The Cheyenne River Youth Project will be launching its Summer Storytelling Series for youth ages 6-18 today at 1:30 p.m., alternating between the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center and the Main Youth Center. The series will begin with Alfred Greeves, an elder from the CRST community, and will continue every Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. throughout the summer.
Activities will follow each session in which the kids will produce a piece of art, writing, poetry or some other kind of project that incorporates and summarizes what they have learned from the storyteller. Additionally, the storytelling classes and activities will be followed by a light meal.
“The objective of our Storyteller Series is to help both the elders and our youth,” says Julie Garreau, executive director of CRYP. “They will be following a long tradition of the oral histories and storytelling handed down within the Lakota culture for centuries. They might also share their stories about growing up here on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, the native plants that they used for both eating and for medicinal purposes, or the Lakota ceremonies or whatever they want to bring to our kids. And it helps remind the kids who they are and the extraordinary place they come from.”
The storytelling event on Friday will be followed by a Hoop Dancing class featuring Dallas Eagle Chief, a ledger art show, an Indian taco sale and our weekly Midnight Basketball tournament.
For more information on the Storytelling Series, please contact Tammy Eagle Hunter at tammy.cryp@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/lakotayouth; www.twitter.com/lakotayouth or at www.lakotayouth.org.
Founded in 1988, the Cheyenne River Youth Project is dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities, ensuring strong, self-sufficient families and communities. Today, CRYP provides a wide variety of programs and services to the community, covering nearly 3 million acres in South Dakota.