Reclaiming Futures initiative from a Sicangu Lakota tribal perspective: Lessons shared

Abstract

This paper tells a story about one of the initiatives sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation known as Oyate Teca Owicakiya (Helping Young People). Oyate Teca Owicakiya was located on the Rosebud reservation, an extremely rural area in South Dakota. This was the only indigenous-based initiative funded by the Foundation. The initiative was undertaken by the Sinte Gleska University to provide services to reclaim youth from the justice system. This collaborative built on existing structures and community networks to strengthen and coordinate services for youth. The Reclaiming Futures model was adapted to the local setting by utilizing tribal resources. The background of the setting, its unique tribal governmental structure, demographics, and socioeconomic indicators are presented, and finally, eleven lessons are discussed. The success of the initiative was the strength and resiliency of the community itself, its members, and the network of individuals and organizations who came together for troubled tribal youth and their families.