Pėhévóné'o

Pėhévóné'o ("growing well" in Cheyenne) seeks to foster physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing among youth of the Northern Cheyenne reservation and surrounding communities. 

 

Native American youth experience disproportionately high rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, substance use, diabetes, and a range of other preventable, treatable health problems. These health disparities stem from lack of adequate mental health supports, lack of spaces to develop physical fitness, high rates of intergenerational trauma, and lack of safe spaces to gather as youth. On the Northern Cheyenne reservation, these issues are compounded by extreme rurality, lack of public transit, poverty, and minimal resources for youth in general. 

 

Further, Native American youth also experience disproportionate rates of violence. This is all too common on the Northern Cheyenne reservation, where cases of missing and murdered Cheyenne youth routinely make the news. Despite this violence, there remains a lack of resources for youth to learn self defense, and gain confidence in their ability to protect themselves and each other. 

 

Pėhévóné'o will address these gaps by providing a safe place for Northern Cheyenne youth to gather, exercise, learn self defense and fitness, and develop a sense of wellbeing. Pėhévóné'o will be based in Busby, Montana, serving youth of Busby, Lame Deer, and other surrounding communities. 

 

Pėhévóné'o will begin its work to enhance the health and wellbeing of Northern Cheyenne youth by investing in sports that foster teamwork, strategy, creative thinking, confidence, and physical fitness. This includes a boxing ring, boxing equipment, wrestling mats, and appropriate safety and training gear so that youth may learn sports such as boxing and jiu jitsu, as well as self defense. Pėhévóné'o will also invest in a space, equipment, and appropriate safety gear for a paintball arena and laser tag. With the goal of investing in additional activities such as horseback riding, gardening, and culturally relevant activities like hide tanning in the future, Pėhévóné'o is prioritizing its initial investments in sports appealing to Northern Cheyenne youth, that can be accessible to most ages, and build confidence, teamwork, and community. 

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Pėhévóné'o is currently seeking fiscal sponsorship in order to attain 501(c)3 status as a non-profit. Though it is in its early stages, we are excited for the path ahead in 2022.