Sicangu Community Development Corporation

To produce a high-quality short film and professional photography package showcasing Wakanyeja Tokeyahci

Program Opportunity Statement (Recommended 300 words or less) The Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative (SFSI) was created to address critical food insecurity and revive traditional food practices on the Rosebud Reservation, rooted in the community's deep cultural and environmental concerns. Our project, named Yuptókakiŋ—which means "to peek under the surface" or "to delve into details" in Lakota—reflects our commitment to thoroughly understanding and transforming our food systems. The opportunity to attend the First Nations Development Institute’s (FNDI) Food Sovereignty Summit is pivotal for our entire team. This summit offers an exceptional platform for our team to engage with Indigenous leaders and experts who are advancing innovative food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture practices. Participation will provide us with critical insights and strategies essential for enhancing our program’s effectiveness. This grant will enable us to leverage this opportunity to its fullest potential. With support, our team will enhance its capacity by integrating new insights and best practices into our ongoing projects. This includes strengthening our food systems, improving our approach to land stewardship, and enhancing our overall impact on community health and self-sufficiency. The knowledge gained will also be shared within our organization and with our broader community, amplifying the benefits of this grant and fostering a more resilient and self-sufficient food system for the Siċaŋġu Lak̇ot̄a Oyate. The insights gained from the summit will be pivotal for our team by allowing us to live into the concept of Yuptókakiŋ and allow us to create a more impactful program. We will disseminate these learnings within our organization and across our community, ensuring that the benefits extend beyond our team to the broader Siċaŋġu Lak̇ot̄a Oyate. Investing in this professional development will drive meaningful, long-term change in our food sovereignty efforts, creating a sustainable and thriving food system for future generations.

Project Purpose The overall purpose of this project is to increase the impact of and participation in the Wotakuye Wellness After-School program at the Lakota language elementary school. This program aims to empower and uplift the next generation of Sicangu leaders through cultural and recreational activities.

This project will provide funding for the Wakanyeja Tokeyahci Lakota immersion school to source local and traditional ingredients to be used in daily meals at the school. It will develop healthy eating habits among the elementary age children and their families.

The ultimate purpose of this project is to create a deeper, richer Lakota language immersion school that will uplift and empower the next generations of Sicangu Lakota.

This project will increase access to culturally-relevant, locally-grown meat and produce on Sicangu Makoce. We will achieve this by leveraging the Wolakota Bison Range and our Tribally Supported Agriculture program to provide bison meat and fresh produce to 500 food-insecure families in Rosebud.

This project will increase the capacity of Sicangu CDC to utilize local and tribally produced food products by creating new cold storage infrastructure, leveraging existing health, immersion education, and food sovereignty programs to increase tribal control over local foods supply chains.

COVID-19 Response