About

“I promise.” Those two simple words said by little girl to her grandma are what started a dream bigger than even that either of them could have imagined.

Our story started long ago on a rural farm in 1950s. Young Rochelle Ripley listened with fascination at her grandmother’s stories of the Native American plight on the reservations. She learned about their tragic past and the ongoing hardships that couldn’t be overcome with hard work or perseverance. It was the kind of hardship that generation after generation faced as part of a repression against a nation of people whose only crime was living on a land another group wanted. Her grandmother didn’t only speak of sadness, but also of the beauty of the people who looked at the earth as more than a place to own. She learned of ceremonies and beliefs that guided her to become a woman who would make it her life’s mission to help others overcome adversity while also facing many of her own hardships.

The day her grandmother asked her to go home and help the People, Rochelle promised with her whole heart. Through the years she never forgot this promise and the day she became a grandmother, she knew life had come full circle and it was time to fulfill her promise. That day, hawkwing was born.

For more than twenty years, hawkwing has served the people of Cheyenne River Sioux/Lakota Tribe (CRST) in South Dakota. It works to empower the People of CRST to enhance health and education, end hunger, bring clean water, and empower individuals to overcome generational repression through programs focused on personal and community development. Its vision is that the People of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe get the chance to live healthy, fulfilling lives free of generational trauma and hardship while building better relationships among all people. With programs from micro-grants to major projects, Hawkwing has impacted the lives of nearly every person on CRST. Hawkwing is changing lives, healing hearts.