In the past, Lakota family groups created winter camps to support each other through harsh winters while learning and growing together. Racing Magpie’s Winter Camp explored what that kind of program could look like in the 21st century during a pandemic. Its goal was to bring together Lakota elders, speakers, and youth, and to elevate the idea of sharing and being good relatives to one another. Racing Magpie developed a series of programs aimed at both general audiences and youth, which were offered online via YouTube and Facebook.

Offered over the 2020-21 winter months, the programs engaged both adult and youth audiences. Winter Camp began with a three-part series featuring one of the most well-known Lakota scholars and storytellers, Joseph Marshall III. Later, the program offered a series on Native art as well as writing workshops, including a poetry workshop with Tilda Long Soldier St. Pierre and Layli Long Soldier, winner of the National Poetry Award. And it included a series on Native education that featured a panel led by Lakota youth. Cumulatively, these programs helped address some of the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing Lakota a virtual space to come together, connect, and learn. The videos, which remain online, will be a continuing resource for the community.