Native Food Sovereignty Internships
This was the first internship track CRYP developed, graduating 10 teen interns in 2013. In this internship, teens learn to plant, maintain and harvest CRYP’s 2.5-acre, naturally grown Winyan Toka Win (Leading Lady) Garden and process food in Cokata Wiconi’s commercial kitchen. They also spend time in the classroom, learning from expert speakers and strengthening their connection with Lakota traditions, values and life ways.
Social Enterprises Internships
In this internship track, teens work within and even manage CRYP’s social enterprise initiatives, which include the Keya (Turtle) Cafe, Keya Gift Shop, and seasonal Leading Lady Farmers Market. They learn to prepare food and beverages, handle money and serve customers in real operating businesses, earning their Customer Service, CPR, Financial Literacy and Food Handler’s certifications along the way.
Native Wellness Internships
These interns focus on how to nurture healthy minds and bodies through physical fitness, nutrition, diabetes prevention, healthy lifestyle choices and, perhaps most importantly, Lakota values and life ways. Through ongoing trainings, the interns learn about native wellness, traditional values and leadership, historical trauma, healthy communication and relationships, sexuality, and decision-making. These trainings prepare the interns for active youth mentorship within the community.
Art Internships
Offered through CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Lakota Arts institute, the Art Internships allow teens to explore graffiti and street art, fine art, and traditional Lakota arts, and to learn about opportunities for advanced arts education and professional development. As LAI continues to expand, we plan to add instruction in performance arts and commercial arts, as well as a peer mentor program. Download the Spring 2020 Art Internship application.
Indigenous Cooking Internships
The idea for this internship track came from one of our teens. In this track, interns learn the history of different foods, their relationships to traditional Lakota medicines and ceremonies, and their contemporary uses. They also get plenty of hands-on kitchen time, learning to make ceyaka tea, flat cedar tea, chokecherry juice, wojapi, chokecherry patties, dried buffalo meat, wasna, ba’ pa soup, squash flour, and more. They document their experiences in journals, and they create their own spirit dishes/smudge kits to conclude their internships. Download the Spring 2020 Indigenous Cooking Internship application. You can also submit your application online here.