Iron Lightning tells her story in a new short documentary called Lakota in America, which shines a light on the Cheyenne River Reservation's youth and those working to help them.
The 15-minute video was produced by Even/Odd Films and commissioned by mobile payments company Square as the latest installment of its "For Every Kind of Dream" series, which first launched at the beginning of the year.
The new film was released to the public on Monday in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, known in South Dakota as Native American Day.
Lakota in America follows Iron Lightning as she interns at Eagle Butte's only coffee shop through the Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP), a grassroots organization that helps lead young people toward a more secure future.
"The internships help you prepare for life after high school," she says in the film. "I am definitely going to go to college, and I will come back and help my community in any way I can. Because it's a struggle here. But it's my home."
She describes how Eagle Butte's houses are in disarray, trash fills the yards, "broken and busted cars" sit in the driveways.
Parents don't really take care of their kids unless they have a job and a sense of economic stability.
South Dakota is one of four states that recognizes Native American Day statewide. Burke says Square felt it was meaningful to release the film on a day that celebrates and promotes Native American culture, while commemorating the history of the Indigenous people of North America.
Source
The 15-minute video was produced by Even/Odd Films and commissioned by mobile payments company Square as the latest installment of its "For Every Kind of Dream" series, which first launched at the beginning of the year.
The new film was released to the public on Monday in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, known in South Dakota as Native American Day.
Lakota in America follows Iron Lightning as she interns at Eagle Butte's only coffee shop through the Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP), a grassroots organization that helps lead young people toward a more secure future.
"The internships help you prepare for life after high school," she says in the film. "I am definitely going to go to college, and I will come back and help my community in any way I can. Because it's a struggle here. But it's my home."
She describes how Eagle Butte's houses are in disarray, trash fills the yards, "broken and busted cars" sit in the driveways.
Parents don't really take care of their kids unless they have a job and a sense of economic stability.
South Dakota is one of four states that recognizes Native American Day statewide. Burke says Square felt it was meaningful to release the film on a day that celebrates and promotes Native American culture, while commemorating the history of the Indigenous people of North America.
Source
VIDEO
beautiful (y)
At one time I was worried about are youths.Why?-Because they didn't seem like they wanted to learn or get into our traditional Heritage and Believes now over the course of I0 to 15 years I've Noticed That They are Very Very involved and realize they are next hope to Help GrandMother Earth and to pass on are beautiful traditions and heal the Scared.I think the more movies that are made the better everyone will understanding our people are Beautiful and Kind.So the more films made the better for us.Education is the Answer 🍃