On Aug. 23-25, the Cheyenne River Youth Project hosted Wicoti Koskalaka (young men’s camp) at Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children Are Coming Home), its new property in rural Meade County adjacent to Bear Butte State Park. Open to young men ages 14-18, the camp provided a safe and healthy space to share teachings and engage in both cultural and recreational activities.
During the weekend camp, six teens had opportunities to hike sacred Mato Paha (Bear Mountain/Bear Butte) and Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk Peak). According to Wakinyan Chief, CRYP’s arts manager and camp organizer, the hikes were about both physical and spiritual health.
“Once we reached the top of Mato Paha, we had a canupa (pipe) ceremony in which the teens observed the pipe-filling song and loading of the canupa, then were able to pray with the pipe without smoking it,” he said. “They were each sent off to their own spot for a mini hanbleciya (vision quest) to reflect on their lives, their present, and what they want for the future. Then we traveled to Rapid City for inipi (sweat lodge ceremony), which was the first time for many of the young men.”
In addition, the teens had opportunities to go fishing and swim at Sylvan Lake, and they roasted bison skewers over the fire. Lakota elder and knowledge keeper Heath Ducheneaux joined the campers to share the story of Pte San Win (White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman) and what it means for them as young men to respect women and be both protectors and providers for the people.
“Through this experience, the teens gained valuable knowledge about what it means to become Wicasa, a strong and healthy Lakota man, in a way that honors our ancestors and helps Oyate Kin (the people) while learning to thrive in the contemporary world,” Wakinyan Chief said. “It was an awesome experience, and the boys and I are all very excited to do more. One hundred percent of them said in their post-camp surveys that CRYP should do more camps like this.”
The surveys also revealed significant improvement in the teens’ responses when asked how confident they feel about becoming Wicasa, how connected they feel to Lakota culture, and how familiar they are with Lakota spirituality. Reflecting on what they learned, the campers shared that a good man should always be respectful and humble; be helpful, provide and protect; be vulnerable but strong, and always be there for his children; and be a good role model.
“It showed me what a good man should do,” said one respondent about the camp experience, while another noted, “It allowed me to really think about what I want to do with my life.”
“I thought the camp was very fun and very good for me,” said a third camper. “I think they should do a lot more in the future for other kids.”
And a fourth shared, “I loved the trip. It was fun. I would love to go again with CRYP and help the youth.”
Wicoti Koskalaka was made possible through the Association on American Indian Affairs’ Native Youth Summer Camp Grant program. The organization started offering these grants in 1963 as a way to protect sovereignty, preserve culture, educate youth and build tribal capacity.
“There is significant research that shows when Native youth are connected to their culture, they fare better mentally and emotionally than those who are not,” the organization states. “Healthy and strong Native youth will sustain strong Native cultures and protect sovereignty for generations to come.”
This is a concept that resonates deeply with CRYP, a grassroots nonprofit organization that has been serving Lakota youth on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation for nearly 36 years.
“We know that restoring cultural health is essential for healing our children,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer. “And healing our children is essential for healing our communities. They are our most precious treasure, because they are our future.”
A critical step in restoring cultural health is restoring access to land, and CRYP took that step earlier this year when it purchased the nearly 40-acre Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi property near Bear Butte. The youth project uses the certified-organic property for culture camps, internship activities and workshops, and it serves as a home base for field trips to sacred sites such as Heȟáka Sápa, Maka Oniye (Breathing Earth/Wind Cave) and Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge/Devils Tower).
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.