On Feb. 6-8, the Cheyenne River Youth Project hosted its Young Women’s (Wikoskalaka) Winter Camp at Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children Are Coming Home), its rural property near Bear Butte State Park. The two-night camp was part of CRYP’s most recent Lakota Culture Internship for young women.
CRYP designed this five-week teen internship to help young people on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation strengthen cultural identity, reclaim language and develop leadership skills and confidence. The nonprofit offers all-male, all-female and co-ed versions of the internship throughout the year.
Seven young women — five 13-year-olds and two 16-year-olds — participated in the all-female winter camp, which marked the second off-reservation experience for the winter 2026 cohort. For two teens, it also was their first visit to the Bear Butte property.
According to Jerica Jones, CRYP’s programs director, the internship is a particular favorite among teens because it blends cultural teachings with contemporary leadership development.
“This winter camp was all about empowerment,” she said. “Through their internship, young women are learning that leadership and service go hand in hand. They’re also learning that they already carry the strength they need within themselves.”
In January, the seven interns traveled to United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota, where they explored Lakota language programming and campus initiatives involving connection to land. Back at CRYP, they continued their public speaking practice, as well as learning how to introduce themselves in Lakota.
During the winter camp weekend, the seven participating interns visited Native-led organizations in Rapid City, South Dakota, that are led by women. At Wambli Ska, they toured the teen center and homeless shelter, as well as the Horse & Buffalo Ranch and Store, gaining insight into what it means to build community through Lakota values across generations of leadership.
On the second day, the teens participated in a self-defense session at Gold Bar Gym and met with leaders from I Am Legacy, including Morgan Brings White, who heads the organization’s women’s initiatives
“They were able to see Native women leading in their own communities,” Jones said. “It makes a difference when our girls can see that representation — women leading with strength, compassion and cultural grounding — in different contexts.”
The CRYP group spent two nights at the Bear Butte property, where clear winter skies offered brilliant stargazing. The interns also enjoyed breathtaking views of Mato Paha (Bear Butte) and expressed interest in returning during the warmer months so they could hike and summit the sacred mountain together.
Hayley Dupris, program manager at The Main, CRYP’s youth center for 4- to 12-year-olds, helped chaperone the camping trip. She said one of her favorite memories came on the second evening.
“Everyone was laughing together in the tipi,” Dupris said. “It was so much fun, and I loved feeling the connection between all of us.”
She also witnessed a powerful moment as the young women disassembled camp on their final morning at Bear Butte.
“At first, they were nervous because some of our male staff helped set up on Friday,” Dupris said. “But they realized they could do it themselves. I heard one teen say she was amazed at how easy it was. It was empowering for them to know they could make it happen on their own.”
CRYP’s Lakota Culture Internship is supported by the Northwest Area Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. At press time, staff was preparing for its next teen internships — Native Wellness and Indigenous cooking — as well as additional 2026 camps in spring, summer and fall.
For nearly four decades, CRYP has served youth on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation through culturally rooted programs designed to revitalize culture and language, foster resilience and build a more vibrant future.
“We are raising strong young people who understand who they are and where they come from,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer. “We are working hard to give them the opportunities and resources they need to thrive. And that is medicine for our community. It’s healing work.”
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, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo and YouTube.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, nonprofit 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.