Young People are Community Power: Nurturing Culturally-Rooted Safe Spaces

As we reflect on last year and look ahead to a new year, we draw inspiration from our powerful conversation with Julie Garreau, Chief Executive Officer, Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP), and a 2022 Community Food Systems Fellow. In our fifth episode, Julie reflects on her personal journey, family history and the community experiences deeply rooted in Lakota culture that have shaped her perspective of leadership as public service. She speaks to the importance of healing generational trauma through safe spaces and reclamation of culture and language with young people, and how these values have guided and strengthened CRYP's youth programming for more than 36 years. Julie affirms that “young people are community power” and that investing in future generations is critical for healing, sovereignty and a thriving future. 

Featured guest:

• Julie Garreau, Chief Executive Officer, Cheyenne River Youth Project 

Host: 

• Ronda Alexander, Director of National Partnerships, NOW at Vital Village Networks

Resources

• Cheyenne River Youth Project Website: www.lakotayouth.org 
• Lakota in America, a short documentary commissioned by Square
• Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count), an award-winning documentary produced by CRYP
• CRYP-produced documentary films on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/Lakotayouth 

Produced by: Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing
Music: Want U W/ Me (Instrumental Mix), by Akira Sora, From the Free Music Archive, CC BY 4.0
Edited By: Resonate Recordings