Walls across the city of Eagle Butte came alive with fresh murals during the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s 12th Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam on July 8-11. While local youth artists worked alongside 10 nationally recognized muralists on the large-scale pieces, children and teens throughout the festival created their own art, performed original poetry and explored musical expression.
By the time RedCan 2026 came to a close on the evening of Saturday, July 11, the festival had once again turned the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation into a celebration of public art, Lakota culture and community. This year, however, organizers said one thing stood out above all else: the energy and leadership of young people who shaped the event from beginning to end.
“We’ve heard so many people say this was the best RedCan yet, and I believe our young people made the difference,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s founder and chief executive officer. “They weren’t just watching artists create. They were painting, writing, performing, learning and sharing their own work. We didn’t simply see and hear art this week. We experienced it together, and it was profoundly moving.”
On Wednesday and Thursday, July 8-9, artists spread out across Eagle Butte, bringing their murals to life at seven community locations. Throughout the process, they mentored the local youth who worked alongside them, teaching techniques, answering questions and encouraging their contribution to works that will remain part of the community’s landscape long after the festival.
Among the week’s highlights was a striking buffalo mural by California artist and first-time RedCan contributor Wes77. Garreau said the piece resonated deeply with community members because of the Lakota people’s sacred relationship with the buffalo.
“The buffalo saved us when we emerged from Wind Cave,” she explained. “We are forever connected as relatives, and we must always care for one another.”
Reflecting on his first RedCan experience, Wes77 praised the CRYP team — and the young person who worked alongside him at his downtown mural site.
“I’m deeply grateful to Julie and the Cheyenne River Youth Project for inviting me to RedCan 2026,” he wrote. “Huge shoutout to my youth artist and helper Gabby — you’re an amazing student. Thank you to the staff, volunteers and fellow artists who made this week possible.”
On Friday and Saturday, July 10-11, activity shifted to CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park, where the youth project’s new arts and culture center is currently under construction. Featured artists painted murals in the park while youth and families enjoyed arts and crafts, spray painting, skateboard painting, hoop-dancing classes with the Internationally acclaimed Sampson Brothers, “Water Day” games, live performances and community meals.
Meanwhile, RedCan guests continued to enjoy youth art at every turn. The festival showcased the work of CRYP’s art interns through a special exhibit, highlighting the creativity and growth of teens who participate in the youth project’s year-round arts programming.
The exhibit underscored RedCan’s broader purpose of nurturing artistic expression among young people. In recent years, that work has expanded beyond the visual arts.
One of the week’s most powerful moments came during the poetry slam on Friday, when award-winning two-spirit Lakota storyteller Taté Walker took the art park stage with their teen poetry workshop participants to perform original pieces inspired by their lives.
“Giving youth the space to create, the opportunity to express themselves and a platform to be heard is everything,” Garreau said. “It takes tremendous courage for a young person to stand up and share their heart. As adults, we need to listen. When we truly pay attention to their words and their art, we begin to understand who they are, what they’re experiencing and what they need from us. They are our why.”
Music played an important role throughout the week as well. Festival guests enjoyed performances by well-known American rapper Murs, Cheyenne River Lakota and Crow Creek Dakota artist Bazille, Oglala Lakota singer Reed Two Bulls and Mvskoke Creek/Seneca hoop dancers The Sampson Brothers.
During Bazille’s performance, the set incorporated recorded music and spoken-word pieces created by teen participants in his music and beat-production workshop, weaving their voices into the live show.
The Cheyenne River-based Wakinyan Maza drum group opened and closed each day with prayer, songs and blessings, grounding the celebration in Lakota culture and values.
Preliminary numbers show that 213 children took part in scheduled RedCan youth activities over the four days. In addition, nearly 200 people gathered for free community dinners in the Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park on Friday and Saturday, hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis volunteer group and the CRYP staff, respectively. Many more visited the mural sites, engaging with the artists and youth participants as passing drivers offered appreciative honks and waves.
“Every year, RedCan reminds us what’s possible when we invest in our young people,” Garreau said. “Our artists leave behind beautiful murals, but they also leave behind relationships, inspiration and memories that last far longer than paint on a wall. That’s what makes RedCan so special.”
For details about RedCan 2026, visit lakotayouth.org/redcan/.
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.