January can be a long, cold, dark month on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. With the annual Wo Otúh’an Wi Toy Drive officially wrapped up, the team at the Cheyenne River Youth Project has been hard at work on winter programming, bringing young people together on the CRYP campus every day after school.
At the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center, fully booked internships in art, Lakota culture and Native food sovereignty are already under way. And at The Main, the staff opens the youth center’s doors after school so the community’s younger children have a safe, fun place to learn, play and enjoy an evening meal.
“Winter can be a challenging time for our kids, especially after the excitement of the holidays,” said Jerica Jones, CRYP’s programs director. “It’s important to us to give them something extra to look forward to. This month, we’ve added a few creative, active and social events that give them positive ways to spend time together while the snow flies.”
Upcoming January Activities:
Friday, Jan. 23: “Light Up the Night” January Glow Party, 4-6 p.m.
From 4 to 6 p.m., children ages 4-12 will gather at The Main to celebrate all January birthdays together with games, dancing, cake and plenty of glow-in-the-dark fun.
Friday, Jan. 30: Open Mic Night and Poetry Slam, 5-6:30 p.m.
Rapper, producer and sound designer Talon Bazille Ducheneaux will be in the house as youth ages 13-18 are invited to read their poetry and perform their songs at the Cokata Wiconi Teen Center.
Participation is encouraged but not required; teen attendees are welcome to simply listen and support their peers. Bazille will be leading workshops with interns at Cokata Wiconi that week, and all three winter cohorts will share their creations with the audience at Open Mic Night.
Friday, Jan. 30: Midnight Basketball, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
From 9 p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday, teens ages 13-18 can play basketball and volleyball in Cokata Wiconi’s Morgan Yellowhead Gymnasium, enjoy plenty of food and refreshments, and socialize.
CRYP created Midnight Basketball in 1996, seeking to give Cheyenne River’s young people a safe drug- and alcohol-free environment to play their favorite sport, hang out with friends, get something to eat, and stay up past the city of Eagle Butte’s 10 p.m. curfew. The program succeeded beyond the staff’s original vision.
The program provided the foundation for what would become the youth project’s Native wellness initiative. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Midnight Basketball continues to draw 50 to 100 teens each night, and it now includes other physical activities as well as opportunities to play games and socialize.
Save the Date:
Friday, Feb. 13: Community Valentine’s Day Party
Next month, CRYP will invite the Cheyenne River community to Cokata Wiconi for a Valentine’s Day party, which will include a home-cooked meal, Lakota language learning, and activities such as cookie decorating.
“We’re excited to add a new community celebration to our annual calendar,” Jones said. “This past year, for the first time, we held a community holiday party instead of individual parties for the teens and younger children. It was a great success, with 119 people attending.
“We want to do more things like this, to bring people together here. After all, Cokata Wiconi means center of life. We want our campus to be a gathering place for all ages.”
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, 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.