The Cheyenne River Youth Project’s 25th Annual Passion for Fashion event, also known as Wačhípí kta Iglúwiŋyeyapi (Youth Get Ready for the Dance), is taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Saturday, Mar. 8, at CRYP’s Cokata Wiconi Teen Center. Young women and two-spirit youth in grades 7-12 are welcome to attend, as are family members of all ages.
For a quarter century, this annual event has provided all the essentials young women and two-spirited youth need for their high school prom. Through the years, it also has become a vibrant celebration of Lakota culture and values, family relationships, friendships and simply being who you are.
In 2025, the CRYP team is taking this idea a step further with the theme “Identity by Design.”
“While the young people are with us on Saturday, they will have opportunities to learn about Native fashion designers and the many ways indigenous identities inspire contemporary designs,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer. “They also will be able to explore their own identities further, discovering how they prefer to express themselves through fashion.”
According to Jerica Widow Jones, CRYP’s programs director, the Igluhan Mani Fashion Collective will attend Passion for Fashion, offering their services to alter dresses on site.
“Seniors will have first priority, and then it will be first-come, first-served until all open spots are filled,” Jones said. “After the Passion for Fashion event is over, the collective would also like to offer classes and open-sewing hours for young people to work on their dresses.
“We’re hoping the teens will be inspired by what they see on Saturday,” she continued. “The collective is bringing a few indigenized prom dresses with them to showcase for our attendees. We want to show our kids how easy it can be to do this — and how creative they can be.”
For additional inspiration, the teens will have access to a very special catalog. The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., created the catalog to accompany its exhibition “Identity by Design: Tradition, Change and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses.”
“The museum is sending 80 copies for our kids,” Garreau said. “We are deeply grateful for their generosity and their support of this important annual event, which really is a rite of passage for Cheyenne River teens. We cannot wait to share the catalogs with them on Saturday.”
“Identity by Design” highlights Native women’s identity through traditional dress and its contemporary evolution, according the the museum. Its exhibition “examines the individual, communal and cultural identity of Native women and explores how women, gifted with highly developed artistic skills, benefited not only their families but the entire community.”
And that’s not all. When the teens arrive on Saturday, they will enjoy a luncheon catered by CRYP’s Keya (Turtle) Cafe, a few icebreaking activities, and a keynote speech by Eunice Straighthead, Miss He Sapa 2024-25.
From there, they will head to the gymnasium where they can try on formalwear and shoes, select jewelry and accessories, and enjoy self-care services such as hair styling, makeovers and manicures. They also will enjoy music from DJ Tayzia Claymore-Knight, who also is CRYP’s new teen internship manager.
Garreau revealed a very special self-care treat for the teens this year. Prados Beauty sent more than $15,000 worth of products for this year’s Passion for Fashion event.
“We are thrilled to partner with this Native-led company,” Garreau said. “We offer our heartfelt thanks to Cecelia Meadows, Prados Beauty’s founder and chief executive officer, for her friendship and support.”
A Yoeme (also known as Yaqui) entrepreneur and philanthropist, Meadows lives and works in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Prados Beauty is a reflection of her belief that beauty can be a force for good, and as a brand, it is committed to inclusivity, quality and giving back.
Community ambassadors and volunteers will join the Passion for Fashion fun on Mar. 8 as well. The evening will end with a fashion show and swag bags filled with goodies to take home.
It’s not too late to support this year’s Passion for Fashion. Many teens who are unable to attend the event itself will book individual appointments with CRYP to look at dresses, shoes and accessories. To ensure that all youth who plan to attend their high school proms will have what they need, CRYP will continue accepting both in-kind and financial contributions beyond Mar. 8.
CRYP always is in need of new and gently used dresses (especially sizes 16-26) and other formalwear, shoes (especially sizes 9-12), jewelry, hair accessories, makeup, bath sets, gift cards, and cash donations. Staff and volunteers will take any contributed funds and make additional purchases based on need.
To learn more about CRYP’s Wačhípí kta Iglúwiŋyeyapi program, and to make a contribution, visit lakotayouth.org/passion-for-fashion.
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.