As the school year approaches, one indigenous-led organization is handing out backpacks to Rapid City kids.
NDN Collective officials said they distributed more than 2,000 backpacks Friday.
The line for families seeking backpacks for the upcoming school year wrapped around the Journey Museum parking lot near downtown Rapid City.
This is the fourth year in a row NDN Collective has handed out school supplies to native children before school starts. Despite handing out thousands of backpacks, the organization ran out of supplies to those still standing in line.
Nick Tilsen, the CEO of NDN Collective, said the backpack giveaway has grown every year.
“I think a lot of people who have privilege and have resources don’t realize that going back to school is a good thing, but it’s also a very expensive thing,” Tilsen said. “There’s a lot of people that are in poverty that need access to the basic essentials and basic needs. But we’ve also noticed thousands of people coming here and the community being really grateful for it and, really, it helping reduce stress for families too.”
Tilsen said NDN Collective is focused on education for native children to combat the school to prison pipeline.
The group is also backing the Oceti Sakowin Community Academy, a private school founded in Lakota language, culture and spirituality.
Mary Bowman heads of the school, which is heading into its third year.
“In November, we will be out on the land where our school will eventually be built—our permanent building. We’re in a modular building that will last us about six years. In that time we’re hoping to have our permanent building," Bowman said. "It’s something that we’re looking forward to doing and I know our kids are super excited to be in our own building because that’ll allow us to do more things—like afterschool programming, summer programming for our students and families.”
The academy has been operating in churches around the city. The new facility will get built in a development in north Rapid City.
