Encouraging youth empowerment on the Pine Ridge Reservation [Video]

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (KOTA) – Growing up in the US should mean plenty of opportunities, whether it is in school or within the community. But for many youth on the Pine Ridge Reservation, this is not the case, with problems spanning poverty, health, housing, and many other issues limiting opportunities on the reservation.

“It‘s not always that bad here, but It‘s not easy, though; I would say it’s not easy,” Seanna GoodBuffalo senior student at Lakota Tech High School expressed.

“There is a lot of stuff that you can get into. Not like basic crime, but just like drugs and alcohol, it’s really easy to get into that around here,” Ashyln Morrisette senior student at Lakota Tech High School shared.

While some of the issues vary from person to person, youth on the reservation are the ones who have to jump through many obstacles to overcome those issues at a …