National Indian Youth Leadership Program: Oglala Lakota Children’s Justice Center

The Pine Ridge Reservation covers a vast area of South Dakota with limited cellphone and internet service, making it challenging for organizations that support families affected by opioid use to share expertise and resources. A grant from FORE enabled 16 organizations across the reservation to come together and share the innovative methods they are developing to promote resilience and prevent substance use disorder and overdose in youth.

The multi-sector coalition includes organizations that specialize in substance use prevention and treatment, healthcare, education, housing, and public safety. Each has a unique vantage point and means to engage Indigenous youth, who experience significantly higher rates of adverse childhood experiences that put them at heightened risk of suicide, depression, and substance use.

In a new video released in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, two organizations that are part of the coalition — Project Venture and the Oglala Lakota Children’s Justice Center — describe how coalition members are working to reduce the risk of suicide and substance use by creating opportunities for young people and their families to engage in Lakota ceremony and culture.