EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. — Art, music, poetry and sports filled the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center’s public spaces in January as the Cheyenne River Youth Project kicked off the new year. Not only were three fully booked internships under way, CRYP also offered ledger art and open mic workshops, Open Mic and Poetry Slam Night, and Midnight Basketball.
In the ledger art workshop, guest instructor Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III, a Hunkpapa Lakota artist, taught Cheyenne River teens about the history and significance of the art form. He also demonstrated how to create traditional styles of artwork — and how to transform contemporary subject matter into ledger art.
“If our ancestors who made ledger art were alive today, they would be making art that reflects their experiences and interests,” explained Wakinyan Chief, CRYP’s arts manager. “Through the ledger art workshop, our youth are learning to honor the past as they bring our traditions forward into the present and then carry them into the future.”
For the second January workshop, CRYP welcomed guest instructor Talon Bazille Ducheneaux, a Cheyenne River Lakota rapper, producer and sound designer. He guided the teens as they made beats, created poems, and practiced public speaking so they could introduce themselves and their artwork at the Open Mic and Poetry Slam Night on Jan. 30.
“Our youth have been cultivating Woohitike na Waohola, which means courage and respectfulness,” Wakinyan Chief said. “The courage to overcome the fear of public speaking, and respectfulness for their peers as they demonstrated their own courage.
“Wopila tanka eciciyelo to our relatives Talon Bazille Ducheneaux and Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III for returning to share their knowledge and skills with our Wikoskalaka na Koskalaka, our young women and men.”
Also on Jan. 30, CRYP welcomed 56 teens to Cokata Wiconi’s Morgan Yellowhead Gymnasium to carry on a tradition that started in Eagle Butte three decades ago: Midnight Basketball.
“Before tip-off, we gave the teens a quick history lesson,” said Jerica Widow, CRYP’s programs director. “Back in 1996, Midnight Basketball was just outdoor hoops in the high school parking lot from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. We held it at the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Upper Elementary School for many years, too.
“Fast forward to today, and that same energy is alive and well — with just a few more perks.”
Since Cokata Wiconi opened its doors in 2006, CRYP has held Midnight Basketball in the Morgan Yellowhead Gym, and it shifted the hours back to 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Today, it is moving beyond the court by adding board game tournaments, movie screenings, late-night dinners and high-stakes elimination games.
“We want to offer fun activities for kids who don’t necessarily play basketball,” Widow explained. “We were thrilled with the turnout on Jan. 30, and the teens’ enthusiasm. It was a warm evening filled with big laughs, intense plays, and a whole lot of community spirit. Here’s to 30 more years of keeping the lights on and the game going!”
The youth project will host another Midnight Basketball event on Feb. 27. The team also is busy preparing for:
Feb. 13: Community Valentine’s Day Party on Feb. 13 at Cokata Wiconi (open to the public)
Feb. 20: February Birthday Party at The Main (ages 4-12)
Feb. 23: Start of Indigenous Cooking Teen Internship at Cokata Wiconi (ages 13-18)
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Levi "Calm Before the Storm" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at [email protected].
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