Buffalo Visions: Camp for Northern Cheyenne Youth

Help create a gathering place for youth to experience nature and culture connection on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.

Your support can help fulfill a dream of a Northern Cheyenne grandmother and teacher, Sharon Blackwolf, to develop a summer camp and gathering place on her land along Hard Robe Creek, near Lame Deer, Montana. This camp will primarily serve the youth of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, as a place to learn traditional ways of their people and connect with plants, animals, elders, teachers, ceremonies, and each other.

For almost two weeks this summer, it will also serve as a venue for a multi-generational service-based gathering of young people and community members connected with the Youth Passageways network. Youth Passageways (YPW) is a global network that promotes and strengthens initiatory practices with youth and builds cross-cultural connections amongst practitioners and communities– connections such as the ones that led to a gathering on the Pine Ridge Reservation in September 2018 (see photo), and to this project on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation for Summer 2019.

*2018 YPW Gathering in Pine Ridge, SD (photo by David Moskowitz)*

About the Project

Born and raised on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Sharon has worked with young people there for 44 years– currently as a guidance counselor at Lame Deer Elementary School– and has a passion for connecting youth with their traditional culture. Unfortunately, opportunities for young people in and around Lame Deer to immerse themselves on the land and in traditional knowledge are few to none. She has hosted youth on her land in the past, but for many years has wanted to build the basic infrastructure (kitchen, toilets, and covered gathering space) to be able to host groups safely and comfortably into the future.

Sharon has been part of the Stewardship Council (SC) of Youth Passageways since 2013, and her husband Hubert Blackwolf joined in 2017. In 2018, SC members Marisa Taborga Byrne and Cameron Withey visited Sharon and Hubert at their home, walked Sharon's land in the hills outside of town and heard about her dream of a traditional skills camp there, and immediately felt called to collaborate on making it happen for the following summer.

*The land where the youth camp will be held*

Through further conversation, this organizing team of four developed a plan:

1) To host a weeklong work party in July of 2019 to build the basic structures and prepare the land for camps

2) To kick-off the camp with a celebratory, ceremonial, cross-cultural and multi-generational gathering (four days), to build relationships and share stories and ways across differences

3) To raise $10,000 to make these two events possible (see below for more details on the budget)

4) To pursue grants and establish relationships with in-kind donors (of food and supplies) to build a sustaining foundation of support for the camp going forward


Project Budget

Building materials: $1000
Food: $2400
Supplies: $650
Honoraria for Elders & teachers: $750
Organizing team stipends & travel: $2250
Youth Travel Support: $650
Youth Passageways Staff Organizing & Admin Costs: $1700
Miscellaneous/Extra Costs: $600

Total: $10,000


We are all honored to be part of this grassroots, relationship-based, cross-cultural effort to strengthen indigenous culture and support Northern Cheyenne youth to become the leaders we need and long for during these pivotal times on Turtle Island (North America).

Will you join us and help make this dream a reality?

With prayers for the coming generations,

Sharon Blackwolf
Guidance Counselor, Lame Deer Elementary School
Stewardship Council Member, Youth Passageways

Hubert Blackwolf
Tribal Security, Northern Cheyenne Reservation
Stewardship Council Member, Youth Passageways

Marisa Taborga Byrne
Leadership Council, Youth Passageways
Youth Sexual Health Teacher & Advocate

Cameron Withey
Stewardship Council Member, Youth Passageways
Program Coordinator, Rite of Passage Journeys

*The organizing team with Sharon & Hubert's grandchildren*


Additional Resources and Information

http://www.cheyennenation.com 
Official site of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe

http://www.youthpassageways.org 
For information about this global network promoting youth initiation

https://youthpassageways.org/2018-gathering/ Report on the 2018 Gathering hosted by All Nations Gathering Center and YPW– for an example of what this can look like!