Dreams and Goals

Upijata arts started with the passion of kindness and dance, the founders Yolanda Swalley and Shannon Beshears met @ Re-Member Organization located on the reservation, where Ms. Yoli was a secretary and Shannon was a volunteer. They bonded through the art of ballet and from there the Upijata Arts dream was born. 5 years later Upijata Arts started with the first Upijata classes and summer intensive in 2019. The two co-founders alone started Upijata and built a resilient team, Upijata Arts continues to grow strong, meeting new friends and relatives at every corner.  

We are now running classes in a double wide trailer for $50 a day, $300 a month. This trailer in the community of Kyle is considered as a rented office space. Which means we have to be careful about keeping it clean. For us at Upijata that can be hard because in our classes we strive for creativity and freedom of expression. Thus, achieving holistic healing from generational trauma and reversing what residential schools forced upon native communities. When doing art, it can be messy.

The environment most families on the reservation are in is built with what residential boarding schools were teaching starting in 1860s and ended in the 1930s. At that time, it was mostly abuse, rape and punishment in most inhumane ways. Although not all families may feel like this, we still want to be there for those who are struggling mentally and physically. Upijata was made to end all of generational trauma and bring positivity, rebuilding, empowerment and community. Our dream as a nonprofit is to give back for what colonizers have done to the native people of the pine ridge reservation. Reconnecting the native people to their traditional roots through art and a safe environment. 

With your help we can reach our dream of getting a new building and giving back to native people with a creative outlet or a creative job. A building would help Upijata expand to all four corners of the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. Creating many more opportunities in diverse classes like, beading, lakota quillwork, film making, acting, silks, wall climbing, powwow dancing and many more. It is our utmost desire to provide artistic, fun, and healing spaces, in which a building will help create an environment that is safe by practicing common courtesy and trust.