The Cheyenne River Youth Project’s facilities are more than buildings. They are safe, creative spaces where young people gather, learn and grow.
What began in 1988 inside a former bar on Eagle Butte’s Main Street has grown into a multi-site campus serving youth ages 4-18 and their families. Today, CRYP’s main campus spans five acres on 4th Street and reflects decades of care, vision and community investment.
A Campus Designed for Youth
At the heart of the campus is The Main, a welcoming drop-in center for children ages 4-12. Here, CRYP’s younger participants learn, play, create and build relationships in an environment designed to help them feel safe and supported every day—with programming that introduces the same core learning opportunities and leadership pathways they will continue exploring at the teen center as they grow.
Next door, the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center offers dynamic spaces for youth ages 13-18. Whether they’re playing ball, learning language with elders and mentors, creating art or preparing meals, teens deepen their skills, confidence and sense of purpose while taking on new responsibilities.
Cokata Wiconi also is home to CRYP’s Keya Gift Shop, where teens gain real-world job experience, and the Family Services program, which supports families with essential resources and care.
Leadership Pathways
These anchor facilities offer clear pathways for growth, giving young people opportunities to build skills, take on responsibility and step into leadership roles over time.
Younger children look forward to attending programs at Cokata Wiconi, where they can get involved in the Teen Internship Program. From there, they advance to the Lakota Art Fellowship or the Youth Employment Initiative.
CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Lakota Arts & Culture Institute offers classes, workshops and special events that support traditional and contemporary Lakota arts, cultural reclamation and language revitalization. While it is currently housed in Cokata Wiconi, the institute soon will have a permanent home — a new arts and culture center is currently under construction in the heart of the art park and is expected to open in 2026-27.
Outdoor Spaces
CRYP’s outdoor spaces are just as important as its buildings.
The Winyan Toka Win (Leading Lady) Garden is a living classroom where youth grow food, learn about sustainability and connect with the land and traditional Lakota lifeways.
Nearby, the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park serves as a free, public gathering place where art, culture and community intersect. Each summer, it hosts the RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam, which brings people together from across the country and around the world.
Rooted in Land & Culture
CRYP’s work extends beyond the main campus. In 2024, the organization established Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children Are Coming Home), a nearly 40-acre parcel near Mato Paha (Bear Butte).
This land serves as a home base for seasonal culture and healing camps. It also provides access to sacred sites in and around the Paha Sapa (Black Hills), strengthening connections to the Lakota people’s ancestral homelands.
Supporting Continuity
To support the people who make this work possible, CRYP has developed housing for staff throughout the community. By maintaining several homes in Eagle Butte, it helps provide stability for team members, build long-term relationships and ensure continuity for the young people who rely on CRYP.
This investment reflects a simple belief. Strong programs are built by people who feel supported, connected and able to stay in the community.