Almost everyday, somewhere on the reservation, there is a funeral and there is a Giveaway to honor someone who died one year before.  But, thanks to NAHA, there is a huge amount of hope being delivered with every truckload of nutritious food items. 

No one makes a trip out here without extra water, food, and gasoline if you can afford it.  You need to carry a flashlight, blankets, and some form of communication; however, there are places out here in Indian Country where neither cell phones or CB radios work.

Native American GiveAway 

In the book, "THE SIOUX OF THE ROSEBUD, A HISTORY OF PICTURES, Photographs by John A. Anderson” with text by Henry W. Hamilton and Jean Tyree Hamilton, this 1897 photo with the caption shown captures the process of a Sioux giveaway.  The caption below this photo in the book reads in part as follows:

"A Sioux giveaway, 1897.  This event was often held in memory of a member of the family who had died.  This photograph was taken on the fairgrounds north of the Rosebud Agency...."

Reservation life is full of struggles that are foreign to the average American citizen.  For example, on the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation, 63% of the people are living below the federal poverty line.  With the unemployment rate on Sioux Reservations in South Dakota over 70%, it is extremely hard to provide just the basic needs of your own family. 

One tradition of Sioux Native Americans is to hold a ceremony called a "Giveaway" to honor the one who has passed on.  For one year, the surviving family members of the deceased loved one will hand-make as well as purchase household items and then hold a "Giveaway." 

The quilt shown here is one such item.  During the "Giveaway" this quilt and other useful items will be generously given to those who are the neediest in the tribe.  Usually, they are presented to widows and orphans first and then, to the next in line who are facing the most difficult times.

In this way, the loved one is honored by helping those most in need.  It is a beautiful tradition with only one drawback.  A "Giveaway" just like a funeral is held almost every day on the reservation.

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