Oaye Luta Okolakiciye Awarded $10,000 Grant to Expand Indigenous Healing and Recovery Program

Oaye Luta Okolakiciye (OLO), a Lakota-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to culturally grounded healing and recovery, has been awarded a $10,000 South Dakota Fund grant from South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF). 

“We are grateful for this grant award to continue our unique cultural approach to ceremony assisted addiction treatment,” said Gene Tyon, Executive Director, OLO. “This funding will assist with creating a course workbook and ceremony materials, enhance awareness and assist our relatives-clients to recognize and understand history, inter-generational and current behavior.” 

OLO promotes healing through alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention and recovery education, while reconnecting individuals with Lakota culture, identity and traditional values. The organization serves youth, adults, families and communities by providing culturally rooted pathways to wellness and hope.

The grant will support the growth of Ceremony Assisted Treatment, a healing model that centers Lakota spiritual practices, teachings and community values as part of the recovery process. Through the program, participants reconnect with cultural practices such as Inipi (sweat lodge ceremony), talking circles, traditional teachings, and guidance from elders and cultural mentors. These elements help address the spiritual and relational aspects of healing that can be overlooked in conventional treatment models.

“The South Dakota Fund has a number of priority areas for grantmaking,” said Ginger Niemann, Senior Program Officer at SDCF. “OLO’s work bridges several of these areas and has the potential to transform lives, families and communities. That’s why we are eager to support it.” 

SDCF’s South Dakota Fund makes grants to nonprofits across the state in support of culture, economic development, education, financial literacy, health and human services. Beginning in 2026, the fund will also offer three new initiatives: child wellbeing, housing and workforce development.