Firewood Project

Providing firewood for Lakota people was the vision of Jeff Iron Cloud. Peace Initiative offered to help Jeff in his efforts. A formal partnership was established at a 4300+ acre nature preserve in the southern Black Hills. Now, three separate groups are working to help each other and take care of God’s creation.

Managing the nature preserve by building firebreaks that would mitigate the damage done by a catastrophic wildland fire has been an ongoing project for several years. Peace Initiative has stepped in to assist in this project and in return we are given all of the trees that are cut down to process into firewood for Lakota people in need. Jeff Iron Cloud helps connect us to people on the Pine Ridge Reservation and assists in the delivery of firewood.

This project continues to grow and develop. In 2021 we partnered with the senior class at the Oelrichs High School to cut firewood and deliver it to their families and neighbors on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In 2022, the Eagles Nest Life Center Church from Wanblee, SD stepped in to assist with the project along with volunteer help from Ohio and Kentucky. Now, in our fourth year of carrying out this project, Peace Initiative and our partners have delivered countless loads of firewood to elders, single parent households, persons with disabilities, and others in our area.

Highlights from our firewood project in 2020.