This past week, I spent time at Eagle Butte, South Dakota, specifically at the Cheyenne River Youth Project on the reservation. Going into the trip, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been on a service trip before, and especially had no experience with Native American culture or working with children.

I was lucky enough to go with a great group of students through Badger Catholic at UW-Madison. It was a long journey, about fourteen hours, but once we got there, it was a transformative experience.

Growing up in my hometown, poverty wasn’t always the most evident thing. I knew it existed, but didn’t know how poverty truly affected families. 47.3 percent of the individuals in Eagle Butte live below the poverty line. This low income causes many problems in the community, including the access to basic needs like winter apparel, and make Christmas time especially hard.

One solution brought up is whether or not Indian Tribal Council wants to create a casino for income, but an issue that also arises from that is that much of the money generated in casinos is from their own people. Many of the kids and teens that come to the Cheyenne River Youth Project are lacking a strong family base, confusion about self- identity, support, and are just looking for a safe place to go after school and during the day.

The Cheyenne River Youth Project is known for providing many services to families on the reservation. The project was created in 1988 and has become a vital organization for the Lakota Nation in this area. For a once a year subscription of thirty dollars, families can take care of all the programs put on by the organization. Some of these services include a toy drive, coat drive, birthday parties and many more. While there I was able to participate in their winter coat drive. All together we served over 500 people by distributing new coats and boats, and gently used blankets.

As a volunteer at the CRYP, it was amazing to get first-hand viewpoints from both the kids and the staff. The CRYP has a gym that is very popular for kids to shoot or even start up games with each other. The CRYP also contains a cafe and gift shop for raising funds. The Cheyenne River Youth Project has numerous internships for students on the reservation to help get their foot in the door and gives them an opportunity to work on real-life skills and money management.

Art is something used for expression and inspiration on the reservation. The art room at the Cheyenne River Youth Project is stocked full of various art supplies. Art is highly encouraged among kids on the reservation. It is displayed all around the building.

Graffiti has also been a way to decorate Eagle Butte as well as express Lakota culture. The Red Can Project brings graffiti artists from all over the world to paint the town in murals per request. The artists are nationally renowned and act as mentors for the children. Children get to paint their helmets and skateboards with the artists while working on technique. It truly lights up the town and brings the Lakota Nation closer together.

Spending a week on the reservation opened my mind up to many things. I’m fortunate for what I have, but it is my job as a human being to help out others as much as I can. The kids that I met are the future of the Lakota Nation and after talking to an elder, Jim, there is a lot of pressure on them to be the generation that stands up for their people, learns from each other, and keeps the culture alive.

For more information about the Red Can Graffiti Jam, the Cheyenne River Youth Project, and The Lakota Nation head to lakotayouth.org.