Cheyenne River Youth Project

The Main Youth Center targets the youngest residents of the community serving children ages 4-12 after school and on weekends. In addition to being a warm and safe place to go and get a healthy meal, the Main Youth Center offers a number of activities that promote arts and culture, healthy lifestyles and education. While learning more about their Lakota culture and history, The Main Youth Center’s Arts and Culture program also allows children the opportunity to express themselves through their artistic creations. The Wellness Program incorporates physical activities through recreational games and mentorship, giving the children tools to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Many additional educational programs function within the Main Youth Center, including the Literacy Program and Main University which offers reading and writing programs and a variety of semester long classes the children can take in an environment similar to one in a college setting.

After the Main Youth Program had operated for many years and encountered success in meeting the needs of the children across the reservation; staff, volunteers and community members were determined to create a center dedicated to the teens – and graduates of the Main Youth Program – that they could call home. As a result, in 2006 Ċokata Wiċoni Teen Center was opened. Currently, Ċokata Wiċoni (which means Center of Life) is frequented by approximately 100 teens on a daily basis. When they come to the facility, they have amenities that include an internet café, library, computer lab, commercial kitchen, classroom space, gymnasium, fitness room and art & dance studios. At the teen center, youth are exposed to positive adult and peer influences and they find hope through the many exciting opportunities and programs offered in the areas of; Health and Wellness, Arts and Culture, Education, Leadership and Personal Development.

The Wiyan Toka Win (“Leading Lady”) Garden is another key component of CRYP programs and services and is the cornerstone in our efforts to build a more sustainable food system on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation, while fostering environmental stewardship. The garden project is guided by traditional and spiritual principles, incorporating our Lakota values into the gardens development – Generosity, Spirituality, Wisdom, Respect, Courage, Honest, and Patience. Built upon a unique combination of spiritual, human and land based resources, CRYP children, their families and even community elders are involved in the 2 acre Wiyan Toka Win Garden. One of the most important aspects of the garden program is to foster community participation so the value of gardening and knowledge of traditional agricultural methods can be transferred from generation to generation.

To meet the needs of CRYP families across the reservation, the Family Services Program was born in 2003. Families in need of emergency hygiene supplies, clothing, blankets, shoes, school supplies and more come to the CRYP and have access to these items donated from individuals across the world. In addition to providing these basic home staples to families, the Family Services Program provides resources for families in need of heating assistance and home improvement funds to keep their families safe, warm and comfortable in the harsh winter conditions. Finally, the Family Services Program conducts an annual Christmas Toy Drive assuring that CRYP children will have a gift under the tree on Christmas morning - even if their family has been affected by poverty.