Brave Heart Society teaches culture, identity to next generation in Lake Andes

Native elders are sharing cultural knowledge with youth through the Brave Heart Society in Lake Andes, South Dakota, where grandmothers are working to pass traditions to the next generation, according to KELOLAND News. Director Faith Spotted Eagle said the effort reflects a resurgence of cultural practices that have remained within communities.

Students and adults gathered for the Waterlily Storytelling Institute to learn from elders about identity and tradition. Cheyenne Waters of Pine Ridge said the experience supports healing and helps youth understand their roots. The Brave Heart Society, founded in 1994 by grandmothers on the Yankton Reservation, also offers language and art classes, coming-of-age ceremonies and summer field schools focused on traditional ecological knowledge, according to KELOLAND News.