CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » PODCAST: Bringing credit unions to the reservation
Community Service Management

PODCAST: Bringing credit unions to the reservation

Shayna Ferguson helped establish a credit union for Native American people.

December 14, 2017
Jennifer Plager
No Comments
Shayna Ferguson

Before Lakota Federal Credit Union opened its doors in November 2012, a credit union was a foreign concept to the Native American people living on South Dakota’s sprawling Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Shayna Ferguson has played a pivotal role in educating the reservation’s residents about what a credit union is and how its services can benefit residents’ financial lives.

Ferguson was hired as a member services representative at the $5.6 million asset credit union in Kyle, S.D., in 2012, one of only two employees at the newly established credit union. Today, she manages the first and only federally guaranteed financial institution on the two-million acre reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota Sioux.

“I’m so excited to see new things happening for the reservation and for the Oglala Lakota people and having the credit union here to serve our members it’s awesome,” Ferguson tells the CUNA News Podcast. “I just feel joy. It’s an honor to be part of this because this is something that the reservation and the Oglala Sioux people needed.”

For her efforts and contributions to the credit union industry, Ferguson was recognized as a 2017 Credit Union Rock Star.

Prior to the credit union opening its doors, there hadn’t been a financial institution on the reservation since the 1950s, so residents had to travel about 45 minutes to a bank in the nearest town in South Dakota or Nebraska.

Once Lakota Federal opened, word of mouth played a huge role in spreading the word about what a credit union is and how it could help members, Ferguson says.

“There was a lot of hesitation, especially because everybody hears ‘federal credit union,’” Ferguson says. “It took a lot, but word of mouth is huge on the reservation. And a lot of people who joined us initially were kind of familiar with credit unions.”

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • CFPB issues CUNA-opposed proposal on credit card late fees

  • Celebrating the legacy of Black leaders

  • Auto lending report shows significant credit union member savings

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Vote for the 2023 CU Hero of the Year

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us