KINSHIP & COMMUNITY
Cultural Care
Many of our protocols or practices have been passed down through time. Some of this include our ceremonies and relationship to the land along with the elements that interact with it. We offer time to build bridges through multigenerational learning engagements. This can be seen shared during our talking circles and other communities activities.
Ishnati Awicalowanpi
Womanhood & Two-Spirit Coming of Age Ceremonies
We are approaching our 4th year supporting Coming of Age ceremonies here on Standing Rock. Families are able to support their young people in celebrating this stage of life with honorable practices that are culturally relevant. Participants will camp together for 4 days while relatives nourish their bodies and spirits.
Two-Spirit LBGTQIA Support
We continue to be allies to our Two-Spirit relatives by supporting Sitting Bull College’s Two-Spirit club to offer youth events, sharing awareness and experience from others in the community. This has been well attended by the local public schools and helped us learn more about how to be better allies. In 2025 we honored our Tunwin Beverly Little Thunder, our former Board member, with a color walk.
Community Health Demos
& Wellness Support
Many of our staff have experience in cultivating, processing and using our traditional medicines. We offer community health demos for schools, professionals and community members to develop skills for wellness practices. Participants learn more about the abundance that our prairie is able to offer us in terms of medicine or food. Our medicine making includes teas, salves, syrups, broths, infusions and many other techniques to incorporate our plant allies. Often in our spaces we are encouraging community based transfer of knowledge. We host intergenerational engagements where we reach community members from babies to elders. We believe that by taking care of ourselves we are better equipped to support our relatives, expanding circles of community care.
Indigenous Technology Skill Development
We have been regularly offering space for people to develop their creative skillset. From dresses to belt-making, cradleboards to baby moccasins and chekpa ognake, we encourage participants of all levels to join us with experienced crafters to share their skills. Not only have we hosted these sessions at our site in Fort Yates, North Dakota but our team has also transported the tools and materials to South Dakota to increase access for people in the region. In 2026 we expanded our programming to include a collaborative partnership with Sacred Pipe Resource Center in Bismarck, North Dakota.
