{"id":39803,"date":"2026-02-12T20:58:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T01:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/cheyenne-river-youth-project-kicks-off-the-new-year-with-art-music-poetry-and-sports-for-teens-at-cokata-wiconi\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T20:58:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T01:58:51","slug":"cheyenne-river-youth-project-kicks-off-the-new-year-with-art-music-poetry-and-sports-for-teens-at-cokata-wiconi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/cheyenne-river-youth-project-kicks-off-the-new-year-with-art-music-poetry-and-sports-for-teens-at-cokata-wiconi\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheyenne River Youth project kicks off the New Year with art, music, poetry and sports for teens at Cokata Wiconi"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Ledger<\/a><\/p>\n

Ledger Art Workshop with guest instructor Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III, a Hunkpapa Lakota artist. (Courtesy photo)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

EAGLE BUTTE \u2013 Art, music, poetry and sports filled the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center\u2019s public spaces in January as the Cheyenne River Youth Project kicked off the new year. Not only were three fully booked internships under way, CRYP also offered ledger art and open mic workshops, Open Mic and Poetry Slam Night, and Midnight Basketball.<\/p>\n

In the ledger art workshop, guest instructor Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III, a Hunkpapa Lakota artist, taught Cheyenne River teens about the history and significance of the art form. He also demonstrated how to create traditional styles of artwork \u2014 and how to transform contemporary subject matter into ledger art.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf our ancestors who made ledger art were alive today, they would be making art that reflects their experiences and interests,\u201d explained Wakinyan Chief, CRYP\u2019s arts manager. \u201cThrough the ledger art workshop, our youth are learning to honor the past as they bring our traditions forward into the present and then carry them into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the second January workshop, CRYP welcomed guest instructor Talon Bazille Ducheneaux, a Cheyenne River Lakota rapper, producer and sound designer. He guided the teens as they made beats, created poems, and practiced public speaking so they could introduce themselves and their artwork at the Open Mic and Poetry Slam Night on Jan. 30.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur youth have been cultivating Woohitike na Waohola, which means courage and respectfulness,\u201d Wakinyan Chief said. \u201cThe courage to overcome the fear of public speaking, and respectfulness for their peers as they demonstrated their own courage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWopila tanka eciciyelo to our relatives Talon Bazille Ducheneaux and Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III for returning to share their knowledge and skills with our Wikoskalaka na Koskalaka, our young women and men.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also on Jan. 30, CRYP welcomed 56 teens to Cokata Wiconi\u2019s Morgan Yellowhead Gymnasium to carry on a tradition that started in Eagle Butte three decades ago: Midnight Basketball.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore tip-off, we gave the teens a quick history lesson,\u201d said Jerica Widow, CRYP\u2019s programs director. \u201cBack in 1996, Midnight Basketball was just outdoor hoops in the high school parking lot from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. We held it at the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Upper Elementary School for many years, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cFast forward to today, and that same energy is alive and well \u2014 with just a few more perks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Cokata Wiconi opened its doors in 2006, CRYP has held Midnight Basketball in the Morgan Yellowhead Gym, and it shifted the hours back to 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Today, it is moving beyond the court by adding board game tournaments, movie screenings, late-night dinners and high-stakes elimination games.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to offer fun activities for kids who don\u2019t necessarily play basketball,\u201d Widow explained. \u201cWe were thrilled with the turnout on Jan. 30, and the teens\u2019 enthusiasm. It was a warm evening filled with big laughs, intense plays, and a whole lot of community spirit. Here\u2019s to 30 more years of keeping the lights on and the game going!\u201d<\/p>\n

The youth project will host another Midnight Basketball event on Feb. 27. The team also is busy preparing for:<\/p>\n

Feb. 13: Community Valentine\u2019s Day Party on Feb. 13 at Cokata Wiconi (open to the public)<\/p>\n

Feb. 20: February Birthday Party at The Main (ages 4-12)<\/p>\n

Feb. 23: Start of Indigenous Cooking Teen Internship at Cokata Wiconi (ages 13-18)<\/p>\n

To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo and YouTube.<\/p>\n

(Contact Heather Steinberger at heather@writeonllc.com)<\/p>\n

The post Cheyenne River Youth project kicks off the New Year with art, music, poetry and sports for teens at Cokata Wiconi<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Ledger Art Workshop with guest instructor Gilbert Kills Pretty Enemy III, a Hunkpapa Lakota artist. (Courtesy photo) EAGLE BUTTE \u2013 Art, music, poetry and sports filled the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center\u2019s public spaces in January as the Cheyenne River Youth Project kicked off the new year. Not <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> February 12, 2026<\/p>\n

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