Cheyenne River Youth Project — Traditional Lakota Herbs, Fruits, and Roots Garden

View the project final report

Commodities

• Additional Plants: native plants

Practices

• Crop Production: agroforestry, pollinator habitat
• Education and Training: demonstration, youth education
• Sustainable Communities: leadership development, local and regional food systems, quality of life, culture revitalization, food sovereignty

As part of a 50 hour internship in Food Sovereignty and Sustainable Agriculture, interns learn about 50+ different native plants of historical Lakota value. This includes common name, Lakota name, parts used for food, medicine or utility. Installation and maintenance of this garden offers further tools for educating youth about the horticulture, processing and entrepreneurial avenues of pursuit specific to the context.

1. Improve plant identification skills of teenage interns through the cultivation of traditional native plants.
2. Diversify the garden with perennial native plants of historic Lakota value.
3. Obtain Harvests for traditional foods, herbal medicines, ceremonially used plants, crafts, and construction.
4. Reinforce Lakota identity of youth interns with a traditional Lakota garden.
5. Project results will be shared through various conferences, social media such as Facebook page, and website (lakotayouth.org).

No modifications are necessary.