Lakota Cultural Center governing board re-affirms policies and plans for future

EAGLE BUTTE – At its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 6, 2025, the governing board of the Lakota Cultural Center (LCC) in Eagle Butte reaffirmed its mission and operating policies and discussed plans for the future of the Center. The board includes 6 elected representatives, one for each district of the Cheyenne River Lakota Reservation. Representatives are elected for 4-year terms. Meetings are scheduled for the first Monday of every month at noon.

The day-to-day operation of the LCC is a collaboration between the governing board, the tribal chairman, the Cheyenne River Lakota tribe, and the Director of the LCC, Dave West (Cheyenne River Lakota).

Jay Cook (Cheyenne River Lakota) of Iron Lightning, SD, is a respected Lakota elder who has served on the governing board of the LCC for many years and currently serves as the chair of the board. He says that he would be happy to support another qualified person who is willing to serve as the chair but he is willing to continue to serve until someone else steps up.

According to Cook, at the most recent board meeting, the board reaffirmed its long-standing policy of not hosting wakes or funerals at the LCC. Cook stressed that this is a firm policy and that no exceptions are made.

This policy was recently questioned and challenged by a family planning a funeral. In accordance with this policy, the board and the Director referred the family to other community venues appropriate for that purpose. Referral to other venues has been the practice for a number of years whenever someone has requested to use the facility for a wake or funeral.

Cook explained that the reason the LCC no longer allows the venue to be used for the purpose of wakes and funerals is the lack of an adequate security system at the venue. In the past, priceless Lakota artifacts on display at LCC have been stolen during wakes and funerals. Also, in the past there have been violations of the strict NO Alcohol/Drugs policy of the LCC during wakes and funerals.

The LCC does at times rent its facilities to people in the community as a meeting place for various purposes, including gatherings for family honoring events such as graduations, naming ceremonies, and memorial dinners. Typically, there are no security concerns for honoring events.

Those who wish to rent the LCC facilities for an event are asked to complete a short, simple Building Request Form and submit it to the Director. If two separate groups request the venue on the same day and time, typically the request that came to the Director earliest will be approved to use the venue.

According to LCC Program Director Dave West, the governing board also reaffirmed the Lakota Cultural Center Mission Statement which is to preserve and educate Lakota culture on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. The vision of the LCC is “to promote, preserve, enhancing the traditional culture, arts, history, music, and religion of the Lakota people. Collaborating with other programs for the benefit, enjoyment and education of tribal members, as well as the general public. Collecting information pertaining to Lakota culture and to maintain and sharing information for tribal members, and the public.”

Currently, the LCC hosts a weekly gathering on Wednesdays for Lakota Arts and Crafts and Language Night, a very popular event that includes a dinner for those attending.

The weekly meeting supports and encourages healthy socialization and reinforces kinship roles within the community. Each person has an opportunity to introduce themselves with their name, their band, their birthplace and their parents’ names.

Both Cook and West mentioned in separate interviews that there are plans for expanding the current LCC building, adding a new wing that will serve as a Lakota museum. The governing board and others are also discussing the expansion of programming activities into the outlying communities of the Cheyenne River Reservation. Cook stated that the board would like to have an individual in each remote community that would serve as a contact person between the LCC and the community.

According to Cook, the Board is very pleased with the progress made since hiring Dave West as the Program Director. Cook stated that hiring West for the position was “a good decision. (Dave) has good ideas and I’ve supported him. (Under West’s leadership,) the LCC has made a lot of progress in a short time. (The board) is blessed to have him and we are thankful.”

Since West became LCC Program Director in June, 2023, office technology has been updated and both interior and exterior lighting at LCC have been improved. Internal and external security cameras have been installed. An internal cordless wireless Public Address system is now available.

The LCC Gift Shop has been renovated, rededicated and renamed. The LCC now serves as the hosting venue for the Tribal Council meetings. Also, programming activities have expanded greatly.

West says, “I enjoy coming to work, being here…I have good memories of the LCC from my younger years. …I’m really honored and grateful to work with the governing board, the Chairman, and the Tribe. More minds working together can create more solutions, and I’m always about solutions.

“I get communications from all over the world from people who want to know more about Lakota culture. …In the future, I would like to stream LCC activities online so that more people can observe and participate virtually.

“I want to see programming activities continue to expand, so that the people get the good services from the LCC that they deserve. … I want to see more good collaboration between the LCC and community partners, like the collaboration for the recent ‘Santa Meet & Greet’ night in December.”

West referred to an event at the LCC on December 16, 2024, that hosted an estimated 300 community members. Those coming together to create a special holiday event included the CRST’s Chairman’s office, the Sacred Heart Center, Keya Foundation, Cheyenne River Law Enforcement, CRST shelters, Missouri Breaks Industries Research Inc., ICWA, WIC, Horsemanship Program, Title I, the Veterans’ Food Pantry, Tribal Education Agency, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School cheerleaders and numerous community volunteers. The event demonstrated the Lakota values of generosity and compassion.

Cook ended the interview with these words of Lakota wisdom, “We all have one color heart. Follow the feelings of your heart. When you think too much, you confuse yourself. …”

(Contact Grace Terry at graceterrywilliams@gmail.com)

The post Lakota Cultural Center governing board re-affirms policies and plans for future first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

Visit Original Source