{"id":40264,"date":"2026-06-20T21:25:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T02:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/cryp-launching-new-land-stewardship-internship-for-teens\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T21:25:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T02:25:51","slug":"cryp-launching-new-land-stewardship-internship-for-teens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/cryp-launching-new-land-stewardship-internship-for-teens\/","title":{"rendered":"CRYP launching new land stewardship internship for teens"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Since<\/a><\/p>\n

Since Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi was dedicated in April 2024, the land has hosted a variety of seasonal culture camps, internship activities and workshops for Lakota youth. This summer, CRYP plans to launch a paid teen internship opportunity dedicated to land stewardship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

EAGLE BUTTE \u2014 This summer, the Cheyenne River Youth Project will expand its growing teen internship program with the launch of the Lak.\u00f3l Mak.\u00f3che (Land Stewardship) Internship. This new opportunity has been designed to support Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children Are Coming Home), the nonprofit\u2019s 39-acre, organic-certified property adjacent to Bear Butte State Park, and strengthen the connection Lakota youth have with their homelands.<\/p>\n

Scheduled to launch in July, the paid internship will combine classroom learning with hands-on work at the property in rural Meade County. Participating teens will be able to explore the cultural, historical and ecological significance of land stewardship while developing practical skills in conservation and land management.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want our youth to understand what it means to be caretakers of the land,\u201d said Julie Garreau, CRYP\u2019s founder and chief executive officer. \u201cThis is about much more than environmental stewardship. It\u2019s about sovereignty, identity, responsibility and, above all, healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Garreau, CRYP\u2019s founder and chief executive officer, the new program emerged from nearly two years of work at Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi and the nonprofit\u2019s commitment to helping young people deepen their relationship with Unci Makha, grandmother earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnique initiatives like this don\u2019t happen by accident,\u201d she explained. \u201cThey are a direct result of a consistent, longterm model that prioritizes safety, trust and complete inclusivity. Crucially, this opportunity is designed for all youth, not just those who achieve or who conform to a certain Western standard of academic or institutional success.\u201d<\/p>\n

CRYP\u2019s expanding teen internship program also includes tracks in Lakota culture, Native wellness, Indigenous cooking, food sovereignty and the arts. Like those opportunities, the Lak.\u00f3l Makoce Internship will provide youth with meaningful experiences that blend cultural knowledge, leadership development and real-world skills.<\/p>\n

The interns will explore topics ranging from Indigenous land rights and the Land Back movement to prairie ecology and certified organic land management. They will examine vital Lakota landscapes, such as Math\u00f3 Pah\u00e1 (Bear Butte), Pe\u2019Sla (The Heart of Everything That Is), Math\u00f3 Tipila (Devils Tower) and Maka Oniye (Wind Cave, or \u201cbreathing earth\u201d), and study contemporary approaches to reclaiming, restoring and protecting ancestral lands.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur youth will be learning about Indigenous rights, international frameworks such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and successful examples of land return,\u201d Garreau said. \u201cThey will come to understand that caring for the land is both an ancient responsibility and a modern expression of sovereignty, and it requires learning how to navigate federal partnerships and co-stewardship arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n

The internship is open to local youth ages 13-18 and includes an application and interview process. Participants who complete the program will receive a $500 stipend in recognition of their 50 hours of work and study.<\/p>\n

As CRYP prepares for this inaugural cohort, staff members are looking forward to welcoming young people onto the land and supporting them in what is essentially a cultural leadership journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that high-standard, sustainable land care is a powerful tool of sovereignty and a meaningful way to honor our ancestors,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen our youth understand the cultural and practical aspects of stewardship, they are better prepared to become leaders in their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

CRYP purchased Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi in early 2024. It sits near the base of Mat.\u00f3 Pah\u00e1, a sacred site for the Lakota people that is roughly two hours from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.<\/p>\n

While a casual observer might look at a land initiative from the outside and see only \u201cland back,\u201d the reality runs much deeper. As Garreau points out, CRYP\u2019s stewardship of this property is grounded in cultural reclamation and healing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo raise a healthier youth population and ensure the long-term future of our tribal nations, we must provide the exact pieces that allow healing to happen: connection to land, culture and community,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we invest in creating these spaces, we aren\u2019t just managing land. We are investing in the inherent potential of every single child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi hosts CRYP\u2019s seasonal culture camps, teen internship activities and workshops. It also is a critical home base near the Black Hills, allowing program participants to easily access other sacred sites in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur children belong here, on our land,\u201d Garreau said. \u201cThe new internship is one way we can help bring them home.\u201d<\/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 steinbergerheatherco@gmail.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

The post CRYP launching new land stewardship internship for teens<\/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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Since Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi was dedicated in April 2024, the land has hosted a variety of seasonal culture camps, internship activities and workshops for Lakota youth. This summer, CRYP plans to launch a paid teen internship opportunity dedicated to land stewardship. EAGLE BUTTE \u2014 This summer, the Cheyenne <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> June 20, 2026<\/p>\n

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