The Cheyenne River Youth Project® has announced new, exciting fall programming for Cokata Wiconi, its teen center on East Lincoln Street in Eagle Butte. The center, formally dedicated in August 2006, serves 13- to 19-year-olds on South Dakota’s remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River reservation.
According to Tammy Eagle Hunter, CRYP’s wellness coordinator, the fall schedule incorporates a heavy dose of wellness-related activities. Many of these revolve around the 25-year-old, not-for-profit youth organization’s new Fitness Center, which officially opened its doors this summer.
“We’ll host Zumba classes and circuit-training classes in the Fitness Center, alternating on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, depending on demand and popularity,” Eagle Hunter advised. “We’ll also offer open Fitness Center time daily, Monday through Friday.”
She said she plans to resurrect last year’s popular Walking Club, which will join the Tuesday-Wednesday rotation with Zumba and circuit training.
“Our fall months really are going to focus on fitness,” she explained.
Of course, basketball will retain its signature role on the CRYP schedule. Eagle Hunter plans to host a Late-Night Shootout on Friday, September 28, and again in mid-October.
“While our weekly Midnight Basketball events are strictly for the summer months, we like to keep the excitement high during the school year,” she said. “So we’ll continue to highlight our basketball program with a late-night, 5-on-5 tournament once per month, from 7 to 11 p.m.”
And when the teenagers are ready to relax a bit, CRYP is introducing two new programs for the fall months that will keep them engaged when they’re not on the court, on the track or in the Fitness Center. The first, “Lakota Language & Lessons,” will focus on various Lakota-related subjects; these will include learning simple words and phrases, traditional cooking, traditional art, domestic skills and a Lakota Language Bowl.
The second new program has gotten everyone excited. Called the “Book2Movie Club,” participants will read books that have been — or will be — adapted into films. After everyone has read the chosen title and discussed it as a group, the club will view the film.
“We can’t wait to see how this club develops and grows, particularly because there are so many books designed to appeal to young people that also are hitting the big screen,” Eagle Hunter said. “Examples are The Hunger Games trilogy, The Help, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Twilight series.
“In fact, we’re excited to read Stephanie Meyer’s books, because the second part of Breaking Dawn is due to be released in November,” she continued. “It would be fantastic for the kids to finish the series, watch the other movies and then see the series finale in the theater later this fall.”
When the titles are age-appropriate, the CRYP staff plans to include the younger children who attend the organization’s The Main youth center.
Megan Guiliano, CRYP’s youth programs director, said she expects additional programs to come online throughout the fall months.
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, visit the youth project’s Facebook “Cause” page. All Cause members will receive regular updates through Facebook.
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.