Solar Plus Suds Builds Self-Reliance — Episode 271

One Spirit’s multi‑year effort to build self‑reliance on Pine Ridge Reservation is the focus of this episode. Jeri Baker, executive director and founder (2005), explained how the organization developed a portfolio of community assets — a Buffalo House meat processing facility, a youth center with solar and batteries, food pantry programs, orchards and gardens — all designed to create jobs and local capacity. Baker described the Buffalo House’s original capacity (roughly 3–4 animals per week) and said the expansion needs about $250,000 to become USDA‑inspected so meat can be sold off the reservation. She also recounted a donor covering the $30,000 cost to drill a 350‑foot well for buffalo water and a gift of 30 commercial washers and dryers that enabled a first on‑reservation laundromat to soft‑open in April 2026 (public opening scheduled for a Saturday at 11:00 AM), charging $2 to wash and $2 to dry to pursue self‑sufficiency.

The conversation traces how renewable energy is integrated into this community development. Baker described solar and battery systems on the youth center and Buffalo House (installed with Everybody Solar and donor support) that have kept lights on during 24‑hour outages; batteries were emphasized as essential because outages are frequent. John Farrell and Baker discussed practical barriers: Pine Ridge’s grid and water infrastructure are often too weak for new loads, so projects require utility upgrades (Lacreek Electric serves most of the reservation), higher water pressure and larger drains for laundromats, and additional capital. Baker highlighted employment and training as core to One Spirit’s model: the organization pays about 30 Lakota workers, the LEG program trains ~15 men in construction and housing repair, and trainees are learning appliance and HVAC skills (three were sent to Ohio for laundry‑machine maintenance). Baker stressed that donor funding remains critical, that fundraising has become harder amid economic headwinds, and that the group shares information with other tribes but lacks capacity to scale itself. She closes with practical advice: start where you can, seek community trust and local jobs, and combine environmental values (solar/batteries) with basic services to strengthen resilience and dignity.