News

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A few highlights from our November school tour. We handed out record breaking numbers of awards and certificates for winners and participants of the October Art Contest! Congratulations to everyone who submitted!

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Congratulations to everyone who submitted to our October 2019 contest
CRAZY HORSE : “Tasunke Witko”!!

This was a record breaking contest on all fronts! We had more entries than ever and traveled around to more schools than ever discussing the theme and students’ ideas about it.

There were so many ways to interpret this. Crazy Horse never allowed for his photograph to be taken. He represents different things to different people and every person is inspired differently when they think of him. Students came up with a myriad of creative and unique interpretations!

We awarded artists in four age categories and handed out more awards than ever! Every student who enters earns points every time they submit, to save up for great prizes in our Creator’s Club! Stay tuned for photos from our awards ceremonies! Congratulations to all of our winners!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

1st PLACE WINNERS

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HONORABLE MENTION AWARD WINNERS

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MERIT AWARD WINNERS

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The theme for December 2019 is: BEAUTY
What are you inspired to create when you think of BEAUTY?
Does it make you think of a place?A thing? A person? A color? A sound?

You can interpret this any way you want. You can use painting, drawing, photography, collage, poetry, stories, videos, music, dance – anything original that the theme inspires you to create! It is all up to your imagination – we encourage all forms of creativity.

We were thrilled to sponsor the 3rd Annual Eugene Reddest Memorial Youth Award at the 72nd Annual Potato Creek Wacipi!

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Our winners were: Max Two Crow, Anna Good Shield, Pema Bull Bear, Dayton White Eagle, and Avery New Holy.

There were so many talented young and upcoming dancers!

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Dancers of all ages from all over Pine Ridge and beyond came to compete and celebrate.

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The community pays special respect to their Akicita Society!

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Our friends and family worked hard to create such a beautiful event. One of the longest running wacipi on the reservation!

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Video clips coming soon!

We handed out over 350 awards and visited with over 3,000 students on our September Creator’s Club School Tour!

The Mitakuye Creator’s Club gives students an opportunity to create every month and earn points for their work. Every month they submit they earn points towards great prizes. More importantly – they become involved in the process of creating!

Congratulations to all of our young artists!

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We are thrilled to announce that three new respected elders have joined our Advisory Council! Richard Moves Camp, Verola Spider, and Joseph Marshall, III.

Richard Moves Camp is a fifth-generation Lakota healer, elder, tribal historian, and spiritual leader. He is the great, great grandson of Wóptuȟ’a (“Chips”), the wičháša wakȟáŋ (“holy man”) who provided Tȟašúŋke Witkó (“Crazy Horse”) with war medicines of protection. A tribal authority on Lakota history, culture, and religion based on five generations of ancestral family memory and a living oral tradition dating back to the pre-reservation period, Mr. Moves Camp and his family have been pivotal in the preservation and revitalization of Lakota religion and spirituality throughout the twentieth century. A well-known and highly respected elder, Mr. Moves Camp holds a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in Behavioral Health from Sinte Gleska University.

Richard is the Executive Director of Wicahpi Koyaka Tiospaye, a non-profit organization that focuses on preserving the traditional knowledge and cultural traditions of the Lakota people to provide a pathway to wellness. Their purpose is to preserve, maintain, and pass on traditional teachings for future generations.

Richard was a key contributor to the Wakanyeja Pawicayapi (“Children First”) organization and co-authored a book on Lakota Healing with fellow spiritual leader Richard Two Dogs. Richard served as a counselor at the Crazy Horse school in Wanblee, and was one of the founding members of the Lakota Waldorf school. He teaches at Sinte Gleska University and lectures widely on Lakota history, culture, and traditions.

Verola Spider was born and raised in Porcupine, South Dakota. Growing up in a traditional family, Verola never spoke a word of English until the age of six. She was raised in the traditional ways in a log cabin with no electricity or running water, and traveled by horse and wagon. She is a sixth generation oral storyteller and the first female in her family lineage to hold that honor.

Verola is a master quill worker and has carried on and passed down the ancient art form of quillwork to current generations for decades. As a multi-faceted traditional artist, she has produced award-winning creations in quillwork, beading, moccasins, cradleboards, and star quilts.

As a Lakota language arts and culture teacher at Oglala Lakota College for over two decades, she has passed on traditional language and knowledge to countless students. She is the matriarch of a large family which includes 10 kids, 27 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

Joseph Marshall III is an acclaimed Lakota author, teacher, artist, and historian. Joseph was born on the Rosebud Indian reservation in SD. Raised in a traditional household, his first language was Lakota and he was trained in the ancient tradition of oral storytelling. He is one of the founding members of Sinte Gleska University and has spent years teaching university and high school students. He has developed curricula in Lakota Language and Native American Studies and developed a leadership seminar based on the leadership lessons of Crazy Horse.

Joseph is most well known as an award-winning writer. He has published fourteen nonfiction works, three novels, a collection of short stories and essays, two children’s books, several screenplays, and was a contributing author in five other publications. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages and he has traveled across the U.S. and abroad as a speaker and lecturer.

Joseph has worked in the film and television industry both as an actor and narrator. He has also worked behind the scenes as a consultant and technical advisor, and is a Fellow in the Sundance Institute. Joseph is also a practitioner of primitive Lakota archery, having learned from his maternal grandfather the art of hand-crafting bows and arrows, and is a specialist in wilderness survival.

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Along with our current advisors Rick Gray Grass, Saunie Wilson, and Yvonne “Tiny” DeCory – we are grateful for the wisdom and experience provided by our new advisors. Their individual and collective strengths, talents, and insights are priceless and their life-long commitment to the revitalization of Lakota culture and identity help provide positive and uplifting inspiration for the Lakota youth and the Mitakuye Foundation.

Thrilled to be sponsoring the 3^rd annual Eugene Reddest Memorial Youth Award at the 72^nd annual Potato Creek Wacipi September 13,14,15 2019!

This award, in memory of our dear kola Eugene Reddest, will honor an upcoming boy and girl dancer with a certificate, Mitakuye backpack, art bag, and $100 cash prize! Mitakuye will also be co-sponsoring a dinner to celebrate the youth and honor the memory of our dear friend. Open to all dancers through age 18.

The theme for December 2019 is:
CRAZY HORSE : “Tasunke Witko”

What are you inspired to create when you think of CRAZY HORSE? There are so many ways to interpret this. Crazy Horse never allowed for his photograph to be taken. He represents different things to different people. When you think of him – when you hear his name – what do you think of? Is it a sound? A quality? An image of what you think he may have looked like? DO you think of a color? A sound?

As with all of the themes we give – this is just a starting point. You can interpret this any way you want. You can use painting, drawing, photography, collage, poetry, stories, videos, music, dance – anything original that the theme inspires you to create! It is all up to your imagination – we encourage all forms of creativity.

The spoken-word music video featuring the students of Hoye Wayelo Summer Arts program will be out in December. Stay tuned!

Congratulations to everyone who submitted to our Special Contest to design the new poster for our LIFELINE!

The LIFELINE, run by Tiny Decorey and her team of trained suicide prevention volunteers, is 24 hour hotline for anyone who needs to talk. We are now expanding the program to include a 24 hour text line and needed a new poster!

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER, Joey Hill, will work with a professional Graphic Artist to have his winning design turned into the new poster for our expanded LIFELINE.

We awarded artists in three age categories. Every student who enters earns points every time they submit, to save up for great prizes in our Creator’s Club! Congratulations to all of our winners!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

HONORABLE MENTION AWARD WINNERS

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MERIT AWARD WINNERS

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