Henry Red Cloud Returns to Native American Reservation, Starts Business and Renewable Energy Training Center

Reader Contribution by Brenna Long
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On his way back from Oklahoma City, Henry Red Cloud, owner of Lakota Solar Enterprises and creator of Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center, took some time to talk to me about renewable energy projects happening among Native American tribes. Red Cloud, a respected Lakota elder and a fifth-generation descendent of Chief Red Cloud, started creating interest and opportunities for renewable energy, especially solar, when he moved back to the reservation in Pine Ridge, S.D., 12 years ago. This led to him creating his renewable energy business and a training center.

“I always wanted to move back, and I had high hopes of finding a home and a job,” Red Cloud says.

After both of those searches turned up empty, Red Cloud found his own way to fix the problem. While building his own home, Red Cloud started Googling renewable energy. He was looking for an alternative to the wood burning he did in the winter and found an air heater. Then he dismantled the heater to see how it worked and stumbled on the idea of making his own solar air heaters. Red Cloud used his curiosity and 16 years of experience as a steel worker to solve both the home and job problems.

“I knew this would create savings and economic development,” Red Cloud says.

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