Solve at Standing Rock 2018
Solve at Standing Rock is a two-day gathering to celebrate and uplift the innovative sustainability work currently being done in Indian Country. This event will highlight the 2018 Oceti Sakowin | Solve Fellows and their projects, which bring renewable energy and food accessibility to the community and contribute to economic prosperity and sovereignty.
Join MIT Solve, Oceti Sakowin members, corporations, foundations, NGOs, government officials, and academics on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. Over these two days, we will focus on how native lands hold huge potential for indigenous people to lead the environmental movement, from solar panel installations to sustainable community housing and from renewable energy building audits to agriculture technique courses.
This event is free and open to all members of Oceti Sakowin. To learn more, get in touch with Solve at ocetifellows@solve.mit.edu.
Rock Industries
Located in Fort Yates, North Dakota, the tribal headquarters of the Standing Sioux Tribe, Rock Industries is a manufacturing and machine warehouse established in 2007.
Standing Rock Tribal Council Building
The Tribal Council passes legislation, makes budgets, approves of financial transactions, and makes major decisions affecting the tribe. This building has undergone an energy assessment as part of Phyllis Young's Energy Efficiency project.
- Basic Needs: Food + Housing
Food and housing sovereignty considers ancestral knowledge, sustainability, community access,
self-determination, and health. In spite of existing food deserts and extreme poverty, first nations communities are sites of innovative indigenous food system revivals and culturally relevant housing models. This interactive discussion will focus on the current work being done in the food and housing space—from foraging and harvesting techniques to greenhouses and cooking workshops. We will also focus on sustainable shelter; including community buildings and residential properties that meet the cultural, environmental, and economic needs of the community. -
Relying on the Sun: Solar + Renewables
The plains region has enormous renewable energy potential, from the continuous and unobstructed prairie winds to the major rivers that run through the Dakotas to the abundant sunshine. In fact, North Dakota has more days of sunshine than any other US state that borders Canada. Join this session to explore the current work being done in the solar power space on reservations—from off-grid systems to solar installation training programs.
Over dinner, hear from the younger generation as they discuss their inspiration and vision for those who will come after them. Their drive to build a sustainable future interwoven with culturally implemented technology takes into account the Seventh Generation Principle, in which decision-makers are urged to consider the effects of their actions on future descendants seven generations into the future.
Ancestral lands and waters hold over 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity. The Oceti Sakowin and other native communities have lived in communal and sustainable stewardship of the land for centuries. This session will focus on how different supporters and stakeholders can preserve and protect natural resources for the present and future. We will begin with an acknowledgement of the cultural and historical legacy of the Oceti Sakowin living sustainably with the earth.
Community Involvement + Workforce Development
Oceti Sakowin members are building their communities through workforce development and social enterprise acceleration, in balance with ancestral ways and accessible technologies. Join us to discuss best practices for intergenerational, community-based project development grounded in traditional approaches.-
Implementing Projects + Creating Standards
Renewable energy infrastructure can transform the Oceti Sakowin, but how can the standards reflect the values, needs, and intentions of community? Join us for a conversation about creating, implementing, and sharing energy standards.
Sitting Bull College
Guided by Lakota/Dakota culture, values, and language, Sitting Bull College is a Tribal College committed to building intellectual capital through academic, career and technical education, and promoting economic and social development.