Team 3: June 29-July 9

Team 3 consisting of Kim O’Grady (MPLS) and Olivia Vlahaus (University of Minnesota YMCA Student Volunteer) headed out to the Reservation on June 29th. Spending their first two days becoming familiar with the four communities, Kim and Olivia had the opportunity to see La Plant and Swiftbird during their first day of programming and Cherry Creek and Red Scaffold on their second. The communities seemed a little quieter than past days, so the groups split up and rallied the kids to come and join them in playing fun games like spud, zig zag flag tag, and jumping rope. The first days of programming also brought conversations of YMCA core values and rules as well as a scavenger hunt.

Team 2 headed back to Minneapolis on July 2nd which gave Team 3 their first opportunity to program on their own and have a completely different experience from their first few days on the Reservation. Olivia and Kim had the chance to work with an individual youth who was much more open with the two of them than she had been the previous days. By having a chance to sit down with this youth and work on some beading;, Olivia and Kim were able to learn more than they expected the youth to share given a group dynamic.

After spending their next day in La Plant teaching safer sport alternatives , Olivia and Kim spent the next several days building relationships with potential volunteers in the communities and creating awareness of the longer term goals and present goals of the Sioux YMCA Initiative. Building and developing relationships with community members and gathering information from those who could be helpful in current and future programming was a great way to begin to wrap up their time on the Reservation. They planned a barbeque and basketball games which resulted in two community events in all four communities. With a good turnout of youth in La Plant and the best turnout of youth the team had seen at Swiftbird; the crafts and continued alternatives for gaming and safe play continued.

Kim and Olivia’s remaining time on the Reservation continued to create relationships with new established leaders in the community and with an interpersonal communication from a youth that dramatically effected team member Kim. The youth shared about his family, his experiences, expectations, and goals. All this came from a youth who days before refused to open up. The sharing from the youth opened eyes as to what expectations the youth on the Cheyenne River Reservation have and how the opportunities we attempt to enlighten each person with everyday can be a life changer.