Troops 504 and 964 Enjoy Intercultural Quilt Project with Troops in South Dakota

Written by Mary Buchwalder, Leader

During the school year prior to our troops’ trip to South Dakota, we searched for a project that we could do as Scouts while on the trip. We were given the name of Olivia Sierra, a leader of a troop of Black Hills Council Girl Scouts at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Olivia and I corresponded via e-mail, and she suggested a sewing project, so we decided to make quilts. All the girls in both locations made two squares, one pieced in either the Ohio Star pattern or Sunbonnet “Sioux” and one created to celebrate their heritage. The South Dakota girls looked to traditional symbols of their Lakota Sioux heritage for their inspiration and made Medicine Wheels, teepees, and turtles. Our girls often had to ask their parents what their heritage was, so it was a good learning experience for them. They chose a variety of mostly European heritage symbols and flags for their squares.

After the squares were made (and with help from a quilting friend of mine), I pieced and layered the heritage squares, and Olivia put together the pieced (star and sunbonnet) squares. And we all anxiously anticipated our times together in South Dakota.

We met at the KOA campground just south of Badlands National Park. We greeted each other, and then quickly our girls and their younger friends headed to the pool to cool off and play. Our girls ranged in age from 11-15, while the Black Hills’ troops were 5-11 years old. I was concerned that they might not interact easily because of the age difference, but they had a great time together. We shared meals with traditional (and not so traditional) prayers, went hiking together at Badlands NP, and worked on the quilt.

The adults and older girls helped the younger girls make their stitches. Some girls paired up above and below the quilts to move their needles through all the layers. Some stitches were fine and even. Others were more freeform. The girls chatted, laughed, told stories, and learned a little about each others’ cultures and lives. While we only had 3 days together, we had a great time and got much quilting done, and feel all of our lives were enriched.

It was difficult to say good-bye, but we hoped to visit again in the future. We were also told about an upcoming pow-wow on the reservation, in which we participated (and saw some of our new friends again). Our trip continued with camping at Custer State Park, seeing wild buffalo and swimming at Hot Springs, and visiting Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse National Monuments.

Troops participating: Buckeye Trails Council 504 & 964, and Black Hills Council 6701 & 6751. Leaders: Mark and Mary Buchwalder, Rita Moore, Tina Blocher, Lisa Flipse, and Jane Steffan (Ohio) Olivia Sierra, Diane Truckenbrod. (South Dakota)

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