The theme for February’s contest is LAKOTA!
You can interpret this idea any way you want. You can use painting, drawing, photography, collage, poetry, stories, video, music, dance – anything original that the theme of the month inspires you to create! It is all up to your imagination – we encourage all forms of creativity!
2018 was a record breaking year at Mitakuye!
Avaline Little Elk holds her traditionally tanned deer skin
We had more students than ever submitting to our Creators Club and Art Contests!
Grand Prize: Winner Dorian Sage Baldes
1st Place Winner Kinsey Hill
Grand Prize Winner Avaline Little Elk
1st Place Honors Winner Christian Sage Lakota
We ran multiple Hoye Wayelo Arts Immersion programs this summer including our first ever sleep away intensive in the Black Hills! The Intensives bring local artists and visiting artists from all over the globe to work with young Lakota Artists in the fields of Dance, Music, Music Production, Visual Arts, Filmmaking, Photography, Writing, and a full spectrum of Traditional Arts including: Traditional Brain Tanning, Beadwork, Plant Medicines, and Traditional Flutes.
Photo Credit: Jessie White Face
Check out the song the music students created here:
https://mitakuyefoundation.com/hoye-wayelo-2018-summer-music-production-the-art-of-life/
Check out the films the students made here:
https://mitakuyefoundation.com/hoye-wayelo-2018-summer-films/
We took the art to the streets with students in Pine Ridge.
We did several Residencies at Crazy Horse School in Wanblee where we taught dance, music, writing, filmmaking and music production.
Students wrote and recorded an original song you can listen to here:
They also filmed a music video that will be out at the beginning of the year!
Arts Residency at Crazy Horse
We connected with thousands of students across the reservation in our Spring and Fall school tours and handed out hundreds of awards to contest winners and Creator’s Club participants!
Award assembly at Pine Ridge
Creator’s Club art supplies and awards!
Wolf Creek Awards
Award Winners at OLL
Award Winners at Rockyford School
Every school is supplied with posters for The LIFELINE – our 24 hour help line run by leaders from the Sweetgrass Project and BEARs program.
Mitakuye LIFELINE Poster designed by Jordan Cortier Age 17
Mitakuye LIFELINE Poster designed by Breianna High Wolf Age 10
We had another beautiful year for the Annual 500 Mile Sacred Hoop Prayer Run.
500 Mile Sacred Hoop Run
Footage of our runners from the Standing Rock Prayer run were featured in the award winning film AWAKE: A Dream From Standing Rock.
Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock
The Thunderlake Lakota Nation Boxing Club for Girls and Boys toured all over the region. Students won many of their matches this year including the regional and national Silver Gloves Championships!
Sisters Niyah and Tina Sierra Photo credit: Randi Shawaway
Champion Isnala White Bull Photo credit: Randi Shawaway
Champion Niyah Sierra Photo credit: Randi Shawaway
Our Holiday Toy Drive sent out 2 huge shipments to Wakpamni village in Pine Ridge. The Holiday community dinner and give-away is one of many community safe events we sponsor.
We have a full roster of programs and events lined up for 2019!
Help us get the new year off to a great start by making an End Of Year contribution here:
https://mitakuyefoundation.com/donate/
WOPILA!
We had a record number of submissions for our October 2018 Art Contest: NATURE!
Congratulations to everyone who submitted!
Grand Prize: Avaline Little Elk, Age 14
Grand Prize: Avaline Little Elk, Age14
First Place Honors: Christian Sage Lakota, Age 14
First Place: Aurora Marshall, Age 13
First Place: Mahtea Brown Thunder, Age 10
First Place: Hayden Pettigrew, Age 9
First Place: Elizabeth Richards, Age 18
First Place: Dorian Sage Baldes, Age 16
First Place: Nora Marshall, Age 12
Honorable Mention: Ramona Tibbitts, Age 9
Honorable Mention: Eryn Plenty Wolf, Age 10
Honorable Mention: Eliza Brien, Age 12
Honorable Mention: Emik Cobain Bruguier, Age 11
Honorable Mention: Victoria Andrews, Age 11
Honorable Mention: Jacinta Vasquez, Age 13
Honorable Mention: Ohiyesawin Ramirez, Age 14
High and Low.
I find it comforting how rivers flow.
My spirit lives in my hair
I pray the days I cut it are numbered rare
Winters pass like a heard of bison
White men came and stole the land
Now a company goes by tyson
They kill animals as if its grand
Dying from greed
Unnecessary numbers for feed
We see the trouble
Yet our minds turn to rubble
We do nothing
We forgot who we are.
We can do something
But all we want is that new car.
Pipelines polluting water
We fought but almost faced slaughter.
Our people are falling apart!
Being poked and prodded by darts!
What are we anymore?
Joining forces with the rival!
Now we believe it from the core!
When the start was just for survival..
We gave up on environment.
Our hearts seem to be in retirement.
We can bring old ways back!
Stop cutting our fears slack!
Unči makȟa is blight
Let’s save our grandmother!
Bring back the light
What do you say sister, brother?
Let’s call to the light.
