatred and bigotry that it spreads. Famous people like rappers are the people our kids look up to and support on social media due to the internet accessed by people with Wi-Fi or a phone. Native American children get influenced by people who know nothing about our history or culture, and this is a problem that must be changed to give our youth positive role models to look up to in life.

           Not only is this evident on social media and the internet, but we can also see it happening within our government and politics that are going on now. We see this with the people getting support to run and control our states in this country that do not have the people's best interest at heart while running for the Senate. There is no more proof to back this up in Georgia, where they have someone running for the US Senator position who has no experience or is qualified for the title. He has the support of Republican backing who don't care or are worried if he is qualified to do the job and only support him to get a Republican in the Senate to continue to control the Senate. Native Americans have always had an abusive relationship with trusting our government and elected officials due to the past traumas our people have endured. South Dakota is currently having a difficult time with our tribes charging our governor with her viewpoint towards tribes here in our state, and this is an issue must change for our people to trust our elected officials.

           Now is the time to monitor what our children watch and listen to on the internet and ensure we do not let the wrong people influence them. Our tribe has seen the impact of our youth committing suicide or dying of gun violence due to the outside influences they see on the internet. Our youth deserve to have positive role models to look up to within our communities and a positive outlook on life. Social media and the internet are here to stay; it is up to us adults to watch the content our kids watch so we can see children's role models. Our tribe comes from strong ancestors that watched out for our children because they are sacred to us, and this is what must happen. Adults must instill our value system into our families to guide the youth in these challenging times.

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Affordable Education in Indian Country

This was a good week for me as I am so grateful to be Native American and get an affordable college degree. I am currently unemployed due to taking a semester off to focus on my schoolwork and this grant and scholarship helps a lot. I pay roughly around $5000 a semester for my classes and without this grant I would think college would be unimaginable.

            The Pell grant has helped me out more than it will ever know, and I am thankful for this, or I do not think I would of ever went to college because I thought it cost too much and was impossible for someone like me coming from where I do. We have seen the negative impact student struggle with finishing their degree, but also having to pay back the outrageous student loan interest that comes with getting these predatory loans.

Many Native Americans grow up in poverty. Too often we must go in debt by getting these loans to afford a college education. The average poverty rate on my reservation is 53.75% compared to the USA rate of 15.6% Tribal members struggle on an everyday basis; this is compacted with the low unemployment rate. The Covid Pandemic made it even more complex and harder to get by.

All the challenging work I have been putting into my education has been paying off in a positive way by me getting scholarships that can get me by enough to pay my bills for now until the end of the semester. This semester has been a challenge financially because I quit my full-time job at our native clinic to focus on my classes this semester because they are all difficult courses. I am glad I did to be able to focus on getting homework done on time and doing the best work I can.

            I am glad for every student out their struggling to pay these loans are getting any form of help with the one-time student loan forgiveness that is being offered by the Department of Education. They are offering up to $20,000 if you received a Pell Grant and $10,000 if you did not receive one which to me is better than nothing considering the circumstances all of us have been dealing the past couple of years. Growing up our parents tell us we need to get a degree to have a successful life and get a decent job, but what isn’t told or explained to students is the effects these loans can have on a person from impacting their credit scores to having your wages garnished when working to pay off the insane interest rate.

            I hope every student, not just Native American students from poverty-stricken areas knows about these Pell Grants and uses them to their advantage. Also, I hope they find out about scholarships, and applying for them will go a long way also and knowing about the American Indian College Fund is another resource that helps Native Americans reach their goals of finishing their college education and helping with financial aid. We get told sometimes that we cannot break the stigma of alcoholism and being poor, but education is the key to breaking this vicious cycle and bringing hope to our people and tribes.

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What is the Major Challenge You Faced in Your Business?

The challenges of growing a business - and how to meet them

Growing a business is hard. It's really, really hard. And it's not just about the stress of running your own company; it's also about meeting all the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. There are many things you're going to have to deal with as you expand your business:

Keeping up with the market. As you grow and expand, you'll have to learn more about your customers and what they want from you so that you can continue to provide them with the products and services they need.

Planning ahead. You need to plan ahead for both short-term goals (like making sure there's always enough money in the bank) and long-term goals (like building a strong brand identity).

Cash flow and financial management. Your cash flow needs to be strong enough so that you can pay your bills on time—but not so strong that it becomes overwhelming or stressful if something goes wrong.

Problem-solving. Problems are inevitable when running a business, but dealing with them effectively is key to keeping morale high among employees and customers alike!

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Leaders: Don’t Let Your Communication Skills Outrun Your Character

Leaders: Don’t Let Your Communication Skills Outrun Your Character

Over the last 20+ years, whenever I’ve been called in to help a church or ministry communicate the news of a leader’s moral failure, I’ve noticed a …Leaders: Don’t Let Your Communication Skills Outrun Your Character

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Can Overcome

You can overcome anything. You can completely recreate yourself. Nothing in life is permanent. Living with hope and having a positive attitude can help you overcome any obstacle you face!

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Win Again

Winning takes a simple attitude to try again and again, even when others say you can’t win! Win more when you eliminate the naysayers and those who would hinder you from winning! Remind yourself you can win!

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Basically

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Housing Affordability Crisis

Last night I could not sleep because I had a dilemma on my mind thinking about my life and how easy it used to be for our parents and their parents before us. Thinking about this, I thought about the lack of affordable housing situation. I was thinking about what I need to do to get my own house and how I have been working on my credit, but it seems like I am getting nowhere. It made me sad and angry at the same time knowing that before, you could get an affordable house, but now you must deal with all the price gouging and inflation that is happening around us.

Inflation and high rent are so unfair to me now that I am old enough to have the ability to purchase my first house, but everything that has been happening around us the past couple of years has made owning a home almost impossible. It is terrible enough that rent is sky high, and property owners can charge whatever price they want to when first-time homebuyers could pay on a mortgage instead of sky-high rent. I am waiting and hoping that within a year or two, the housing market will go back to normal, and I will find an affordable home and not have to pay rent to these property owners who do not care and only want their money.

I know I am not the only person who feels this way and feels cheated out of being able to own our own houses and pay a mortgage like our parents and their parents did. Inflation has made it impossible for me and every other who dreams of owning their homes so much nowadays that it seems like purchasing your first home is out of reach when it should be your right to be American and work in this country. The past year I have taken a homebuyer’s class offered by Lakota Funds on my reservation and have been talking to my bank about what my credit score will need to be to secure a first-time homebuyer’s loan which is my goal. I am doing what I need to gain the knowledge and what I need to do to accomplish my goal of owning my first house.

The main reason according to articles I have read is it is not a housing crisis but an affordability crisis and this is what makes it harder now more than ever to buy a home. Mortgage rates are the highest they have been since 2008 and the racial homebuyer gap is also a major reason for this problem in our country. Also adding to this dilemma is the fact that median-priced homes are now soaring to new highs of more than $749 per month price increase and making it seem impossible for a person who is of a different race to own their first home.