Finding Support Along the Road to Homeownersh

Local rancher and educator partners with Lakota Funds to invest in his family’s future

Just before spring turned to summer, Oglala Lakota College professor and cattle rancher Grady Brunsch and his family experienced the joy of walking into their just-purchased home. Though the house itself was brand-new, it stood on the same land Grady’s mother had always loved and where he’d spent his childhood–a place called Hay Creek in the northeastern quarter of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Grady’s journey to homeownership involved weaving together the support of a number of organizations focused on supporting producers and Native entrepreneurs—including Lakota Funds, the Farm Service Agency, and NDN Collective. But that strong cross-agency partnership–and Grady’s family’s hard work and commitment–result in a very joyful homecoming. 

“Once you’re finished jumping through all the hoops and your home becomes your own, it’s a difficult feeling to describe. It takes my breath away every time I walk through my front door. Every time I pull over the hill and see this big structure, I think ‘wow, that’s ours,’” said Grady. “This will be a stable, safe, warm place that my children can come home to through each stage of their lives.” 

For generations, systemic barriers rooted in historical policies and structural inequities have prevented Native people from achieving homeownership. Regulations around tribal trust land create barriers to traditional mortgage lending, leaving families with few financing options. Personal property loans can help, but usually come with higher interest rates and fewer homebuyer protections. As a result, Indigenous families often can’t access the long-term asset-building benefits that come with owning a home.

Over the last decade, Lakota Funds and its many partners have been working to shift that reality and support a new generation of Native homeowners. Lakota Funds was integral in the creation of Lakota Federal Credit Union–the first and only federally insured financial institution dedicated to serving the Oglala Lakota people–and collaborated with organizations and stakeholders across the state to launch the South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition. 

Now Lakota Funds has begun actively partnering with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to open pathways to homeownership for Native agricultural producers like Grady. Through a program focused on supporting new or disadvantaged family farmers and ranchers, FSA was able to offer a federal guarantee on a small part of Grady’s property, giving Lakota Funds the ability to finance a traditional mortgage. 

“Partnering with FSA in this way is a win-win for everyone involved,” said Bintul Malik, Loan Officer at Lakota Funds. “It gives us the ability to offer Native farmers and ranchers traditional financing at a lower interest rate, which allows their families to invest and build assets over time. It increases individual homeownership in our communities–while also helping Native farmers and ranchers expand their businesses and help our local economies grow.” 

Lakota Funds and FSA partnered to connect Grady with a mortgage–but only after his family received a life-changing Collective Abundance grant from NDN Collective. It gave them $50,000 for a downpayment to put toward their brand-new manufactured home. 

NDN launched the Collective Abundance Fund with resources from the Bush Foundation to empower Indigenous communities by supporting the growth of generational wealth. Awardees determine their own wealth-building activities that will create “long-term, transformative change” in their lives and in their communities.

“We were blessed enough to get our application approved, which allowed us to put down a very sizable down payment on our home,” he said. “That, and a very reasonable interest rate from Lakota Funds, has helped make all this both possible and manageable for our family.” 

Today Grady and his family are enjoying their new space and making it their own, while preparing for the arrival of a new daughter this winter. Grady credits his wife Kalee with giving him the confidence to take this major step forward. 

“To be honest, I had my doubts about taking on this kind of debt. But Kaylee helped me recognize that investing in a safe, secure home for our family made all the sense in the world. She’s been with me every step of the way–doing trainings and classes with NDN Collective, working on taxes and keeping track of the paperwork. Her encouragement made me realize we could actually do this.”

Now, when Grady drives over the hill and catches his first glimpse of his new home, he knows the journey was worth it. He encourages others–and especially other local producers–to reach out and explore what resources are available to support the purchase of a home. 

“Today it seems there are more resources and grants than ever. So get out there and just beat the bushes, as they say. We’re just so fortunate to have had the help we did–and we’re excited to see others have that same fortunate experience of finding homeownership.”