BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — Today is the winter solstice, a day marked as the shortest day of the year. And for North Dakota's Native American communities, the winter solstice has its own cultural meaning as a time for connection, community, and reflection. In Mandan, Native Americans from across North Dakota came together for the Winter Solstice Celebration at the Baymont Inn. The event, put on by the Sacred Pipe Resource Center, has been a holiday staple for years. During the celebration, families gather to reconnect, play games and win prizes, and enjoy free food, echoing historical traditions Native Americans followed during this time of year. The Sacred Pipe Resource Center also announced this year's Community Engagement Champions, an award that recognizes members of the community who have fought to extend Native American rights. But the event is also about healing, as families can reflect and form bonds over losses they've experienced this season. "For urban tribal populations in Bismarck-Mandan, and Lincoln," says Cheryl Ann Kary, the executive director of the Sacred Pipe Resource Center, "we're sort of isolated from being able to travel and see family and things like that and so that isolation really tends to make an impact on our mental health. And so, things like this is what we want to try to do to make sure we keep ourselves strong throughout the season." The center will be hosting more events throughout the winter. Their next event is a New Year's Eve celebration, and the center will be providing resources for people struggling with addiction.