Friends of the Children - He Sapa (Wakaneja Ta Wolakota) 

About This Session

Thursday, November 16

2:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Room: Prairie C

Description

Friends of the Children-He Sapa (Friends–He Sapa), also known as Wakaneja Ta Wolakota, (Guiding Our Sacred Youth Through the Lakota Way of Life), was launched in July 2022 as a Native-led, culturally specific organization serving youth and families in Rapid City and Wazi Ahanhan Oyanke (Oglala Lakota Nation). We enroll Native children impacted the most by systemic disinvestment and barriers, including those experiencing chronic poverty and at risk of isolation and disconnection. Each child is paired with a paid professional mentor (called a “Relative”) from age 4-6 through high school - 12+ years, no matter what. Our program grounds evidence-based professional mentoring practices in Lakota culture, tradition, and lifeways to provide individualized support for education, health, basic needs, and social-cultural connection.  

Friends–He Sapa celebrates the inherent strengths of Native youth and families as they take steps to create healing, deepen their connection to Lakota culture, and build “belonging” together. Relatives spend four hours weekly with each child and family, including two hours in school, removing systemic barriers, and advocating for equitable support. We support families as they build a path to stability and community that is grounded in Lakota language, cultural practices, and lifeways. We promote Wolakota (peace/balance) among families and support the social, emotional, and cultural development of our most sacred resource—the Wakanyeja (children).

Session Presenter(s)

Dr. Valeriah Big Eagle
Executive Director

Valeriah Big Eagle, Wakan Wocekiye Win (Sacred Prayer Woman), is an enrolled member of the Ihanktonwan Oyate and served on the Title VI Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee and the Indigenous Education Task Force for Rapid City Area Schools. She received both her Baccalaureate in Sociology and her Master of Education from South Dakota State University. In addition, she received her Doctor of Education in Education Leadership from the University of South Dakota, specializing in Adult and Higher Education Administration.

She understands the inequitable challenges that Indigenous students face in education systems due to lack of cultural understanding and systemic racism, especially if they are in settings with little support for their cultural identity. She studied healing-informed practices in education that support Indigenous students and hopes to influence programming and public policy initiatives to culturally support Indigenous students, resulting in an increase of Indigenous graduates from high school, college, and beyond. Some of her accomplishments include being selected for Prairie Business Magazine’s “40 Under 40” Award, the F.O. Butler in Excellence for Community Service Award, and for serving as a 2020 Bush Fellow. She also participated in various leadership programs including: Leadership South Dakota, Native Nation Rebuilders, Rapid City Collective Impact Emerging Leaders, and Leadership Rapid City.

Valeriah enjoys spending quality time with her husband of 9 years and their three children: Kaymahni, Viviannah, and Kyrie. Her and her husband Eric started a travel basketball teams in 2018 and both coach middle and high school girls.