Many people know the statistics for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. I do this blog in respects to educate and bring a voice to Lakota youth and families who have been silenced due to Genocide from the American Government. After all i do live here on the reservation and see all that goes on. Many of the times so much words can be twisted and altered to fit every persons view of our reservation life. But the prime issue all boils down to one thing the survival of our young people. Many times in tribal politics and politics period our young people's voices go unheard.
Our youth and young people are our future. As i know i am a young Lakota women with youth children. I wanted to be able to be a role model to them and other young people. I had to over come many hardships and genocide myself to be a role model. I had to step up and be a voice in a positive way. It seems as though so people don't see it that way. I had to give back to my community is some way other then just bringing in support to them. So my companion Isaac and i stepped up to start a youth boxing team. I did an interview with a youth a while back. In this interview with him i asked him why he wanted to be in a gang. he said " I like to be in this gang because i love to fight and it's excepted in our gang life, i mean i don't like to fight just anybody and it hurts my feelings when we fight an innocent person". This stunned me, it then occurred to me that we could give them a positive outlet for his passion wether anybody feels it's wrong. So we stepped up to train and find sponsorship for these young men who wanted to train and build self endurance.
We wanted to be able to help guide them with a positive out look on their life. Isaac and i reached out to some of our local youth and touched their hearts. They came to us in a good way and expressed their dreams and heart's to us. They told us that they wanted to be fighters (BOXERS). We feel that some of our youth are pushed out of the way because so many people want them to live a life that doesn't suit them. Isaac and i now train 4 awesome young men. 3 of these young men are mixed blood, part black. They had a very hard time growing up on the reservation. These young men have a very strong lakota mother who supports them with their dreams of being boxers. She pushes them to be champions. These young men have big dreams of getting off the reservation and to be successful. All they needed was someone to except them for them, and motivate them and inspire them more.
These young men have shown us that they want to accomplish their dreams. They come to training every night and work very hard. All they needed was some one to believe in them. To trust and love them. We have found a great sponsor for them. They have fights coming up soon and have been working really hard. I had to make allot of sacrifices in my life to step up for them. In stepping up for them i have been ridiculed and put down by many people for reaching out for support for them. To me they are worth it. Because their dreams are worth every stone that is cast at me. These young men deserve to have a fighting chance to be successful.
These young men had to over come growing up on this reservation with such high rates of poverty, genocide and suicide. They had to over come being different, they had to over come racism. These young men inspired me, they have humbled me to be a better role model to them and other youth coming to us. I want to honor them in a good way, by telling you their story. And dedicate this poem to them.
Within You Is The Strength To Meet Life's Challenges!
You are stronger than you think, remember to stand strong.
Every challenge and obstacle in your life helps you to grow
Every problem you encounter strengthens your mind and your soul. Every trouble you overcome increases your understanding of life.
All though it may be hard to understand.
When all your troubles weigh heavily on your shoulders, remember that beneath the burden you can stand strong,
because you are never given more than you can handle...
and you are stronger than you think. Stand strong....
With in your challenges there is your strength to over come them,
With love and support you will accomplish your dreams Remember to stand strong,
When you feel that you are alone remember there are those of us who support you and together we will stand strong
Together we will over come challenges to help you accomplish your dreams.
If you are to fall we will pick you up
TOGETHER WILL WILL STAND STRONG
It's not how much you accomplish in life that really counts, but how much you give to other.
It's not how high you build your dreams that makes a difference, but how high your faith can climb.
It's not how many goals you reach, but how many lives you touch.
It's not who you know that matters, but who you are inside.
Believe in the impossible, hold tight to the incredible, and live each day to its fullest potential.
You can make a difference in your world.
This is for our young men and i girl in our Lakota Youth Boxing Team Chris 16 years old
Morshawn 15 years old
Shamori 14 years old
Wakinyan 8 years old
Ohiniyan 11 years old only girl on the team YOU GO GIRL!!!
Much love and respect to these young people for stepping up to accomplish their dreams and over come genocide, oppression. And all the hard work and train they have been doing. But most important for being role models to your friends and other young people in our community.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THEM LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND LOVE PLEASE MAIL THEM TO H.E.L.P LAKOTA YOUTH BOXING TEAM P.O BOX 564 ALLEN S.D 57714 RESPECTFULLY, Autumn Two Bulls
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