On May 31 2023, retired SOF veteran Dale “Skip” Sklepowich came to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation along with his four-legged partner Buggs, to give a presentation on Situational Awareness. Skip’s main objective with this presentation was to enhance individuals ability to observe, comprehend and respond to situations. This is extremely vital to the community with such things as the MMIW awareness, the global meth crisis and the underground world of human trafficking currently happening.
Before the presentation began, Skip wanted everyone to participate in an activity, where members were put through a safe controlled scenario, based off a stressed inoculation exercise.
Some take aways for members:
-Be mindful of your surroundings.
-Use your 6 senses to help asses the environment you are in. Sight, Sound, Scent, Taste, Touch, and Gut. Always trust your gut.
-Breath. Use the “Box Breathing” technique. Inhale 4 sec, Hold 4 sec, Exhale 4 sec, Hold 4 sec, repeat as needed.
On behalf of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, we would like to give a huge thank-you to Skip and Buggs for coming out and sharing their knowledge with the community.
