Native Women’s Society of the Great Plains developed a curriculum Youth in Shelter project Empowering Children in Shelter (Woksape Un Kpazo Pi) with grant support from First Nations Development Institute for support for advocates who work with families in shelter.
Advocates from the three shelter sites piloted the activities they developed with children in shelter with their mothers or guardians.
The activities were designed to be culturally based for enhancement on safety. The three shelters in the grant are White Buffalo Calf Women’s Society of Rosebud, SD, Sacred Shawl Society of Pine Ridge, SD and Wiconi Wawokiya, INC of Crow Creek in South Dakota.
One of the activities included a three day training on traditional games, where advocates learned how to make traditional games piece and incorporate cultural teachings. Lessons are developed around each game and more can be added on regarding safety, self-care and good health. Other activities included cookie making with images that are culturally used such at the tipi, eagle feather, buffalo, moon, stars, owls, lightening, sun, turtles, etc with lessons for each of the cutters in regards to their meaning and safety.
Other activities were making are miniature tipi, sensory bottles, hair lessons, gardening, Lakota language games, wasna making, sensory bottles, miniature dresses, beading, cake decorating, slime making, drums making, police officer visit, taste and smell, Internet Safety and others.
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