MISSION, SOUTH DAKOTA — In the wake of the suicides that have gripped the Rosebud Sioux reservation the last couple of years, the Wiconi Wakan health and healing center has been on the move. The highly successful suicide prevention project has offered a variety of programs to Sicangu Lakota youth in order to sensitize them to the warning signs of suicide. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center, in conjunction with the RST alcohol program and the Sicangu Lakota Youth Center, held its second educational conference at the multipurpose building on the campus of Sinte Gleska University on Saturday. President Rodney Bordeaux and Sinte Gleska University President, Lionel Bordeaux represented the tribal leadership as they spoke about the importance of the youth and funding issues to support the project on a continuing basis. Chaske Spencer of Twilight movie fame, from the Ft. Peck Sioux reservation in Montana, was unable to attend, as his plane encountered a winter storm in Minneapolis. His agent is trying to reschedule his appearance in Rosebud in March while he is filming the upcoming Twilight, Breaking Dawn. Many of the youth were disappointed but they were understanding considering the blizzard that was setting in. However, Spencer attended a previous Wiconi Wakan youth event in August and just before the Christmas break he participated in a Skype chat with the Todd County High School students during a Wiconi Wakan Empowerment assembly. Shane Red Hawk of the SLYC was at the Pierre airport when news of the cancellation was texted to him. Noella Red Hawk also of the SLYC was one of the coordinators of the event which ran slightly behind schedule because of cancellation from two of the presenters but the time was filled with the very entertaining Whitney Reasoner. Noella Red Hawk said, “This is a big event filled weekend for youth and that is actually the goal of the tribe and programs, like the ones represented here to provide services, I see a lot of seniors here which is encouraging to me. This Waunspe program is all about education, and educational topics that are going to help you gain the knowledge that you need to be successful.” Cecelia Spotted Tail, the director of the WWHHC assisted in the introductions and generally provided direction to the event, while giving out certificates of appreciation to all of the programs who set up information booths and peer to peer volunteers. Despite the cold weather, the educational conference saw approximately 150 youth sign up for the event, which would end in time for the evening Rosebud Shootout basketball games held at Todd County High School. Twenty-five students also came from Crazy Horse School in Wanbli. Lionel Bordeaux gave the invocation and welcome address, while Whitney Reasoner served as the youth announcer and did a great job of interacting with the youth and keeping the program moving. A 2010 graduate of TCHS, Whitney was seen teaching several young females a number of dance moves. Meantime, the series Twilight flashed high up on the gymnasium wall for a good portion of the day. Lionel Bordeaux said, “In a few days I will have been president for 38 years and I wished we had programs like this. I want to thank Noella and Biz for pulling something like this together. We didn’t have programs that talked to us about the future, about how we can strengthen ourselves because when we’re older we have a lot of responsibility. We become parents. At some point in time we become grandparents and then we go onto the spirit world. The spirit world lived here at one time and they continue.” President Rodney Bordeaux said, “We have an opportunity with the Wiconi Wakan program to really develop our youth programs. We have had several sources of funding over the year and I think we have an opportunity to empower our youth here. By empowering youth, we need you to be a major part of that. I was talking to “Biz” the director of our Wiconi Wakan program ... we have a new Congress that will be cutting a lot of federal programs and we as Indian tribes have a relationship with the federal government ... we do have tribal funds." "Our tribal taxation program or leases from our land. There are close to 900,000 acres of tribal land and we are to make income off of it. What I was talking to her about was empowering all of you to become more active in terms of forming a position paper for developing a program with funding and presenting it to the tribal council…our funding for our youth programs are in our casino budget ... to meet your needs, whether they are educational or cultural we really need to hear from you ... to show you as the youth, this is what you need," he said. Bordeaux continued, “We have some big challenges, not only suicide, but we also have other challenges. A big problem we have is teenage pregnancy. And, how do we impact that? How do we decrease that, wipe it out?” He also pointed out that more parents should have been in attendance. Finally, he said that he would not be in office next term, but wanted to empower the youth to be involved in the political process and tribal government. During the afternoon session it was announced by Noella Red Hawk that TCHS senior, Baptiste “Beaux” Beauvais was just admitted to Creighton University to study emergency medical services. The Rosebud ambulance service then honored Baptiste by welcoming him on board whenever he completes his degree. One-hundred was given out to students in Beaux’s honor by his parents. There was an honor song delivered by Whitney Reasoner and Noella Red Hawk. The honoring was fitting as the Wiconi Wakan project serves to demonstrate to the youth that education and preparation for college is one of the keys to their future. One-hundred pledges were also given out by Lionel and Rodney for the next conference. Brett Spotted Elk along with ambulance personnel also demonstrated the proper way to administer CPR. Information was available from a several booths sponsored by the Sicangu Nation Employment and Training, Sinte Gleksa University, RST Diabetes Prevention Program, Rosebud Ambulance, Sicangu Coalition, while information on the FAFSA financial aid form was also available. During the evening meal Martha Blue Thunder prepared all of the ingredients for a delicious self serve Indian taco meal, while Tori Whipple, WWHHC project coordinator, put a lot of energy into making cotton candy for the youth. A balloon bust which contained $500 in gifts certificates donated by the RST alcohol program and Wiconi Wakan was one of the concluding events. The “Waunspe” educational conference is a timely event as other Lakota communities continue to struggle with the tremendous scourge of losing tribal youth to suicide. The event is one of the effective approaches utilized by the Wiconi Wakan project to provide as much information, verbal and otherwise to the youth about suicide prevention and intervention. (Dr. Archie Beauvais may be contacted at abeaux@post.harvard.edu)
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