Thrift store brings "light" to Whiteclay - KOTA Territory News

Thrift store brings "light" to Whiteclay

A new business is open just over the boarder of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and it hopes to shine a little light on the good things.

In a town that has been in the news for possibly contributing to alcoholism on the reservation, Lightshine Thrift Store is trying to replace booze with brightness.

The store is a nonprofit business where locals can buy quality items they need for everyday life. Money generated from the thrift store will go to pay employees, utilities, and other essentials to keep it running.

In the future it will also be an artistic outlet for local artists. Landlord Bruce Bon Fleur says God has gifted the Lakota people as artists and he would love to see the owner of Lightshine, KC Willis, get locals involved when she adds a gallery to the mix.

Overall, Bruce Bon Fleur says he is so happy to see Lightshine come to Whiteclay. "What the thrift store Lightshine is going to do is just be another light in a pretty dark place. And it's going to provide employment, it's going to provide encouragement, it's going to speak life into a people who haven't heard that so much," said Bon Fleur.

Willis, currently lives in Colorado, but is planning on moving to Whiteclay permanently.