The Covid-19 pandemic left the Cheyenne River Youth Project reeling, just like everyone else in 2020. During those earliest weeks of lockdown, all we could do was prepare and distribute takeout meals; we missed our kids, and we knew we had to find a way to bring back...
Although the Cheyenne River Youth Project began its life as a drop-in youth center for 4- to 12-year-olds, we’ve learned over the years that our teens are just as eager as the littles to get involved. They just need to be engaged in different ways. Jordyn Brown Bull...
At the Cheyenne River Youth Project, we are dedicated to giving our youth access to the opportunities they so richly deserve in spaces that are carefully curated to be inspiring, safe, and sacred. We also are committed to making those spaces inclusive — all children...
Moving to a new community is hard, especially for a young person. Not only are you transitioning into a new home, neighborhood, and school, you must actively seek opportunities to make friends, get involved, and pursue your dreams. Fourteen-year-old Hailey Bell didn’t...
Kicopi Washburn grew up in Eagle Butte, at the heart of South Dakota’s Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Although she has lived here since she was 8 years old, she didn’t start attending CRYP programming until she was 14. “That’s when I was old enough to apply for an...
All of us at CRYP are deeply grateful for the opportunities we have to engage with our children here on the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation. Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we have found creative ways to continue our teen internships, for example; that means the...
Although Nation Cowins grew up in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, he didn’t discover CRYP’s youth programming until this spring. He first arrived at Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) in March, and he immediately got involved with the teen center’s native wellness, native food...
While many of our teens first discover CRYP as 4- to 12-year-olds attending our youth programs at The Main, some arrive a bit later — drawn by dedicated teen programs at Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life). Deja Roberts falls into the latter group. Deja grew up in our...
This month, CRYP staff joyfully welcomed our children back to “The Main” youth center and the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) teen center. While we are grateful to focus on our Wo Otuh’an Wi (Moon of Giving Away Presents) Toy Drive throughout the month of December, we...
This year, CRYP launched its first-ever Lakota Arts Fellowship program. Operated through the Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Lakota Youth Arts & Culture Institute, this nine-month fellowship is designed for young people who have completed multiple teen arts...