Our History

Our Lakota name, Anpo Wicahpi, means Morning Star. It signifies new beginnings.

Above all, it is believed to be a guiding source of strength for young women. Our goal is for the Pine Ridge Girls' School to be just that. 

The Pine Ridge Reservation is as spiritually and culturally rich as it is materially poor. It is located in one of the five most impoverished counties in the U.S. Annual per capita income is $3500. Nearly 40% of the houses lack electricity and a third lack running water. Teen suicide is epidemic, occurring 1.5 times more than the national average. One-in-four babies is born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Yet Lakota traditions, language, and culture are alive and flourishing. Pine Ridge is the land of historical leaders and warriors Black Elk, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull. Their legacies are actively preserved and commemorated with tribal events such as the yearly Big Foot Ride, which follows the ancestors’ trail to the Wounded Knee massacre site.

Recognizing the essential role of cultural empowerment to self-worth and leadership, Pine Ridge Girls School has brought hope back to the reservation. In four short years, we are already seeing the light return to our girls’ eyes as they begin to see a future for themselves. We foresee nothing short of a renaissance that can be achieved by this new generation prepared to thrive in higher education, and become community and national leaders.