Medicine Wheels is a project centered around native youth and mental health in the form of skating and art. The project's base is in Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is an unmistakably beautiful place. Not only is Pine Ridge rich in beauty, but it is also rich in culture and history. But there are difficult realities within Pine Ridge. Our young people face alarming rates of suicide. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, teenagers face suicide rates 150% higher than the national average. The average life expectancy on Pine Ridge is said to be the lowest anywhere in the Western Hemisphere with 48 the average life expectancy for men and 52 the average life expectancy for women. The problem is primarily due to the poverty levels on the reservation: 41.1% of people in Pine Ridge are below the poverty line.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our youth faced a significant crisis. Our culture is based around relationships within our Tiyóšpaye (extended family and community) and is vital to our mental health. With COVID restrictions and mandatory shutdowns, our youth were isolated from their peers. Seeding Sovereignty's Medicine Wheels is a community-based program that gives Native youth an outlet to express themselves through art and skating. Through medicine wheels, young people will be able to have a safe, mental health-positive place to enjoy community gatherings, which has not been possible the past few years due to covid. Medicine Wheels events will empower Indigenous youth, distribute free gear, give food at monthly events, and reinforce positive mental health. Seeding Sovereignty is helping heal this damage by reconnecting our Native youth with their Tiyóšpaye (extended family and community) by providing safe spaces and gear to youth who do not have access to safe spaces vital to their well-being.

We launched this program on the Pine Ridge Reservation during Native American Indian Heritage Month as we celebrate our culture and history; we are also nurturing the youth that will be the future of our people. The impact of the medicine wheels program is not only helping our youth reconnect and reviving our skateparks but also saving lives and bringing generational change. The monthly meet-ups bring the youth together and give young people a healthy outlet to express themselves through skating and art. We allow them to focus on their mental health and not feel isolated and alone. This program gives them hope through community. As Lakota people, we are at our best when we are together with a common purpose. Medicine Wheels is that place of strength and encouragement.