Amid crisis, a growing skatepark aims to transform the Rosebud Reservation

MISSION, S.D. - On the Rosebud Reservation just north of Valentine, Nebraska, sirens have become an all-too-familiar sound. Amid a sharp rise in drug use and violence, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has declared a state of emergency. But in the reservation's largest town, some residents are working to flip the narrative—with the help of skateboards, ramps, and community.

“I’ve seen a lot of things,” said Dillon Two Eagle, who grew up in Mission. “Thankfully, skateboarding kept my head on right—kept me heading in the right direction.”

Two Eagle spent his youth skating the streets. Now, a growing concrete skatepark offers a safer, more structured space for kids and adults alike to gather, express themselves, and build skills.

“It’s like a different world once you’re skateboarding,” said Clay Shank, project manager of the Rosebud Skatepark Development. “You can put behind whatever concerns might be bothering you or following you through your day.”

Shank, who grew up in California, originally was a filmmaker. His documentary 700 Miles chronicled his long-distance skateboarding journey from California to Mexico and gained national attention. That project ultimately led him to the Rosebud Reservation, where he decided to trade his camera for concrete.

“I was lucky enough to find a place where I felt skateboarding would have a positive influence,” Shank said. “That’s how I shifted from filmmaking to park building.”

The new skatepark in Mission is Shank’s third on the reservation, following similar projects in the communities of Antelope and Parmelee. While the Mission park is still under construction, it’s already attracting a steady stream of kids, teens, and adults—some hoping to master tricks, others just looking for a safe place to hang out.

“These ramps are about a nine-foot radius, so rather large,” Shank said, noting that crews recently tore down a nearby house to expand the skate area.

Shank believes skateboarding can satisfy the same impulses that lead young people toward gangs or risky behavior—only with far fewer consequences.

“When you’re working on landing a trick, you’re focused on that moment,” Shank said. “It’s a freeing thing that can help break people out of mental states they might get stuck in.”

Ten-year-old Kelian Ryon is one of many regulars at the park. “I’m doing rock fakies and slashing,” he said proudly, before going back to skating—and joking with friends about who likes which girl.

“We need a park like this to keep the kids out of trouble, keep them in school and show them that there’s a safe place regardless of what they go through to come here and relax and not worry about anything,” said Two Eagle.

Fewer worries. More board slides. And maybe, in time, a better path forward.