EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. — The 10th annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam is just one week away, and CRYP staff and volunteers are preparing to welcome artists, performers and guests to the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation for four days of art, culture and connection. The first and only event of its kind in Indian Country, the award-winning RedCan event is scheduled for July 10-13 and is free and open to the public.
Returning artists include: East, an artist of Cherokee descent from Denver; Cyfi, a Yaqui and Azteca artist from Minneapolis; Dwayno, a Salt River Pima-Maricopa and Tohono O’odham artist from Arizona; 179, a Latine artist from Seattle; Hoka, an artist of Oneida, Oglala Lakota and La Jolla Band of Luiseño descent from Albuquerque; TamiJoy, a Cheyenne River Lakota artist; Yukue, from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Guadalupe, Arizona; Rezmo, a Diné and Mexicá artist currently living in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona; and Minneapolis-based artists Biafra and Wundr.
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New this year are: Phat1 and Lady Diva, Māori artists from Aotearoa (New Zealand); Midwestern artist Brady Scott; and Kansas-born Ponca artist Amp.
During the four painting days, each artist will work closely with a CRYP Lakota Art Fellow or teen intern. These collaborations give the community’s young people valuable opportunities to learn new skills, practice new techniques, and connect with Native and non-Native artists from around the country.
The action begins on July 10-11, when the 14 featured artists will be painting large-scale murals at select sites across the city of Eagle Butte — transformative public art that will bring Lakota stories, language and values to life. While the featured artists paint in the community, volunteers will be offering youth activities and lunch at the former nursing apartments on Main Street between H and G streets, where the 2021 Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ mural is located.
On Friday and Saturday, July 12-13, all the action moves into the public Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Art Park at the CRYP campus. In addition to mural painting and hands-on youth art activities, the schedule in the art park also includes art classes, live performances and free community meals.
Guest performers for 2024 include The Wake Singers, an Oglala Lakota band from Mni Luzihan; Cheyenne River Lakota storyteller Taté Walker; entertainer Jackie Bird, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe of South Dakota and Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota; and renowned Mvskoke Creek/Seneca hoop dancers The Sampson Bros. As always, the Wakinyan Maza drum group will begin and end each day with songs and a blessing.
RedCan 2024 Schedule:
July 10: Community
11 a.m.: Bejeweled sun catchers, wind catchers, sensory activities. Includes lunch.
2 p.m.: Keychains, backpack charms, sensory activities. Includes cotton candy.
July 11: Community
11 a.m.: Kaleidoscopes, “animal hands,” sensory bins. Includes lunch.
2 p.m.: Turtle Island crafts, field games. Includes cotton candy.
July 12: Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park
11 a.m.: Youth art activities
11:30 a.m.: Youth spray painting
12 p.m.: Skateboard spray painting
1 p.m.: Spoken word performance
2 p.m.: Youth art activities
4 p.m.: Teen art class
5 p.m.: Performance in the Art Park with Jackie Bird and Taté Walker
5:30 p.m.: Community meal
July 13: Waniyetu Wowapi Art Park
11 a.m.: Youth art activities
11:30 a.m.: Youth spray painting
12 p.m.: Skateboard spray painting
1 p.m.: Hoop-dancing class with the Sampson Bros.
2 p.m.: Youth art activities
4 p.m.: Art class with 179
5 p.m.: Performance in the Art Park with the Wake Singers and the Sampson Bros.
5:30 p.m.: Community meal, sponsored by the University of Missouri-St. Louis
To learn more about this year’s RedCan artists and performers, and to make a tax-deductible contribution to support RedCan 2024, visit www.lakotayouth.org/redcan.
And 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, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.