Gen7 Youth:
The Tipi Raisers Youth Program

​​The Tipi Raisers offers multiple opportunities throughout the year for multicultural gatherings of young people to engage in Gen7 events. Each gathering offers a chance to gain new skills and build lasting friendships across socioeconomic conditions and cultural identities as they are supported in exploring ways to bring their unique gifts forth.

Rooted in the power of the circle and the belief that youth both crave and need social/emotional support and genuine contact with one another, our Gen7 initiative centers:

I.    Cultural Bridge Building
Gen7 Youth represent a diversity of cultures, perspectives, gender identities and backgrounds. Through Gen7 engagement, youth come together to share their life experiences and teach one another about their unique cultural identity. They are encouraged to explore their differences, identify and address their implicit biases and embrace their commonalities. 

II.   Personal Development
Gen7 provides youth with the tools, resources and experiences to explore their unique gifts and ways in which to bring them forth. We strive to create a safe space in which the youth can be authentic and vulnerable while supporting and encouraging one another.

III. Leadership Skill Building
Through opportunities such as internships and community service projects, Gen7 youth practical and leadership skills, explore social justice, activism and allyship and are supported to bring that knowledge back to their communities.

IV. Recreation 
We believe in the power of playing and laughing together, and we seek to balance out the hard work and intensity of each Gen7 gathering with plenty of time to have fun and take on new adventures. Be it hikes, horse-riding, Lakota hand games, ropes courses or ghost stories; Gen7 youth solidify their friendships through these more playful times together.

Gen7 engages youth from middle school to young adults.  All Gen7 events are free of charge and are funded through the generosity of our supporters!

WHY GEN7 YOUTH?

Because youth are the wisdom keepers of the next generation!

Now, more than ever, we need strong, visionary, committed and courageous young leaders from all races to come together for the good of the whole. Gen7 is inspired by the Indigenous belief that all actions taken should be done so with an awareness of their impact in seven generations. Also, in the late 1800's, the great warrior of the Oglala Lakota, Crazy Horse, spoke of a vision he had in which healing would take place from the trauma and devastation that started at the time of the European migration. In this vision, he prophesied that the Seventh Generation will be the generation of healing, in which all colors of mankind come together.

​Inspired by Crazy Horse's vision, our Gen7 program engages Native and non-Native youth throughout all of The Tipi Raiser's activities, facilitating opportunities to bridge cultural gaps, be in service, participate in unique, educational opportunities and gain the experience necessary to understand - and bring forth - their inherent gifts.

The Time of the Seventh Generation is Now!

Gen7 is rooted in the following guiding values:
​Prayer - Honesty - Participation - Community - Love - Humility - Respect 

Gen7 Youth in Action:

• Provides opportunities for Native and non-Native youth to participate in Gen7 gatherings throughout the year; visiting each other's communities, learning about one another and gaining interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Engages youth in our efforts to rehome buffalo to their Native homelands.
• Offers youth opportunities to assist with establishing community gardens and repairing homes in Native communities,
• Involves youth in a variety of service projects.
• Facilitates events in which youth have opportunities to share and learn about Indigenous perspectives on historical events and current conditions in Native communities.

Previous Gen7 Gatherings and Projects:

Firewood Club at the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning
Working year-round to engage students, Native and non-Native, in service every Monday while supplying Pine Ridge families with a consistent supply of firewood. Has created multiple opportunities for RMSEL students to visit Pine Ridge, build long-term connections with Lakota youth and elders, and engage in courageous reconciliation dialogues with tribal members

Youth Summits: Sedalia, Larkspur and Denver, CO
Partnering with other youth groups to explore activism, leadership and cultural issues

​School Presentations and Service Trips across Colorado
Engaging in service learning across cultures as well as empowering Native youth to visit schools, share their culture and offer an accurate representation of the history of their People

Summer Retreats: Monument Valley, AZ and Durango, CO 
Providing a fun and nurturing retreat for Gen7 youth to unwind, be in service and explore new places while building friendships across cultures

Mounted Patrol:
Horseback riding to gain certification with the Arapahoe County Mounted Patrol. Multiple training sessions focused on familiarizing the horses with different sights, sounds and obstacles they may encounter when in crowds

Projects: Sedalia, Ignacio & Denver, CO, Monument Valley, AZ
Planting and tending community gardens, repairing homes, packing and organizing food donations, cleaning up an encampment for the unhoused, MMIW awareness events, and more

contact us to learn more about gen7

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