This Friday evening, the Cheyenne River Youth Project will fill its Morgan Yellowhead Gymnasium with home-cooked food, music and dancing as it welcomes the Cheyenne River community to its annual Harvest Festival dinner. This year, the celebration also will mark a significant milestone: 20 years since CRYP opened the doors to the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center.
The free community event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Cokata Wiconi. Along with sharing a meal, guests will have an opportunity to look back at two decades of activities, programs and memories at the teen center through a special presentation featuring photographs from across the years.
“For nearly four decades, we’ve grown by listening to our young people and their families, and responding to what they need,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer. “And for the last 20 years, that’s what Cokata Wiconi has represented. We want our young people to know there is a place for them here as they grow, and we want our families and community members to know this is their place, too.”
The evening will begin with a welcome and smudge at 5 p.m., followed by the anniversary presentation at 5:15 and dinner at 5:30. At 6 p.m., traditional dancers and a drum group will take the floor for exhibition dancing and a round dance. Youth activities also will be available, and CRYP will honor the teens who completed this year’s Native Food Sovereignty Internship.
“This is one of those evenings that really reflects what we want Cokata Wiconi to be — a place where our community can gather, share a meal, celebrate our young people and enjoy being together,” said Jerica Widow, CRYP’s programs director. “And this year, we’re especially excited to celebrate the teen center’s 20th anniversary with our community.”
The Harvest Festival meal will feature produce from CRYP’s nearly 3-acre Winyan Toka Win (Leading Lady) Garden, the heart of its Native food sovereignty programming. The menu includes turkey with garden herbs; a Three Sisters medley with squash, beans and corn; glazed carrots and squash; cabbage and bacon; zucchini lasagna; buffalo chili; jalapeño cornbread; and cake pops, pumpkin bars and carrot cake for dessert.
The celebration comes as CRYP settles into a busy new school year. Not only is it continuing to offer engaging opportunities for its youngest program participants, the youth project also is actively recruiting candidates for its paid Youth Employment Initiative.
New fall hours at The Main
CRYP has introduced new fall hours at The Main, its youth center for children ages 4-12. The Main is now open from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, giving children a place to spend the critical after-school hours with CRYP’s youth programs team.
The youth center also will open one Saturday each month for special programming. Like the teen center, it is closed to the public on Wednesdays to give staff members an opportunity to catch up on their office-based work.
During their time at The Main, young people can enjoy games, activities and time with friends while participating in programming designed to keep them active, engaged and connected to Lakota culture. They also have access to snacks and a nutritious evening meal.
“We want families to know that The Main is here for them, four days a week after school and one Saturday each month,” said Hayley Dupris, CRYP’s youth programs manager. “It’s free, and because we are a drop-in youth center, you don’t need to register for our programs. Children simply sign in, and they have access to everything we offer. It’s never too late to join us!”
This month’s schedule includes Main University, an award-winning program that brings Lakota culture, language and life ways into age-appropriate activities for The Main’s attendees.
Main University continues through Oct. 2
The fall 2026 edition of Main University kicked off Sept. 1 with a focus on identity. Children traced their silhouettes, explored self-affirmations and learned about tribes and bands. Subsequent sessions focused on kinship and traditional food systems.
“During the food systems session, the kids explored traditional foods through a Three Sisters cooking competition and traditional tea ‘sip and paint,’” Dupris said. “They also created their own mock restaurant menus using the parts of the buffalo.”
Throughout the month, staff members also are introducing a Lakota phrase of the day. Three Main University activity sessions remain, and children are welcome to join at any time.
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, youth will participate in a Naming Ceremony activity, creating uplifting and encouraging names for one another that will be used during the Main University graduation. On Thursday, Oct. 1, they will put their Lakota language knowledge to the test in a friendly tournament.
Main University will conclude Friday, Oct. 2, with a graduation ceremony. It will include certificates for participants, and CRYP staff members invite family members to celebrate with their young graduates.
“Main University gives us a chance to go deeper with the kids while still making learning fun and hands-on,” Dupris said. “We want them to learn more about who they are and strengthen their relationships with each other and with our culture.”
Widow agreed, noting, “They come to The Main after school to have fun, but they’re also building knowledge and connections they can carry with them. It’s a foundation that will help them transition to the teen center and our internship program when they turn 13.”
Founded in 2002 by Tracie Farrell and a recipient of a “Champion for Children” award from the South Dakota Coalition for Children, Main University is one of The Main’s longest-running programs.
CRYP Recruiting Youth for Paid Employment Opportunity
CRYP also is actively recruiting young people for its Youth Employment Initiative, a paid workforce development program for students ages 15-18. The youth project is actively seeking participants who would like to gain hands-on work experience, develop skills they can take into future jobs, strengthen their Lakota value system, and earn money along the way.
“This program is designed to train youth who are interested in an opportunity for professional and personal growth,” said Wakinyan Chief, CRYP’s arts manager, who coordinates the YEI program. “We want to prepare them to enter the workforce and find success.”
YEI trainees gain experience in a variety of areas as they support the CRYP team in Eagle Butte. The program emphasizes Lakota values and work ethic, building confidence and character, and developing a robust set of job and life skills. Young people must be ages 15-18 and enrolled in school to participate.
One former YEI trainee, Wambli Gleska Quintana, was a 2024 Center for Native American Youth Champion for Change, earned the prestigious Gates Scholarship and served as the National Congress of American Indians youth secretary from 2024 to 2026. He is currently a college student.
Two other trainees, Nation Cowins and Johnny Blanco, have joined the CRYP team as full-time staff. Cowins serves as a youth programs specialist, and Blanco works in the main office as a finance assistant.
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 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 Sioux 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.