Tiyospaye Winyan Maka
Our Projects & Initiatives
Exlpore our impactful projects & Initiatives aimed at empowering communities and preserving Indigenous cultures. From educational programs to environmental conservation efforts, we are dedicated to making a positive difference in the world.
01
UNA-USA; Indigenous Youth Council Affinity Group
A historic Indigenous youth leadership council dedicated to the revival and preservation of ancestral knowledge, language, and tradition, centering Indigenous values and teachings in our approach to movement building across the continent.
This United Nations Association affinity group brings together Indigenous-led organizations from the greater midwestern region, centering important issues of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination through an emphasis on reviving and uplifting ancestral traditions.
We are seeking inspired youth between the ages of 18 and 32 years of age who identify as Indigenous or are seeking to reconnect with local ancestral cultures more closely.
02
Winter Warmth Project; Annual Concert & Donation Drive
We host an annual 'winter warmth fundraiser' for the reservation communities in South Dakota, serving the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations in 2024.
This initiative is called the "Winter Warmth Project", which seeks to raise monetary and material donations to help families access the propane, electricity, or wood resources that they need to heat their homes throughout the long winter.
This year's concert was held near the twin cottonwoods out at the former 'Hughes Stadium' land on October 13th, 2024, from 1PM to 8PM. We have distributed hundreds of pounds of winter supplies and will continue collecting fiscal donations for
#3
Project Tiyospaye (Extended Family); former 'Hughes Stadium' Land Back Initiative
Our highest priority within 'TWM' since 2019 has been to create a dedicated spiritual space for our expansive Indigenous & mixed-Indigenous community. Tiyospaye Winyan Maka is providing an invaluable opportunity for the City of Fort Collins to take meaningful steps in reconciling countless historical injustices while advancing reparational justice for local and displaced Indigenous people by returning over 164 acres of land illegally ceded by Colorado State University in 1870.
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Our goal in this initiative is to heal the land and the people together, holding this space in pristine condition in perpetuity, through the continued practice of traditional management and cultural education. ‘Project Tiyospaye’ seeks to empower youth in our community to take leadership positions in guiding key aspects of the project. This important feedback and participation from the community will enable a Council of Indigenous elders, conservations scientists, permaculture experts, engineers, Tribal historic preservation officers, and City officials to advise the progression of various aspects of development, rehabilitation, and management that may be required down the line.
#4
(R.R.A.D.) Homestead Initiative
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#5
Prison Reform & Re-entry Program
Tiyospaye recognizes that due to a combination of systemic challenges facing historically marginalized communities, Black and Indigenous peoples have the highest incarceration rates in the United States. To address the many difficulties that ex-convicts face in reentering society, TWM is partnering with United Workforce and New Eyes Village to lead a supervised reentry program that would place high value on spiritual wellbeing by teaching traditional ceremonial ways of being.
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In partnership with 'New Eyes Village', 'Queen's Legacy Foundation', and 'United Workforce', our community-based reentry program seeks to offer access to Indigenous healing methods, spiritual & faith-based support, peer support groups, family reunification, restoration planning, workforce readiness, civil legal aid, and resource navigation to ensure basic needs are secured during the reentry process.