Porcupine, SD — Janice Richards (Winyan Waste Win-Good Woman; Oglala Sioux Tribe) knows that culture is the key to a better future for the children and families of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Raised in a household deeply steeped in Lakota culture, she is passionate about revitalizing Lakota language and customs to heal and strengthen families. She wants children to live in healthy homes and a safe community, with quality healthcare and strong connections to their Indigenous history and culture. She seeks to create a family and child wellness center grounded in the belief that if you heal a mother, you heal a family, and if you heal a family, you heal a community. With an understanding that this reclamation and wellness work will require communal participation and greater knowledge of Lakota customs, she will pursue a master’s degree in organizational leadership and develop a mentor pool of community leaders and traditional healers.
