Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation

Who We Are

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation is a Lakota-led organization dedicated to empowering the Lakota people. Through a holistic approach rooted in our language, lifeways, and spirituality, we strive to improve health, culture, and the environment of our communities. By focusing on cultural identity, we directly impact families and individuals on the reservation, equipping them with tools for healthier, more prosperous lives.

History

The relentless force of colonization, oppressive policies, and the imposition of Western education by the United States Government has inflicted deep wounds upon the Lakota community. These ruthless actions have ravaged our language and educational systems, stripping away our traditions with callous intent. The erosion of our ancestral practices and language stands as a dire threat to the very essence of our Lakota identity with only 3% of our population having fluency. This stark reality highlights the urgent need to safeguard our cultural legacy and establish nurturing, culturally authentic havens for educational growth that honor our history and empower the promise of generations yet to come.

Lakota Montessori | Liberation

Our school's foundation is love, compassion, humility, and honor, embracing the core values of our Lakota community. We strive to empower our youth and families by reconnecting them to our language, traditions, and identity through an authentic Lakota Montessori education. The Montessori educational method serves as a catalyst for holistic growth, nurturing children and adolescents to flourish in cognition, emotion, social interactions, and physical well-being. 

• By integrating Montessori principles with our Lakota language and traditions at our Lakota Immersion Montessori School, we fortify our tribal educational sovereignty. 

• This initiative champions a Lakota systems-based educational curriculum, empowered by our community's definition of academic success. 

• Through instilling traditional Lakota values of humility, generosity, perseverance, and compassion, we cultivate self-sufficiency and budding leadership grounded in our heritage.

We vision a school that embodies the core values of our Lakota community—love, compassion, humility, and honor. Through our cultural teachings in a Lakota Montessori setting, we aim to revive our identity, language, and traditions, fostering a strong bond between our youth and their Lakota identity.

JOIN US in making a lasting impact on the lives of our 18 students and the 15 more joining us in the coming school year. 

Just $43 can support one child for a day, offering essential educational materials, language instruction, meals, and more. 

Your gift TODAY goes a long way in creating safe and nurturing environments for language learning. ACT NOW to empower our students and help shape a brighter future through Lakota Montessori.