Empowering Indigenous Youth: A Conversation with Marla Bull Bear of Lakota Youth Development

In this episode of Food Revolution, our host (& Director of the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative), Matte Wilson, talks to Marla Bull Bear, Executive Director of Lakota Youth Development. Lakota Youth Development, or LYD, has been empowering Lakota youth by providing programming that reconnects them to their indigenous identity for the last fifteen ears. LYD provides youth with opportunities to learn about gardening, beekeeping, entrepreneurship, and more. You can learn more about their work at www.lakotayouthdevelopment.org and support the program's youth entrepreneurs by purchasing honey and beeswax products at www.lakotahoneylodge.org.  Full episode transcription available here.  Enjoy listening to Food Revolution? Consider donating to the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative to help us in our mission to build food sovereignty and a local foods economy to empower our tribal community through food! Donations are 501(c)3 tax deductible.  Website: www.sicangucdc.org Facebook: Sicangu Community Development Corporation Instagram: @sicangucdc Twitter: @sicangucdc TikTok: @sicangucdc   (Intro) Han Mitakuyapi, and welcome to Food Revolution, brought to you by the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative. Every other week, we'll be bringing you stories of food sovereignty from community members and tribal food producers working to build a more just, equitable, and regenerative food system for our Sicangu Lakota Oyate- the Burnt Thigh Nation. Together, we're building tribal sovereignty through food, and we've set a place at the table just for you. Join us and be part of the Food Revolution.   (Rooster crows) (Matte) All right, welcome back to another week of the Food Revolution. While you’re listening, we have a favor to ask. The Food Sovereignty Initiative is currently doing surveys to help us understand the experience our community members have around food, so that we can work towards building a more inclusive and equitable food system where everyone has access to healthy and fresh local foods. Respondents will be entered into a drawing for cash prizes, with the chance to win up to $500. If you’re interested, head to our Facebook page, Sicangu Community Development Corporation, for more information and to access the surveys. And now, back to the show. (You can access the survey here).  Today we'll be talking with Marla Bull Bear. Marla, can you introduce yourself please? Tell us a little bit about yourself, and your background, and what you do.   (Marla) Oh,