Healing through a Lakota horse youth camp

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Beginning February 17th through February 20th, the 2nd annual Healing with Horses Youth Identity Camp will open for a four-day overnight teepee-style camp at the Thunder Horse Stables on Valley Street in Rapid City. Delaney Apple and Jeremiah Moreno joined “Good Morning Black Hills” to let the community know about this special camp and get the word out about their efforts to heal our youth through the intervention of horses.

Apple started the camp because he says, “the Lakota community is in crisis and there is a high rate of Native American youth experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues compounding substance abuse and addictions, given the exacerbation in violence and drug-related events, we feel a responsibility to facilitate a gathering of the community together to offer a much needed connection to those facing hardship”. He also says during the camp, our youth will experience lessons of Lakota values, along with “creating a bond with horses, which we believe leads to profound healing of the human spirit. Last year’s camp culminated with participants showing their confidence and growth by riding their horses through Rapid City with a police escort. This year, the camp will have additional teachings on horsemanship”.

Some of the other activities will include cultural teaching and storytelling, family roles and responsibilities, talking and circle time, and how to use the Lakota way of life to find the balance of mind, body, spirit, and emotions.

For more information, we invite you to click on the link above for the full interview.

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