The sounds of drums, guitars and singing resonated throughout the Lower Sioux Indian Community’s recreation center, located in southern Minnesota.
Ten Indigenous youth formed their own bands, learned instruments and composed original songs at Rock the Rez, a week-long music camp for Indigenous girls, two-spirit and gender diverse youth ages 8 to 17. This summer marks the first year the music camp is in Minnesota.
Co-founder and coordinator Maureen “Mo” O’Brien says the camp aims to empower youth through music. Rock the Rez started in 2016 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where O’Brien was a teacher at the time.
“It was born out of the want for accessibility to music and the accessibility for this kind of expression and art,” she said, noting the lack of representation of Indigenous women, two-spirit and gender diverse individuals within the music scene.
“We really wanted to concentrate on uplifting girls, two-spirit, LGBTQ+ youth and really embrace their identity. And then also in that, we are creating allies who know how to be allies who know how to speak up for their friends who identify that way,” said executive director April Matson.
Campers are not required to know an instrument to participate. Starting from day one, volunteers and staff help them to learn the basics of instruments such as guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.
Sasha Gregg signed up for the camp after some reluctance and encouragement from family. The 16-year-old never played drums before Rock the Rez, so they spent the week learning alongside their band, Da Pound.
“I didn’t want to do it at first, because I’m quite shy,” Sasha said. “I don’t regret it. It’s fun.”
Their bandmate, 12-year-old Melina Robinette, says the camp helped her learn the value of friendship. She met Sasha for the first time earlier in the week, but as the two sat together on the floor of the practice room drafting and drawing a logo for their band, one might think they’d been friends for years.
“A lot of people here just accept each other, and they’re not mean about other people [making] mistakes or other stuff,” Melina said.
While Rock the Rez has a focus on music, it also offers workshops throughout the week, like making dream catchers, medicine pouches or zines.
Matson says the added activities provide a way for learning how to create and put that creativity out into the world.
“One of our camp values is ‘mistakes are cool.’ And we say you’re gonna make mistakes. You have to make mistakes to learn something new,” Matson said. “It’s really fun and exciting, and we’re all making mistakes together.”
The workshops also provide an opportunity for youth to get connected with members of their tribal community, like volunteer Stevie Pendleton.
Pendleton has been playing the guitar for over two decades, a passion they say has opened many doors and outlets of creativity for them, including being able to teach guitar at the camp. Likewise, they said having opportunities, like Rock the Rez, not only helps youth but all those in the community.
“It helps all of us to blossom our creativity, to get out of our shells a lot more and kind of have more community connection and gives us a way to express ourselves and talk and feel more validated as well,” said Pendleton. “Sometimes you don't always get that, either at home or even in your own community school.”
The expansion of Rock the Rez came after Indigenous community leaders in Minnesota reached out to the program. Before this year, the music camp was only held in North Dakota and South Dakota.
“It’s just exciting to be bringing it other places. But with every new thing, every change comes a little bit of fear, a little bit of uncertainty,” said O’Brien. Despite this, the camp at Lower Sioux Indian Community was filled with laughter and music.
In the second band, 10-year-old Veyda Theis says she became more comfortable with singing throughout the week. During practice, Veyda showed no signs of shyness as she held onto the microphone and sang a song about the feeling of summertime.
“I liked camp because I got to meet, like, other people I didn't know. And the counselors are really nice to me,” she said.
Rock the Rez has two more sessions in Minnesota before the end of summer in Minneapolis, Aug. 4-8, and Bemidji, Aug. 11-16.
Chandra Colvin covers Native American communities in Minnesota for MPR News via Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
