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Youth Programs
We believe that Native youth need to know their culture and have access to people, places, and environments that help them to develop healthy lifestyles, without alcohol, drugs, or violence.
Our goal is to re-establish and support a Hocoka (Sacred Circle) for the Oyate (people) to facilitate positive direction in their lives through Lakota Language, culture values and spirituality with our horse nation relatives.
Using culturally specific curriculum and strategies, we meet our goal through afterschool and summer programs, weekend youth retreats, equine life skills training, and our Lakota song, dance and youth society drumming programs. These activities offer the opportunity for: leadership development, social skills development, relationship building, healing from trauma and fear management, all leading toward increased self esteem and confidence.
We have created a conscious continuum of development for our youth. They begin building relationships and trust during afterschool sessions.
Our Wolakota camp series allows them to share cultural experiences.
They deepen their cultural involvement through youth societies and retreats.
Through social enterprises which they conceive, lead and operate with Lakota cultural values, they learn practical business and employment skills that help prepare them for financial independence as young adults.
Caring adult mentors
With the support and guidance of the LYD leadership, Elder advisors and skilled business mentors, our youth are immersed in a safe non-judgmental nurturing environment that inspires trust, healthy relationships, and leadership development.
Wolakota
The seven principals that will drive our youth experiences are embodied in the following:
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While the hands are busy the mind is open
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Knowing your place in the camp circle is the foundation for knowing your place in the community, tribal nation, and world
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Personal, character and spiritual strengths once identified can be refined and developed to enhance youth life skills and personal growth.
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Only when we know who we are and where our people have been can we go forward into the future. (i.e. personal, family, and tribal history)
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Developments of cognitive problem solving skills are an integral part of “full circle” Lakota problem solving and decision making. (i.e. thought, emotions, physical investment, and spiritual consultation)
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Lakota virtues and teachings must be shared and translated into today’s world experiences for youth to grasp their value
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Adults must demonstrate commitment, respect, caring, support and protection for youth to have the needed environment for developmental and personal growth.
The purpose of our youth gatherings is to develop and build on the necessary cultural skills of effective Lakota Youth Leadership and recovery that empower them and their peers to acquire the cultural resiliency and leadership qualities and skills needed to support re-establishment of Lakota youth societies.
We are certified for Project Venture's Positive Prevention Model. Our camps, afterschool and out of school programs are offered for youth in Gregory, Todd, Mellette and Tripp Counties in South Dakota.
Weekend Youth Retreats
Experiential Camps
Nacan Iyecel Opi'iciyapi
Leadership Societies
Bear Horse Thunder Society- Young Men
Maţo Tašuŋka Wakiŋyaŋ Okolakičye
Womanske ye Waste-Wa-Lakin Nahan
7 Nations Young Women's Sisterhood Guild
Youth Led Social Enterprises
"Nothing about Us without Us"
Youth Leadership Societies are formed by participants in our cultural youth camps. They organize themselves in order to have a youth voice related to our alcohol and drug prevention programming.
Members utilize the Lakota society structure as a peer mentorship and leadership system to promote Lakota language development, increase participation in Lakota spirituality and ceremonies and live an alcohol and drug free life style.
Equine Life Skills Training
Sunka Wakan Otakuye
The Horse Nation has been a part of Lakota culture for thousands of years. It seems only natural for LYD to move towards bringing back those relationships with the Horse Nation and native youth. Equine activities are part of each camp experience.
Sunka Wakan Otakuye Curriculum is hands on learning with the horses, opening the door for Lakota youth to re-unite with the Horse Nation.
The horses interact with the youth in ways that help youth better understand their own actions and behaviors.
2021 CAMP SCHEDULE
All camps with be limited to 10 youth per camp until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be a wait list for camps that have already reached full capacity.
Chaperone training- May 14th-16th, 2021
Spring Harvest Camp- June 7th- 10th,2021
Isnati (Coming of Age Ceremony)- June 21st- 24th, 2021
Leadership Camp- July 12th-15th, 2021
Bow & Arrow Camp- July 26th-29th,2021
Summer Harvest Camp- Aug. 9th-12th, 2021
Horse Camp- TBA
Theater Camp with Cornerstone Theater Company- TBA
History Camp with Joseph Marshall III- TBA
Hunt Certification- Sept. 10th-12th, 2021
Hunt Weekend- Oct. 8th-10th, 2021