For decades, Native American support has been a pillar of TOS-USA’s annual granting activity.  In the past, we have primarily supported educational organizations, and we continue to support the Lakota Waldorf School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

This year, TOS-USA is supporting a new project that offers a solution to a major problem at Pine Ridge: an extreme housing shortage.  Pine Ridge is short approximately 20,000 houses.  It is not unusual for three or even four families to crowd together in one small house.  Families on Pine Ridge are typically not small and often include several children. The overcrowding is unthinkable.

A further complication is the high cost of heating even a small home in South Dakota’s harsh winters.  Temperatures often dip well below zero throughout the winter.  Most homes are poorly insulated and are heated with propane.  A household’s propane bill can easily reach $500 per month or more, so the families crowded together pool what little money they have to keep the heat and lights on.

During the COVID pandemic, Jason Mackie and Aaron Resnick, founders of the nonprofit InOurHands.Love met with Chief Henry Red Cloud at Pine Ridge and asked what kind of housing solution was needed.  Henry said that new houses on Pine Ridge must be low-cost, hyper-efficient, able to withstand gale force winds and tornadoes, and must be impervious to fire, mold, and pests.  Perhaps a bit stunned by the list, Aaron and Jason investigated every alternative, low-cost method of construction in the world, but none met all the conditions Henry had named.  So Aaron and Jason invented a new method of construction using cellular concrete and inflatable bags, with the result being a “dome home,” a two-story, 20-foot diameter tiny house!

Construction of a dome home’s basic structure is low cost and takes only five days, although interior finish work takes longer.  Since cellular concrete is 80 percent air, it is super insulative, requiring minimal effort to heat and cool the structure.  No insulation or drywall is needed, though interior and exterior paint makes the home more attractive.  The main floor includes a kitchen and eating area as well as one small sleeping space.  Upstairs are additional sleeping spaces and a full bathroom.

Partnered with the University of New Mexico, Jason and Aaron are developing curriculum to train veterans in this new construction method so they can oversee small crews to construct dome homes rapidly and on a larger scale.  This is their dream for Pine Ridge, and TOS-USA is thrilled to provide help and support to a project that will ease the housing shortage, even if just a little.  To join this effort, please donate to TOS-USA here, and select “Native American Support” from the drop-down menu of donation options.

To those who help, we say, Pilamaya! (Lakota for “Thank you!”)
and
Atanikili! (Lakota for “You are awesome!”)