Life Skills for the Young Lakota/Dakota & Wolakota/Wodakota Life Skills for Teens
September 12-14, 2025 • Ramkota Hotel, Rapid City, SD
Discover a Revolutionary Approach to Education
At Oceti Wakan, education means honoring the whole person. True learning must nurture the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental aspects of each child—alongside academics like math and reading. Guided by Lakota spiritual and cultural principles, and embracing Mitakuye Oyasin (“we are all related”), our approach provides hope, healing, and a path to thriving futures.
Why This Conference Matters
Our children face unprecedented challenges—historical trauma, adverse experiences, and intergenerational impacts that disrupt learning and wellness. Healing begins with understanding. This 2nd Annual Oceti Wakan Teachers Conference bridges Lakota wisdom with modern science—exploring neuroscience, epigenetics, and trauma-informed practices through a culturally grounded, medicine wheel approach.
Together, we’ll learn practical ways to help children move from survival mode to thriving mode.
Conference Experiences
Over 2½ transformative days, experience:
- Inspiring keynote addresses
- Hands-on workshops
- Fellowship, storytelling, and good food
- Tools for social-emotional learning and character education
Topics We’ll Explore
- Ancestor stories and storytelling as tools for healing
- The influence of virtues and values
- Historical trauma and its impact in classrooms
- The science of adverse childhood experiences
- How trauma affects the developing brain
- Proven healing practices from around the world
Schedule at a Glance
- Friday Evening: Opening keynote + working dinner
- Saturday: Keynotes & breakout groups
- Sunday: Breakouts + closing keynote (concludes by 3 PM)
Our Speakers
Duane Hollow Horn Bear is a respected Sicangu Lakota Elder from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. As a Cultural Advisor, he teaches the history of the Lakota Nation through the powerful tradition of storytelling. Ancestor Stories form an integral part of our Life Skills Curriculum, and Duane brings this ancient wisdom to life for educators and communities.
Cecelia Fire Thunder (also known by her Lakota name “Good Hearted Woman”) is a South Dakota-born leader, the only woman to be elected as Tribal President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and serves on the Oglala Lakota Nation Education Council. Widely recognized as an advocate for wellness and women’s issues, she has a unique gift for reaching hearts and transforming communities. Cecelia has co-authored several healing and wellness curricula and leads community healing programs throughout the region. Through humor, compassion, and genuine care, she helps others begin their journey toward wellness and balance.
Dr. Lisa Miller is a nationally recognized expert in spirituality, health, and thriving development. As Professor and Founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University, she has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles on spirituality and mental health in youth and families. Dr. Miller serves as Editor of The Oxford University Press Handbook of Psychology & Spirituality and Editor-in-Chief of Spirituality in Clinical Practice (APA Journals).
Jessie Taken Alive Rencountre is a dancer, mother, writer, wife, and counselor who has served as a school counselor in the Rapid City School District for over twelve years. She shares Oceti Wakan’s belief that schools should be sacred places and works tirelessly to create culturally and emotionally safe environments for Indian children. Jessie has published three children’s books that integrate Lakota values, including Pet’a Shows Misun the Light, which teaches about compassion and forgiveness. She believes that returning to Lakota values will strengthen the spirits of Lakota youth and break the cycle of generational trauma. Committed to seeing the prophecy of the 7th Generation fulfilled, Jessie is a Lakota woman of honor.
Christopher Bordeaux is an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota, Rosebud Sioux Tribe. As a teacher, principal, and former Executive Director of the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium, he has successfully led educational programs and worked to create Oral Language Proficiency Assessments. He continues consulting with Tribal Schools and Tribes to strengthen education programs for Native youth.
Dara Feldman is a passionate educator, speaker, author, coach and consultant, whose life-long goal is to transform our schools and the systems that support them into environments that embrace the love of learning while empowering students, staff and families to know their inherent value. She is Nationally Board Certified in Early Childhood and has been honored as Disney’s 2005 Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year, Educator of the Year for the National Association for Self Esteem.
Red Dawn Foster is a South Dakota State Senator representing District 27, which encompasses the Pine Ridge Reservation and several surrounding counties. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Un of Colorado Denver and Master of Business Administration from the Un of Notre Dame. Senator Foster has dedicated her career to advocating for Native American rights, championing legislation that recognizes Indigenous achievements and protects tribal sovereignty. Through her work on Health and Human Services, State-Tribal Relations, and Juvenile Justice committees, she consistently advocates for expanded healthcare access and stronger educational opportunities for Native communities.
These dynamic speakers, along with the Oceti Wakan Team, will guide us through transformative sessions that blend traditional wisdom with cutting-edge research, offering practical tools for healing and growth in our educational communities.
The Impact
When we heal our children, we heal our communities. When we empower our educators, we transform our future. This conference is more than an event—it’s a movement to:
- Break the cycle of intergenerational trauma
- Instill pride in cultural identity
- Equip children with the skills for a healthy, resilient life
We warmly invite you to join us for this transformative conference. Together, we can forge a path toward healing. Together, we can break the cycle. Together, we create tomorrow’s leaders.