Elder-in-residence Program

Lakota elders hold essential knowledge, language, and cultural memory. Yet many face social isolation and under-recognition as cultural leaders and the heart of Lakota community. Their absence from community programming impacts not only their well-being, but also the cultural health of younger generations seeking grounding in identity, tradition, and belonging.

We see an urgent opportunity to reimagine arts and culture spaces as intergenerational, culturally grounded environments where elders are not guests but core contributors. The elder-in-residence program offers a model for doing so—providing consistent, meaningful opportunities for elders to participate in exhibitions, residencies, workshops, and community gatherings. Their involvement enhances the cultural integrity of our programming and offers artists and youth a rare chance to learn directly from lived wisdom. This program also addresses the basic human need for belonging.

This program has grown organically starting in 2024, and has gradually deepened due to the leadership of elders in our community. Beginning in 2025, we began to formally and meaningfully embed elders into all facets of Racing Magpie’s arts and culture programming, ensuring that their voices are centered and their contributions recognized as vital to both cultural survival and future innovation.

Our current elders-in-residence (2026) are Dollie Red Elk and Marlyce Miner, both Oglala Lakota. Marlyce brings a career in the education field to Racing Magpie, as well as training as a master gardener and more. Dollie is a first-language Lakota speaker who just retired from teaching the Lakota language at Oglala Lakota College for 26 year.