Foster Care Activities
We are currently seeking adequate housing to provide foster care for up to 10 foster children on the Cheyenne River Reservation. We will provide short and long term foster care primarily for Children ages 10 to 18. This will enable the youth to remain in their own community and connected with their family, extended family, and tribal identity. The foster children will be provided a safe, spiritually centered home environment that will promote healthy self-esteem through positive reinforcement of our youth’s strengths, Lakota values and kinship practices, thereby creating health, wellbeing and strong spiritual principles. The ultimate goal of foster care is reunification of healthy families. The youth will take part in ceremonies and community building activities, as well as education and developmental activities, to foster self-sufficiency, life, social skills and improved health. The initial housing unit where foster care will be provided will be leased if adequate housing can be secured on the Reservation or constructed on the land leased adjacent to the ceremonial and community grounds.
In a secondary phase, the organization’s goal is to construct a larger facility which will house up to 56 children as well as several staff members. Additionally, we will build several other buildings including, Equestrian Facilities, a Gym & a Greenhouse. Our goal is to have all of these buildings constructed in the next 4 years. This facility will be located on the property leased from Joni Brings Plenty where our ceremonial grounds are located.
The Wolves Den Boxing Club
The Wolves Den Boxing Club was founded by Joseph Brings Plenty on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in 2002. Since that time he has been training Lakota Youth in the sport of boxing and physical fitness. Even more importantly he has been leading them in living a Traditional Lakota way of life. Thereby continuing traditions that have been passed down through the generations. Over the years many of the youth have participated in multiple ceremonies including, the Inipi, Hanbleca, Sundance & Healing Ceremonies. These youth have been exposed to Lakota ceremonies that they would not normally be exposed to in a regular setting on the reservation. Some of these youth have become accomplished singers with knowledge of the songs and ceremonies most have become sundancers with the knowledge to continue learning. Some became owners of their own businesses and a few have taken the skills learned in boxing to the next level, making it a profession. Over the years not all of the youth have been open to participating in ceremonies, but the ones that stayed with the club the longest & made it regularly to the weekly sweat lodges and progressed in these ways have become the most successful in life.