Wokini Initiative and Innoskate Festival partner to bring invention and creativity to Native students in South Dakota

The Wokini Initiative partnered with Levitt at the Falls to bring a free four-day, two-city Innoskate festival that included stops on the Pine Ridge Reservation and Sioux Falls. Created in 2013 by USA Skateboarding and the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, Innoskate celebrates the intersection of invention and creativity in skate culture and the similarities between jazz musicians and skateboarders when it comes to improvisation.

Those in attendance were treated to panel discussions on Native skateboarding and culture on the Pine Ridge Reservation, what diversity and inclusion look like in skateboarding, and competitive skateboarding on a national and international level. The day also included trick competitions and skateboarding workshops.

Interested students also participated in hands-on STEM activities and other educational activities focused on invention, art and skateboarding. Wokini and SDSU staff attended the event to talk about how the Innoskate activities create awareness and opportunities for students who attend South Dakota State University.

The Pine Ridge event took place at the Toby Eagle Bull Memorial Skatepark and included a performance and panel by the Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.