The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community was represented well at the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s (CRYP) 10th Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, or Cheyenne River Lakota Nation, July 10–11.

Founded in 1988, the Cheyenne River Youth Project is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River Reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.

RedCan Communications Director Heather Steinberger said that 14 featured RedCan artists brought nine new murals to life around Eagle Butte.

Two of those artists were SRPMIC member and artist Dwayne Manuel and SRPMIC Youth Development Specialist Natasha “Rezmo” Martinez.

Manuel completed a community project mural on the Veterans Building trailer, painting a Lakota Swallow bead design that utilizes values of the Lakota four directions colors.

“[RedCan] enriches the lives of people who live in and around the town of Eagle Butte by adding color and culture into the visual landscape,” said Manuel.

Martinez said that she was invited to be a featured artist for the event to share what she knows with youth interns from the project who were assigned to help her—a perfect opportunity to bring some youth from the Color the Rez Graffiti Immersion Program. The SRPMIC gave approval for three youths from the program—Grace Butler, RJ Lopez and Patricia Woody—to participate in the experience.

“My favorite part was helping the little kids from [the CRYP]. They got new skateboards, so I helped them paint whatever designs they liked,” said SRPMIC member youth RJ Lopez. “I had a lot of fun painting all day, but mostly I just liked talking with the small kids and helping them; they were cool.”

Woody said that through the experience, she learned more about spray-painting techniques and finding her voice through art.

“I also learned about how events like these bring everyone together,” said Woody. “Thank you, Natasha, for letting us experience this with you!”

Two chaperones, youth development specialists Sommer Lopez and Zachary Reede, traveled with the team to RedCan. The SRPMIC Council approved having SRPMIC Assistant Community Manager Dawn Sinoqui serve as chaperone and experience the event.

“It was a deeply inspiring experience. Thanks to the CRYP for their warm hospitality,” said Lopez. “Our group was moved by the unity and creativity of the Indigenous artists and community.”

As someone who works closely with youth, Lopez said the experience equipped her with new skills to engage them and channel their creativity and energy effectively.

“I’m filled with new ideas and excited to see what comes next,” she said.

Salt River Schools Communications & PR Administrator and poet Taté Walker, who happens to be a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, was invited to RedCan to teach and share poetry this year.

Walker said they have taught several poetry workshops over the last few years to CRYP teens, noting that art, emotion and passion can be expressed in many forms, and that it was a natural evolution for the CRYP to incorporate more types of art into RedCan.

“It’s funny, because given the option to spray-paint massive graffiti on the sides of buildings with super-cool artists like Rezmo and Dwayno Insano or write poetry with no-cool-name me, most kids would choose graffiti,” said Walker. “And lots of kids did complain the first day of writing, but by the last day, they were giving Shakespeare a run for his money.”

Walker continued, “I was so proud of what the youth were able to accomplish in just a few short days. Plus, someone from the Smithsonian was there and will be publishing the poems on the museum’s blog. So now these rez kids will be published poets.” For more information about the RedCan artists and mural sites, head to www.lakotayouth.org/redcan.