Honorable Mention: Danaye Mills, Age 15
Honorable Mention: Amber Pena, Age 16
Honorable Mention: Aurora White Thunder, Age 14
Honorable Mention: Pema Bull Bear, Age 10
Honorable Mention: Brooklyn Twiss, Age 8
Honorable Mention: Shirleah Ferguson, Age 10
Honorable Mention: Terrayah Rogers, Age 10
Merit Award: Emily Shangreaux, Age 16
Honorable Mention: Grace Eagle Elk, Age 12
Merit Award: Griffey Big Crow, Age 17
Merit Award: Katherine Plenty Bull, Age 17
Merit Award: Lester James Jack, Age 15
Merit Award: Louis Pulliam Jr, Age 15
Merit Award: Tyler Star Comes Out, Age 15
Merit Award: Anthony Rossy Long, Age 15
Merit Award: Athena Meredith Cook, Age 16
Merit Award: Alfred Richards, Age 14
Merit Award: Christopher Red Owl, Age 16
Merit Award: Brandon Traversie, Age 14
Merit Award: Emilee Hill, Age 12
Merit Award: Amanda Iron Cloud, Age 14
Merit Award: LaNessa Hand, Age 13
Merit Award: Charlie Iron Cloud, Age 11
Merit Award: Kinsey Hill, Age 11
Merit Award: Kadence Weston, Age 11
Merit Award: Maisena Kelly, Age 12
Merit Award: Tate High Hawk, Age 12
Merit Award: Alyssa White Eyes, Age 8
Merit Award: Moraes May, Age 10
Merit Award: Rio Weston, Age 7
Merit Award: Jeffrey Ferguson, Age 10
Merit Award: Elizarayne Clifford, Age 9
Merit Award: Elliana Leshae Reed, Age 9
Merit Award: Ashley Ghost, Age 9
Merit Award: Virginia Spencer, Age 8
We are collecting NEW, UNWRAPPED toys for kids ages 9 months to 18 years.
Pick ups in Los Angeles are December 15th and 16th. If you would like to set up a drive in your community please let us know. You can also donate directly to the toy fund: https://mitakuyefoundation.com/donate/ – and note “Toy Fund” in the program box.
Wopila! Thanks to your support this has been our biggest donation weekend ever!!
Thank you Allen Salaway @lilnativeboy for your steadfast support of Native youth. And thank you to everyone who shared his article and donated to all the worthy causes @lilnativeboy has brought to light. Your support directly affects the lives of so many native youth. These are the voices we need to support. These are the voices that are changing the narrative!
Ted decides to build a bridge
During our end of summer programming we made time for a special site specific art adventure in the Black Hills with some of our Hoye Wayelo Arts Immersion students! We visited several locations and students experimented using the natural landscape and earth materials. Kids also experimented with photography, movement, and video.
In our final location of the day Ted decided to build a bridge!
Ted gathers materials
He quickly enlists the help of other artists
The kids find a friend as they work
Aurora documents the moment
Quick photo break
Mission accomplished – the kids work until sundown!
Standing on their creation!
What INSPIRES you?
The theme for the December Art Contest is INSPIRATION
Submit anything the theme moves you to create – we encourage all forms of creativity! Deadline is DECEMBER 1st.
Earn points every month in our Creator’s Club! Students earn 10 points every month they submit to save up for great prizes. Get in the practice of creating every month and earn prizes along the way!
On contest months we provide a theme and students can win art supplies and cash awards.
A beautiful way to end the summer! We spent a week making art in a residency at Crazy Horse School in Wanblee and traveling around to schools across the reservation handing out awards to our Contest winners and our Creator’s Club participants!
Creator’s Club art supplies and awards!
Rockyford student Malia White Eyes accepts her award
Creator’s Club and Award Winners at Rockyford School!
Wolf Creek Elementary School
Wolf Creek Elementary school 1st Place winner Kinsey Hill!
Wolf Creek Middle School artists!
Little Wound artist Tara Rouillard
Little Wound Creator’s Club and award winners
Pine Ridge School
Pine Ridge honors their artists during homecoming!
Young artists at Loneman School
OLL Artists!
Anpo Wicahpi artists!
Red Cloud Artist Emilee Swalley
Red Cloud artists Wazi Thunder Hawk
Multiple award winner Baylie Her Many Horses
Oelrichs winners Baylie Her Many Horses and Denato Two Bulls
Our film students learned all aspects of film making: pre-production, production and post! They created two special projects in narrative and documentary genres.
The narrative group created this short horror film “Camp Thunder”. The script was created by the whole group and all pitched in in different crew positions.The film was Directed by Charlie Plenty Wolf, Cinematography by Aurora Marshall, and features Nora Marshall, Brandy Marshall, Amerylexa Sharpish, Mia Ann Grant, Natalia Two Two, Destiny Ann No Moccasin, Deneja Pine, and special guest star Destiny Leftwich. Nora Marshall also created the props for the film and wrote and performed an original score!
Students working on the documentary project interviewed Lakota elder Pauline Wilson. They shot footage and used archival and stock footage to create this short documentary. The film team: Joey Hill, Maranda Joy Red Owl, Annette Red Owl, and Sweetgrass American Horse.