ABOVE: Former Prairie Star Quilt Guild (PSQG) President Char Merz shares the experiences from her recent mission trip to the Pine Ridge reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota indigenous tribe, during the group’s meeting on Monday afternoon in Fairmont. Merz shows the quilted patterns by the individuals on the reservation with photos she captured during her stay.

FAIRMONT — At the Prairie Star Quilt Guild (PSQG) meeting on Monday at the Fairmont Evangelical Covenant Church, former PSQG President Char Merz exhibited quilted works and patterns made by the Oglala Lakota indigenous tribe. Additionally, she shared her experiences during the mission in South Dakota, in partnership with Re-Member, a non-profit organization that supports the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Her presentation aimed to inspire quilting practices but also raised awareness about the lifestyle of the Native people on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

“When [the group was] at the Reservation, we are always learning the culture of the Lakota people, dances, drumming, food…and they are always very eager to teach us words and phrases in the Lakota language,” Merz said.

The Pine Ridge Reservation has a high poverty rate, according to Merz’s presentation. The one million-acre land is the home of more than 18,000 people and lacks water, electricity and goods to help them thrive. With the absence of necessities and adequate living conditions, the average resident’s life expectancy is no greater than 60 years for both men and women.

“The Lakota Tribe is a small, proud, forgotten area of good people who are in need of help because of wrongs that happened to them in the past. They aren’t poor because of themselves; they are poor because they had everything taken away from them and left with land that is almost uninhabitable. I often say to groups, ‘When you are left with nothing, what resources can you use from that?'” Merz explained.

Despite the brutal sights of rundown homes and suffering families, commitment to the Oglala Lakota culture has stayed strong, Merz said. She showed those gathered several photos of Native American ‘star quilts’, which are described as having vibrant colors and intricate designs within the star.

“Quilts are extremely important to the residents at Pine Ridge. They have cold winters just like we do in Minnesota, and many don’t have heat, so quilts are very crucial for families,” Merz said.

The art of quilting is mutually significant to both the PSQG in Fairmont and the Pine Ridge indigenous people. Merz explained that the shared craft could encourage the entire community, especially local quilters, to learn about Native American craftsmanship and culture and to develop a deeper bond.

“I think PSQG and the Natives have a lot in common with the art of quilting. The designs are different, but they often ask about how our quilters decide what design to use when we sew our quilt fabrics together. I believe that it could foster some wonderful connections. I believe the only thing holding them back from being able to make quilts is a lack of funding for supplies, and the supplies themselves,” Merz said.

During her stay at the Pine Ridge Reservation, Merz and her group completed several projects, including bunk beds, stairs for a trailer home, skirting for a trailer home and the group also worked with youth to create a vegetable garden. Merz explained during her presentation that positive change is being made for the people of Pine Ridge.

“New changes on the Reservation are solar heating and electricity is just now being implemented, so residents can have solar heat and lighting. And bigger water drilling equipment is helping to be able to dig deeper to connect with natural water in the earth, along with bringing that water to the surface and running piping to homes that are close to the well. Gardening boxes, healthy dirt and seeds are being given to the residents along with education from college horticulture students to teach them sustainable gardening for healthier food,” Merz stated.

Merz will not be visiting the Pine Ridge reservation soon, but her and her church’s support to the Pine Ridge reservation is strong. Merz encourages everyone to stay informed about Native American lifestyles.

“I think it is always important for any community, big or small, to stay informed about Native culture. I knew nothing about the Lakota people until I visited Pine Ridge. Once I met the people there and worked to help make some living conditions a little better for a few people, I had so many questions, and I continue to have questions. I soak up all the information I can about their culture, what’s happening now on the Reservation and how I can help. Sometimes people forget that they are human, too,” Merz expressed.

To become involved with the PSQG and its quilters, visit www.psqg.org. To learn about the Oglala Lakota people and culture on the Pine Ridge reservation, visit www.re-member.org.