Empowering Lakota Leaders, Strengthening Our Community

"Investing in Lakota leadership is an investment in our entire community, ensuring that our way of life, our values, and our language continue to guide us for the next 7 generations.""Investing in Lakota leadership is an investment in our entire community, ensuring that our way of life, our values, and our language continue to guide us for the next 7 generations."

Sicangu Co’s management team participates in a two-day training to enhance their skills in leadership.

Our management team is feeling rejuvenated and inspired by this week’s two-day Management Training. We are happy to share the powerful impact where Sicangu Co managers gathered to enhance their leadership skills and deepen their impact in the community and with each other. Facilitated by The Management Center led by JK Nelson, the training focused on key areas essential for effective team management, tailored to our unique ecosystem.

One of the key takeaways was the critical role of skilled leadership in nonprofits, particularly in rural communities like ours. Equipped managers are not only able to drive organizational success, but also empower teams to achieve their goals, making a tangible difference in the lives of our Sicangu Lakota community members. Through interactive sessions, managers learned how to set SMARTIE goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable—and how to delegate tasks in a concise manner to set team members up for success.

Sicangu Co managers had a moment to reflect on the importance of having consistent trainings such as this to invest in their professional development as Lakota leaders.

Investing in Lakota leaders is vital to achieving our vision for the next 7 generations. It ensures that our community's values, traditions, and ways of life are not only preserved but also integrated into our work overtime. By empowering Lakota leaders, we are not only building a stronger organization but we are revitalizing our cultural identity and strengthening our sovereignty as a collective.

Collaboration is at the heart of our work at Sicangu Co in every aspect. You cannot talk about one initiative without mentioning the other. As an example, our Food Sovereignty Initiative supports our Lakota immersion school by providing fresh produce for their school lunches and educational opportunities around food sovereignty. The Lakota immersion school also participates in Tatanka Harvests at our Wolakota Buffalo Range, while our Sicangu Health Initiative provides an after-school teaching program to the Wakanyeja at the Lakota immersion school. These collaborations showcase the interconnectedness of our work and the need for effective teamwork. The skills to work together as good relatives is what allows this work to even happen, so it’s crucial that we always improve and learn new skills.

Time-management was a topic that the majority of our team members wanted to elaborate on, considering the demanding nature of community-driven work. We reflected on how the goals and mission of our overarching ecosystem should guide the work of each initiative. This alignment ensures that every effort contributes to our mission of improving the lives of the Sicangu Lakota people through economic development and the revitalization of our Lakota way of life.

During breakout sessions, managers had the opportunity to role-play and practice giving and receiving feedback with their team members. Our staff found this practice to be the most useful because it builds trust, encourages growth, strengthens relationships, and it creates a learning culture that normalizes feedback. Reciprocative feedback can be used as a tool for improvement which encourages continuous learning and empowers leaders to believe in their abilities of where they currently stand.

Investing in our managers' growth and development is vital, as they play a crucial role in empowering and building the skills of their staff which has a ripple effect on the community. As our CEO, Clay Colombe, stated, "Investing in our staff is an investment in our community. Even if one of our staff members took on another opportunity outside of Sicangu Co, we know that the individual will show up strong in their Lakota identity and will have the skills to be a leader in this world, that is how we create a better world for future generations.”

We are grateful to The Management Center for their expertise and for coming to Sicangu Makoce to facilitate this powerful training. This investment in our managers not only strengthens Sicangu Co, but also empowers our community to be reminded of the power we already hold within ourselves as Lakota people.

Thank you for consistently following us on our journey of growth and impact.

To close out the training, Sicangu Co staff received Lakota first aid kits also known as “wokpan,” which consists of sage, cedar, and sweetgrass.