Cheyenne River Youth Project Creates Leadership Pathway for Local Teens

EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. — When Nation Cowins first walked into the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s Cokata Wiconi (Center of Life) Teen Center at age 13, he was simply looking for something to do after school. What he found instead was a pathway.

Today, Cowins — whose Lakota name is Sunkawakan Wakinyan — works full-time at CRYP as a programs specialist, helping guide the next generation. This spring, he is leading a new cohort of Lakota Culture interns, continuing a journey that began years earlier when he first walked through the teen center doors.

Cowins’ story reflects the evolution of CRYP’s youth programming. What began more than a decade ago as a series of short-term internships has grown into a structured workforce development pathway designed to help young people build confidence, responsibility and leadership skills.

“Nation is exactly why we created the Youth Employment Initiative,” said Julie Garreau, CRYP’s founder and chief executive officer. “When he and his peers started showing up in increasingly large numbers for our internship program, we knew we needed to create the next steps in education and mentorship so they could continue to learn and grow.”Cowins grew up in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, but he didn’t discover CRYP’s programming until his early teens. He immediately gravitated toward hands-on learning opportunities in the youth project’s Native food sovereignty, Native wellness, Indigenous cooking and art internships.

“The different types of programs were appealing for me,” he said at the time. “Especially the garden and cooking.”

He completed multiple internships over the years, gaining valuable hands-on experience and discovering new interests while building relationships with staff. Like many Cheyenne River teens, he discovered that CRYP offered a safe and creative space to learn practical skills while staying connected to culture and community.

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