The Lakota Culture and Oral Tradition Program will provide an avenue for respected elders to become involved with youth and young families in the community. There are many cultural teachings that are being lost with the coming generation. A lot of these teachings are common everyday teachings. Cultural knowledge topics that will be part of this program include:

• Traditional Roles of men and women.
• Culturally-based parenting.
• Coming of age ceremonies for men and women.
• Oral tradition, story-telling.
• Lakota language, basics and advanced.
• Local tribal history and contemporary history.
• Uses for traditional plants, foods and herbs.
• Preparing traditional foods.

Respected elders in the community will come in twice a week, once to work with the youth and once with the parents on any of these topics. (Of course there are many other topics that could also be covered as this program develops, the above are just some examples). This program is directly related to our organizational goals because it will connect youth with elders, strengthening the cultural identity of youth and providing a way for elders to be involved in our work. Including elders in our work will benefit not only the youth and families that are participating in our programs but the entire organization. Elders are a very important aspect of Lakota culture and it is extremely important to our work that we continue finding avenues to include them and ask them to guide us in a positive direction.