EAGLE BUTTE, SD — The Cheyenne River Youth Project announced today that it provided boxes of fresh produce to 330 families and school supplies to 612 children through large-scale distributions last week at the Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) teen center. The well-attended events were held Aug. 14 and Aug. 16, respectively.
“We understand that distributions like these don’t change the big picture, but they bring goodness to a community and provide some relief,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer. “I am so proud of the CRYP team and our volunteers.”
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The summer produce distribution was held in collaboration with Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA) and Pierre, South Dakota-based Rilings Produce. Each box included a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, corn, cantaloupe, plus, peaches, cucumbers, radishes and watermelon; according to CRYP Arts Manager Wakinyan Chief, local families were thrilled to have access to these foods.
“Everyone was smiling, and we received thanks from every family,” Chief said. “To be able to give people access to nutritious, delicious, fresh food feels incredibly good to all of us who had the honor of serving our relatives last week.
“Although it is not a permanent solution to the food insecurity we all experience on reservations across the country, it definitely provides some relief,” he continued. “It also raises awareness about the importance of supporting this work, which is dedicated to achieving food sovereignty for Native nations.”
The families’ youngest members also were excited about the fresh foods in the produce boxes. Danielle Reynolds, one of CRYP’s programs assistants, said she won’t forget the reaction of one little boy.
“He grabbed a cantaloupe from me and exclaimed, ‘Cantaloupe! We never get cantaloupe!’” she recalled.
Two days later, the Cheyenne River community turned out in full force a second time for CRYP’s annual school supplies distribution. Approximately 130 families visited Cokata Wiconi between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to pick up school supplies for their children.
CRYP has continued to provide school supplies to families who were unable to attend the Aug. 16 distribution. The youth project also provided boxes of supplies to Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, Takini and Tiospaye Topa schools, serving hundreds of additional children.
According to CRYP Programs Director Jerica Widow, the school supplies distribution is an important program for the nearly 36-year-old youth project, as it benefits children living in all 20 communities on the remote, 2.8-million-acre Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, which is the size of Connecticut. The only other program with a similar reach is the annual Wo Otúh’an Wi Toy Drive.
“This is why our Family Services program is special to us, and vital to our communities,” she explained. “Our parents, grandparents and other care-givers often cannot travel to Pierre or Rapid City to go shopping, even if they would have room in the household budget to do so. Offering programs like the school supplies distribution and the toy drive makes life a little easier for them, which in turn supports our children.”
At this year’s school supplies distribution, children were able to choose backpacks, protractors, compasses, calculators, pencils, pens, crayons, writing tablets, folders, scissors, erasers, glue sticks, rulers and so much more. And, like children everywhere, they were able to experience the joy and excitement of preparing for the first day of the 2024-25 school year.
“We are deeply grateful to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Oklahoma Indian Methodist Conference, and all of the generous individual donors across the country who made this year’s school supplies distribution possible,” Widow said. “We couldn’t serve so many hundreds of families without your friendship and support.”
CRYP created Family Services in 2002 to manage the increasing amounts of donated supplies it was receiving throughout the year. To participate, all local families need to do is pay the annual membership fee of $30. That small, one-time payment covers all household members for the entire year, and proceeds support the program infrastructure so Family Services can remain a reliable community resource for years to come.
Produce and school supplies distributions are major components of Family Services. The program also provides access to shoes, winter clothing, household supplies, baby items and holiday gifts.
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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.