The health, safety, and well-being of our staff and community members is our top priority. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lakota Funds will be making some adjustments in our daily operations while continuing to provide access to our programs. Effective Wednesday, March 25, 2020, we will transition to a […]
Tawney Brunsch joins Community Advisory Council (CAC)
The Federal Reserve Board in late October 2019 announced four new members of its Community Advisory Council (CAC), one of them being our very own Tawney Brunsch, Executive Director of Lakota Funds. Tawney and the other new members will serve three-year terms beginning in 2020. The CAC is composed […]
Job Announcement: Janitor/Maintenance
This is a part-time position, approximately 20 hours per week. The Janitor/Maintenance will perform routine cleaning and maintenance services at the Lakota Trade Center building, haul trash from the Eagle Nest Housing twice weekly, mow grass during summer months at Lakota Trade Center and Eagle Nest Housing. Detailed job duties […]
From Chef to Restaurateur, Stacey Livermont Purchases Piesano’s Pacchia
As the 10th annual Small Business Saturday approaches, Stacey Livermont (Oglala Sioux) is celebrating her entry into restaurant ownership at Piesano’s Pacchia after 20 years as the pizzeria’s chef. She began working at Piesano’s in 1999, just three years after the restaurant opened, and has become an integral part of […]
Community Partners Combine Forces to Open Doors to Homeownership
In the tail winds of Veteran’s Day, we and two of our community partners – Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial and the Lakota Federal Credit Union – are celebrating with Garfield Iron Crow (Oglala Sioux), a Native American veteran, as construction of his new home nears completion. After serving in the […]
Frank Hunter Banks Local, Expands Cattle Operation
Frank Hunter, a life-long resident of Kyle, South Dakota, grew up in a ranching family on the Pine Ridge Reservation. And, that’s still what he’s doing today. Frank’s cattle operation consists of about 40 cow-calf pairs and some hay ground. After banking in Gordon, Nebraska for 40 years, he recently […]
Sod’s Mechanical Grows Business, Builds Workforce
Ken Soderlin began Sod’s Mechanical, a plumbing and heating business on the Pine Ridge Reservation, in 1989 with one employee and one truck. Today, his business employs 14 full-time staff members and operates a fleet of six trucks. Early in his company’s history, he took on some big jobs that […]
Eighth Renter Transitions to Homeowner in Eagle Nest Housing Development
In the midst of an extreme housing shortage, it is estimated that the Pine Ridge Reservation needs an additional 4,000 homes to provide adequate housing for residents. With a virtually nonexistent residential real estate market, families are commonly on the waiting list for low-income tribal housing for two-plus years. In […]
Art Market & Exhibit Awards Nearly $2,500 in Competition Prizes
Approximately 75 people gathered at the Lakota Prairie Ranch in Kyle for the Lakota Art Market & Exhibit, an event that featured local art vendors, an archery competition, and a youth art contest. Lakota Funds hosted the event in partnership with First Peoples Fund, and distributed a total of $2,425 […]
Native Organizations Receive Governor’s Awards in the Arts
Lakota Funds was recognized for Outstanding Support of the Arts to Native Nations with Lands in South Dakota at the 24th Biennial Governor’s Awards in the Arts presentation banquet in Pierre, which was co-sponsored by Arts South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. We were selected through an open […]