B-Ball on the Reservation

Today I find myself reflecting on the time I spent with the teenagers on the Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Yesterday I mentioned how I came in with expectations that the children would behave a certain way. I thought similar things about the teenagers, and once again, I was wrong. The Lakota teenagers are just like any other teenagers; aggressive, mean, and with high school mentalities. Being around the teenagers felt like being back in high school, and I was not a big fan of high school. Still, I felt by the end of my time in Eagle Butte, some of the teens were more accepting of the group I was with and me. It would have helped to have stayed there longer, but Spring Break only lasts so long.

The first thing I should note about the teenagers was that they loved basketball. Throughout the entire time I was there, the teenagers came to the Project teen center mainly for basketball. There were a few kids who just wanted to play on the computers or play board games, but the others went to the gym to hang out and play basketball. Even when other events were scheduled, such as a college night or a spaghetti dinner, they were more likely to go to the gym and play there. You can’t really blame them. Basketball is a fun game. Still, trying to pull the teens away from the game was a challenge. When we offered them a spaghetti dinner with some yummy snacks along with it, they wanted to keep playing basketball. It was only after some coaxing did they go enjoy some cupcakes and whatnot. On the other hand, their love of basketball is what allowed our group to bond with them. In our group, there were some serious b-ball players which allowed for a couple bonds to form with the teens.

Another (more negative) thing that should be noted about the teenagers was how life on the reservation seemed to affect them. I am in no position to judge how life is on the reservation because I do not live there. But I have read up on the issues plaguing reservations, and I heard a great deal of information about the Eagle Butte reservation from people who worked there and live on it. From what I gather, it isn’t too tough, but there are still issues. One issue concerned education. From what I heard, the educational system isn’t too horrible, but it also does not seem to be doing its job. The teens were not enthused with any sort of educational talk by our group. It was easy to tell that they were a bit unhappy with college night. A possible reason for this lack of interest is because no one pushes them to be interested. It is hard to want to succeed if no one tells you that success is an option. One good thing is that it didn’t seem like all of the teens hated the idea of higher education. Perhaps it would be better to talk to all of the teens of the reservation before making a giant assumption. Still the various issues associated with the reservation make it sound like a tough place for teens to be.

Overall, I think the Project is doing a pretty good job with helping the teens. The Project could definitely improve in various ways. They have a pretty awesome library which I’m hoping will be put in use soon. They also have a dance studio. The Project rents out the space for various groups, but it could also be used to get some of the teens interested in dance or other non-basketball sports. The Project also had an art room. I feel if they let teens use that room more often, some of the teens might discover other talents that they have. Furthermore, I feel that the Project could offer other services as well to better benefit the teenagers. Tutoring, counseling, educational planning, financial planning, and hobby identification are all things that could find a place at the Project. The Project was under-staffed, but I am hoping that with more people aware of this, there will be more people to help with future endeavors. There is so much potential for what the Project could do with teens, and I am hoping that it meets that potential. This is one reason I want to go back and help. I want to help the Project meet the potential it has. These teenagers were a joy to be around, and I enjoyed interacting with them and learning about their lives. They deserve an opportunity to have great lives. If I can help offer that opportunity, I will go for it.