(Riverton, WY) – A new episode of the Indian Relay Podcast highlights the transformative work of the Northern Arapaho Reentry Agency, a program dedicated to helping formerly incarcerated tribal members reintegrate into the Wind River community.
Terri Smith, the agency’s director and a tribal member in recovery herself, says the mission is personal. “I’ve been in prison. I’ve been on federal probation. I know the barriers people face – housing, transportation, access to treatment – and I want to help,” Smith said in the episode.
One of her clients, Robert Spoonhunter, is now employed by the program after successfully completing it. “The most valuable thing was the support,” Spoonhunter shared. “I got my (driver’s) license for the first time, I got recertified for SNAP, and now I help others just getting out.”
The program partners with local organizations like Eagle’s Hope and White Buffalo Recovery to provide critical services before and after release. It also emphasizes cultural connection, storytelling, and peer support as tools for healing intergenerational trauma.
“The goal is to reduce recidivism and rebuild lives,” Smith said. “We don’t define our people by their past – we welcome them home.”
For those wishing to contact the Northern Arapaho Reentry Agency, Terri Smith can be reached at 307-840-4779. The Agency is located inside Great Plains Hall.
The Indian Relay Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.