Our Story

Oyάte Wóokiye (OW) – For the People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (The "Rez") in South Dakota. 

Our mission is to strengthen families and connect communities through wellness; yoga, skateboarding,  reiki, meditation, and the Lakota way of life to empower our Lakota youth. 

Oyάte Wóokiye, meaning “For the People” in the Lakota language, was founded with a deep commitment to supporting the well-being, confidence, leadership, and health of Native American Lakota youth of the Oglala Sioux Tribe/Nation, both on and off the Pine Ridge Reservation. Our mission is to reduce fatalities and suicides among Native American youth by providing recreational sports and alternative entertainment opportunities in underserved areas across Indian country, while also strengthening families by reconnecting them to the rich Lakota culture and virtues.

The organization was founded in honor of Toby Ray Eagle Bull, a young Lakota man whose vision of a skateboard park on the reservation came to life after his tragic passing in 2002. In his memory, Toby’s family and community began the first annual “Toby Classic” skateboard competition in 2003, which has since become a major event on the reservation. In 2011, Oyάte Wóokiye helped establish the first and largest skate park in South Dakota, the Toby Eagle Bull Memorial Skate Park Wounded Knee 4-Directions, providing a space for youth to engage in positive activities. The “Toby Classic” has since grown to include over 50 skaters, with participants ranging from ages 5 to 30, and attracting hundreds of community members.

In addition to our focus on youth development through skateboarding, Oyάte Wóokiye also operates the Wicozani Wellness Program, which promotes holistic wellness through practices such as yoga, meditation, reiki, and the Lakota Way of Life. The program addresses historical and generational trauma while nurturing physical, emotional, and spiritual healing among youth and veterans of the Oglala Lakota Nation.

Our latest initiative, Woyute ki Etaŋ Pežuta Oayé - Journey with Food as Medicine, merges cultural heritage with health education by teaching Lakota youth the importance of traditional foods for holistic wellness.

 The program empowers participants to cook and learn about the health benefits of traditional foods such as bison, chokecherries, wild rice, corn, and turnips. Through these efforts, we aim to strengthen connections to cultural traditions and promote community health while also empowering youth to take control of their own wellness.

At the heart of all our programs is Wícozani, a Lakota philosophy that teaches the balance of mind, body, and spirit for true wellness. By integrating these cultural traditions with modern wellness practices, Oyάte Wóokiye seeks to nurture resilience and personal transformation, empowering the Lakota community to overcome past trauma and build a healthier future. Ultimately, we believe that through these efforts, Lakota youth and families can reclaim their health and their role as creators of their own medicine.

“Today when you come and see the competition in person at the Toby Eagle Bull Memorial Skate park you see children laughing, a community working together to protect the beauty for the event, and you see a community and family who refused to allow tragedy to define them by celebrating the love they had for their relation.” – Lakota Community member.

Wopila Tanka! “Many Thanks” for reading our story