They are building an innovative new net-zero, energy-regenerative community from the ground up, collaborating with the tribe to ensure cultural traditions and values are allowed to thrive.

The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, founded 10 years ago by members of the Oglala Lakota Nation, is in the second year of a decade-long plan to construct a brand-new neighborhood, spread across 34 acres.

“We dream big here,” says Jennifer Irving, a deputy director with Thunder Valley. “We want to be a place of hope, but also build on that hope. We don’t just want to dream about food sovereignty or homeownership or language revitalization. We want to be able to point and say this is how we’re doing it.”

The grounds will be eco-friendly and climate change-adaptable, thanks to cutting-edge architectural design dreamt up by local firms, and it will be built by local construction companies as well — all with an eye toward reaffirming the Oglala Lakota Nation’s relationship with the land. There will be a high-performance water collection and reuse system, as well as on-site solar, wind, and geothermal energy generators, establishing an advanced sustainable infrastructure for the tribe’s food and housing needs.

(Main image via iStock)