Four Lakota virtues guide how Sina Okigwa-Paints Robe welcomes relatives, leads programs, governs the organization, and uses the gifts entrusted to us. They are living responsibilities, not words displayed on a wall.
Honoring all relations: human, animal, land, ancestor.
We honor all our relations: people, animals, the land, and those who came before us. Respect shapes how young people are welcomed, how elders and cultural teachers are treated, how horses are cared for, and how decisions are made.
Courage to endure, to heal, to return to what is true.
Healing and cultural renewal require courage, patience, and endurance. Fortitude carries people through recovery, grief, hardship, and growth. It also calls us to remain present for the community beyond a single event or funding cycle.
Truth-telling in our work, our governance, our relationships.
We speak truthfully about our work, our responsibilities, our decisions, and the resources entrusted to us. Our board is made up of enrolled tribal citizens, and our supporters receive clear records of their gifts.
Giving without expectation. The first virtue, taught first.
Generosity means giving without expectation and ensuring that what is shared strengthens the people. Meals, knowledge, time, transportation, supplies, songs, and financial gifts all help make the work possible.
Beneath these virtues is the understanding that we are related to one another and to everything that shares this land. That relationship carries responsibility. It is why Sina Okigwa-Paints Robe is not merely advised by Indigenous people; it is governed and led by them. Meet our board of directors.
Give once or monthly to help provide cultural programming and healing opportunities for Lakota youth and families.