Mitakuye is Lakota for “My Relatives” and  represents the Lakota philosophy that we are all related. The Mitakuye Foundation was created to support and empower Native youth and address the ongoing teen suicide epidemic on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Most kids on Pine Ridge live in severe poverty and the teen suicide epidemic there has reached staggering proportions. The work we do focuses on arts education and youth empowerment. All of our work is life affirming – which by its very nature is a major factor in suicide prevention.