Opening Up in South Dakota

Shayla Reid of UUSC's Programs Department recently participated in the JustWorks Lakota camp.

Upon our arrival in South Dakota, I immediately took notice of the beauty the state had to offer. Driving through the mountain areas, I was fascinated and captivated by the nature. Once we arrived on the Rosebud Reservation, I became aware of the lack of resources, poverty, and isolated land the Native American people lived in.

In the beginning of the week, the Native American kids were shy and curious about our visit to their reservation. As the week proceeded, we all had an opportunity to discuss the stereotypes the media portrays of their people. Once they realized we were not there to change anything about them, but to learn about their culture and create a short movie about their lives, the kids began to open up to the group.


One of the Native American participants said, "I want people to know that not all Native Americans that live on the reservation are drunks or drug addicts." We non-Natives learned that the community of which we were a part for the week consisted of welcoming and friendly people.

During the camp, the kids had an opportunity to learn about videography, media, and stereotypes, how to use a camera, and they were able to produce a short movie. This experience impacted all the participants that were involved, and broke some of the stereotypes that existed before our arrival.