USA Partner Communities

Global Volunteers' USA Programs are on the Blackfeet Reservation of Montana and in the Appalachian Communities in Fayette County, West Virginia. Both represent the "developing communities" inside the United States which struggle with the social problems that arise from economic poverty and racism. Both, likewise, are spriritually rich regions of the U.S. - with intriguing, enduring cultures - which are often overlooked by outside society. Venturing into these host communities as a "vacation volunteer" is an adventure in service! Learn more working one-on-one with local people in our partner communities.

The Blackfeet people, once referred to as "The Lords of the Great Plains, had a reputation of being hospitable to Europeans, and were regular commerce partners with Canadian-based British merchants. It is believed they obtained their name from the traditional black color of their moccasins, which were painted or darkened by ashes from prairie fires. Isolated from the general public in a sparsely populated state, the Blackfeet Nation - spread over 1.5 million acres - is not well-known. However, they are more exposed to non-Indians than many other Western Native American tribes because their reservation is on the main route to Glacier National Park, also a gateway to Canada.

The three tribes of the Blackfeet nation, the Pecunnies (Piegans), Bloods, and Blackfeet, are one people. They speak a common language, and practice the same customs. In their migration toward the Rocky mountains in what is now Montana, they found vast herds of fat buffalo, elk, and antelope, an exhaustless abundance they had never known. Overcoming the Flathead, Kootenai, and Nez Perce tribes, the three tribes of Blackfeet settled down to become plainsmen. Prior to the early 20th century, it was uncommon for the Blackfeet to be sufficiently skilled at writing to make good chroniclers for the Tribe. So, much of the best writings about Blackfeet Indians came through non-Indians from the stories of the Blackfeet. Read more about Blackfeet history here.

This highly rural region of Appalachia in West Virginia once was idealized as "Almost Heaven," by popular American songwriter John Denver. But in reality, much of southern West Virginia is designated a federal "empowerment zone" because of high poverty levels and limited employment opportunities. This region and its people were cruelly stereotyped as "backwoods" and "hillbilly" for decades in the political and entertainment media. But, the folk art, music and traditions springing from the verdent mountains and valleys of Appalachia have, in fact, served as the foundation for many enduring American customs. The modern folk festival was born in Appalachia. Although the term "folk festival" had been narrowly used previously, it became fully established in the national consciousness when four prominent festivals were created between 1928 and 1934 to highlight the blending of European and American cultures. The unique blending of folk, jazz, gospel, and country music in Bluegrass style arising from Appalachian hollers is a beloved American tradition. The folk speech of Appalachia is classified as archaic. Many of the expressions heard throughout the region today can be found in the centuries-old works of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the men who contributed to the King James version of the Bible.

Native-American hunter-gatherers first arrived in what is now Appalachia over 12,000 years ago. The first European contact with the Apalachee Indians who originally populated this region was made by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's expedition in 1528 in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, Florida. One derivation of the name argues that in the Muscogee language apala means "great sea," and combined with the personal participle chi, apalache means "those by the sea." While endowed with abundant natural resources, Appalachia was exploited in the early 20th century by large-scale logging and coal mining firms, which brought wage-paying jobs and modern amenities to Appalachia, but by the 1960s, had failed to confer any long-term benefits to the people. Many of the "coal towns" built by large companies were abandoned without the commerce to maintain the society that inhabited them, and now lie in ruins. Learn more about Appalachian people and culture here.