We here at Sacred Pipe Resource Center are so proud to be partnering with Kendrick Eagle, one of the 2018 grant-winners in the Dreamstarter™ program! The program, funded by Running Strong for American Indian Youth, jumpstarts Native youths’ dreams by providing $10,000 grants to teams of Native youth and mentor organizations who work together to bring the young person’s dream project to life. It’s a terrific opportunity to grow leadership skills, get support for a dream project, and join a prestigious cohort of Dreamstarter™ fellows.
This year’s focus is on Education. Kendrick, with the assistance of SPRC, will be holding traditional knowledge eco-camps to reconnect Native and non-Native youth to the land here in the Northern Plains. Groups of youth from Bismarck-Mandan will meet with youth from each reservation in North Dakota to learn about our environment, traditional knowledge, and Native beliefs in caring for Mother Earth. They’ll learn skills like picking chokecherries and finding wild turnips, and will visit the traditional gardens up at Fort Berthold. The program is expected to begin this spring.
The opening reception of the Dreamstarter Academy was held on April 21 in Washington, D.C. Grant-winners received new iPads before being put right to work! They had the opportunity to visit important sites, check out Native artifacts, network, and make friends. Congratulations to all the 2018 Dreamstarters! We look forward to helping Kendrick make his dream a reality.
