Why Stronghold?

There is a chronic shortage of housing for the marginalized indigenous Lakota Nations of South Dakota.  A significant portion of the population lives in mobile homes, rather than conventional houses. As an example, according to the 2000 census, approximately 30% of the dwellings in Shannon County South Dakota (the location of the Pine Ridge Reservation) were mobile homes. Most of the remaining population (63.8%) lives in detached single family homes. Even these detached homes are often substandard, however, for in many cases multiple extended family members are living together in units designed from mass-produced architectural plans with space allotment and designs appropriate for nuclear families of 4 to 5 individuals.

There are organizations that are making serious efforts to meet the housing shortage, yet they recognize that the need far exceeds their resources. Woihanble Yuwita, the chapter of Habitat for Humanity on the Pine Ridge Reservation estimates, for example, that there are 1700 families on the waiting list for subsidized housing on the reservation. South Dakota Public Broadcast ran a story in the fall of 2008 about a family of 11 that had already waited four and one half years for a building.

The creation of more housing is only a part of the problem. The houses as designed are not conducive to winter and summer conditions prevalent on the Northern Plains. The cost of heating and cooling is prohibitive for reservation residents, who lack an economic infrastructure or an effective job market.  New designs are needed to provide housing appropriate for the actual conditions of the Northern Plains.  

In particular such plans must address the issues of ecological sustainability, cultural resonance, and economic feasibility.