For Nakota Designs this year has been about RESPECT, the client, ourselves and the world around us…. when that is accomplished, the best work can be done. Bonding closely with our clients, we take the raw materials of information, emotion and talent and create meaningful designs and lasting impressions. “You Thrive, I Thrive, WE Thrive”

My role as a Creative Director for Nakota Designs is to inspire… the idea of inspiring people really seemed to sum up what designers do… inspiration is defined, partially as any stimulus to thought or action. So I am, in a sense, in the business of creating artwork that influences people’s thinking?or behavior. Inspire means “to be in spirit” well, thats who we are “in spirit”…. we are not humans on spiritual journeys, we are spirits on human journeys… meant to to do grand things on this journey, to express, to create, to move with and influence life in all we do.

WE are here for you, through mutual involvement, we continue to learn our client’s needs and desires. Then, by carefully weaving together our skills and this new-found knowledge, we create impactful designs and communication… and together we make a difference.

And we thank you, because of all your continued support we are able to do the work we do with our newly established Stronghold Society nonprofit, dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.

Its been a great year… together we accomplished sooo much. And there are BIG things AHEAD!

2012… is all about New Beginnings!

We thank you for ALL you do!

Walt, Allison and our girls, Nicole, Danielle and Leala

WE are fundraising like crazy to meet our goal to run a successful event for all our youth…. we are in need of sponsorship support, volunteers (filling up fast) and we still have vendor booth spaces available (and these are going fast!). WE expect a HUGE ground throughout the day (10k+), over 30 booths, food vendors, a stage rockin with awesome bands, awesome skate competition, local skate shops, skate pros onhand, food drive w/Conscious Alliance, FLOBOTS.org with Youth On Record music/recording booth, Thrifty Stick Boardshop, a graffiti wall… PEACEJAM.org settin up… VANs Off The Wall – Waffles on a Stick!…. Tocabe Native American Eatery Indian Tacos…. SoBe Life Water available for all…. etc. etc!!!

By supporting this Live Life Call to Action Campaign, you will help to inspire confidence, creativity, hope, and ambition for the youth of native and non-native communities. We want to encourage youth to take action to live a healthy life in mind, body, and spirit through the diverse means of skateboarding, arts, and creative movements. The skateboarding movement throughout the country and Indian Country (reservations) is a great way to connect and interact with youth in their communities. We held this event last year and it was a huge success with many organizations, companies, and advocates who are also involved this year. It would be an honor to have you take part.

And please… help us to spread the word even further, by sharing this email with your social network circle. Every little bit, makes a BIG difference! We also have sponsorship levels should any of your business connections be interested in supporting.

All event forms, sponsorship levels, vendor forms, info, skate registration, available right here on our website as downloadable PDFs. This is a Live Life Call To Action and we could use your help… call me if you would like to hear more about this awesome event…, it would be an honor to speak with you.

Once again I want to thank you so much, for supporting our Stronghold Society outreach efforts, because of you, we can do the things we do… and so far it has been awesome!

Walt Pourier

Stronghold Society President

Jim “Murf” Murphy, Chris “Chickehawk” Warner of Wounded Knee Skateboards and myself (Walt Pourier) drove up to South Dakota after a couple days of filming the Nakota Dogs Movement in Colorado. We met up with Larry Pourier and we met up with Jeremy’s crew from Colorados Jeffco Charter School at the skatepark site in Pine Ridge, as his students were there to give the current park a make over, this will give the Lakota Youth something to skate while we make final preparations to come and start building PHASE ONE of the Wounded Knee 4-Directions?Skateparks! Hopefully within a month or so.

The Stronghold Society would like to give a major shout out to Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam?for his awesome support to build this first PHASE ONE plan of the WK4-Directions Skateparks. Jeff’s heart and continued support of the Stronghold Society’s Live Life Call To Action Campaigns is a huge asset to making this all possible. Wopila Tanka (biggest thanks) Jeff for all you do to support native youth, all the youth of this skateboard movement.

The Tony Hawk Foundation Board of Directors chose the Pine Ridge skatepark as one of its top recipients with a 10,000-dollar grant. Board Members Chris Sacca and Ben Harper then each personally pledged an additional 5,000 dollars to ensure the Lakota-youth skatepark achieved its funding goal, and to add more rock-star support for this critical project.

Would also like to give Steve Vandoren of VANS Off The Wall?a shout out for his continued support of the Strongholds Society’s Live Life Call To Action Campaigns!

Skateboarding saves lives, says Pine Ridge’s WK4-Directions Skateparks Director Jim Murphy. And on this reservation, with an astronomical suicide rate among the youth, this skatepark is coming at a critical time when the parents and elders of the tribe are looking for a positive, healthy outlet for their kids to look forward to. The spirit of the Tony Hawk Foundation will help bring this to the Pine Ridge Reservation!

We would like to thank YOU for your continued support in all our Stronghold Society efforts.. next up, the ONE Gathering Skate For Life July 9th 2011 in Denver Colorado!! Its gonna be awesome and we sure could could use all the support we can get… send me an email and I will send the sponsorship levels to you, this event for our youth is coming fast and we are fundraising like crazy!!!

Once again… I want to thank you for all you do to support our Stronghold Society youth outreach efforts.

It is because of YOU we can do the things we do!!…and its awesome!

walt

wopila tanka for all you do. today… can you feel it?…