On South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, residents face deep challenges – poverty, substance abuse, and high suicide rates – but the Oyate Teca Project (OTP), founded in 1991, is working to build a stronger, healthier, and more self-sufficient future. Focused on the well-being of Lakota children and families, OTP offers programs rooted in culture, education, recreation, and health. Cultural classes keep traditions alive through storytelling, dance, song, traditional foods, and arts and crafts. Their food access efforts include the Medicine Root Gardening Program, a farmer’s market, and vegetable distribution. Their new Oyate Ta Kola Ku Community Center, made possible by Running Strong for American Indian Youth, offers over 21,000 square feet of space, expanding opportunities to teach, gather, and grow. “Oyate Teca” means “Young People” in Lakota, and they remain at the heart of every effort made by this Indigenous- and women-led organization.
Families prepare soil and seedlings as part of the Medicine Root Gardening program. April 2025. Source: Oyate Teca Project
Each year, more than 700 Oglala Lakota youth take part in Oyate Teca’s wide range of free programs: movie and game nights, cooking, sewing, music, gardening, arts and crafts, summer recreation camps, and holiday celebrations. Among the most successful is the Medicine Root Gardening Program, where students attend 16 weeks of hands-on classes that teach them how to plan, grow, and preserve a productive home garden. Participants also learn to sell produce at the farmers market and take a basic accounting course. All gardening tools and supplies – seeds, tilling, fencing, irrigation hoses – are provided at no cost. The organization is led by Executive Director Rose Fraser and supported by a small staff and board made up of Lakota community members who bring cultural and local knowledge to every decision. These programs help families grow healthy food, share traditional skills, and earn income, blending cultural strength with real-world tools for a healthier future.
A packed room for the Medicine Root Gardening Class.