The ANA Messenger - Social Development Edition - Summer 2014

Hawkeye Sustainable Lifeways Project

The Hawkeye Sustainable Lifeways Project was funded in September 2012 by the Administration for Native Americans for three years. Our project comes about from a vision of the property we had purchased seven years earlier and the oppression and assimilation of the Indian People in Hoke County; and a loss of identity it had created over the last 45 years. As I was traveling one day to one of our nearby childcare centers, God spoke to me to purchase this property because of the 96 acre cypress laced lake on it. Because of previous years’ experience as a Tribal Representative for the Lumber Tribe of North Carolina, then Lumbee Regional Development Association (LRDA) representing Hoke and Scotland Counties, I continued to look for avenues and conduits to address and support the social development issues of our local tribal community. As a member of the Lumbee Self-Determination Commission and a member of other local boards also, I learned that sometimes politics sometimes hinder services to the desperately needy; and as a result we looked at ways we could tap into the growth coming to Ft. Bragg Military Installation and the 40,000 new troops plus support and create an economic environment for the community to enhance their quality of life.

Our project is the infrastructure for the beginnings of a long-term self-sustaining tourism stop in the state of North Carolina. We are located approximately 25 miles south of Ft. Bragg, the second largest military base in the United States. It includes agritourism, ecotourism, cultural tourism and a medicinal garden for tourism with Native American medicinal plants and their uses by our local tribal ancestors and the other eight Tribes in the State of North Carolina.

The contributors were the local community, our elders who contributed their history as former sharecroppers and fishermen of the lake and Kenan Flagger Business School, who created the architecture design of the project based on our vision. We were amazed to see it put on paper from our description of what we envisioned. BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation, and the Department of Nutrition at East Carolina University also supported HICC in a healthy behaviors project targeting the American Indian Population in Hoke County as part of our planning process before the proposal was submitted. Kate B. Reynolds supported a capacity building project for HICC to develop a strategic plan in the previous five years and to increase our administrative capacity in anticipation of receiving the ANA funding.

Our ideas were synthesized through a capacity building consultant, Mary Beth Loucks-Sorrels funded by Kate B. Reynolds Foundation and BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation, and the HICC Board of Directors and Executive Director, former employees, consultants and a host of other community members.

Our key project staff members are the project director, Larry Chaves, he is responsible for oversight and direction of all the components of the comprehensive project. He is also the liaison for all partnerships, consultants, markets, food, farm, and family council meetings, advisory council meetings, trainings and monitors all budget requests. Deputy Director, Selena Locklear, is responsible for documentation of thousands of documents from the farm, drawdowns, cultural, fitness and nutrition classes, volunteers, logging in all seeds and origination for organic certification submitted from the farmer, and all quarterly and annual reporting. Administrative Assistant, Makayla Branch, is a part-time staff and is responsible for documenting all photos, videos, minutes from all meetings, answer telephones, and assist deputy director with organic farming documentation and gap certification documentation and farm tours. Farmer, Alfred Locklear, is responsible for all activities on the farm and volunteers under the direction of Sun Butler, Organic Farm Consultant. Food Bank Coordinator, Sandra Locklear, is responsible for distribution of organic produce sales, food bank distribution to the community. Bookkeeper, April Locklear, is responsible for reconciliation and data entry into the books for the organization, process payroll, accounts receivables and accounts payable. Executive Director/Authorizing Official Representative, Gwen Locklear, Volunteer, oversees all components of the project, staff, consultants, partnerships and certifies all drawdowns and reports to ANA, including reports to the Board of Directors.

Our project is located in Hoke County, North Carolina in the center of Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland and Moore counties. We are located in the service areas of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Cherokees of Hoke County, Tuscarora of North Carolina, Enoconeechi Band of Saponi, and Saponi. Our service area will reach the entire state of North Carolina through our organic and GAP certified farm produce, and cultural tourism.

The main goal of Hawkeye Sustainable Lifeways Project is to develop and implement comprehensive programs and services at our land-and-water based center that will significantly increase the social and economic health and development of the Indian people in Hoke County, North Carolina. Our objectives is to improve the physical health and social wellness of 25% of (1050) Indian people in Hoke County through program and services that provide physical exercise opportunities and healthy organic food that is cooperatively grown and harvested on a model farm. To develop and implement income generating services and programs of the HICC through agricultural, cultural, and ecological tourism projects that will generate $40,000 in three years providing sustainable income for HICC and support for new business development in the Native American community. To initiate culturally based education preservation and promotion program that will engage 50% (2010) of Indian People in Hoke County through a) planting, harvesting and use of medicinal plants, b) participation in festivals, pow-wow and other culturally based social events.

Our impact at 18 months into our project; we have harvested 9,686.85 lbs. of organic produce, we introduced healthy organically grown produce to 536 community members, 359 individuals increased their knowledge through farming classes and workshops, and tours; we fed 1,043 community members through partnerships, and soup kitchens from our farm and food bank, 87 individuals participated in nutrition and fitness classes, we introduced and enriched the minds of over 500 youth, adults and elders in the community and surrounding counties to the Eastern Woodland culture.

Our future plans are to apply for SEEDS (Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies) at the end of our SEDS project to allow us to create the jobs necessary for the sustainability of the project and put “our” people to work. This is Phase

I putting in the infrastructure and Phase II will be the operations of the project for long-term sustainability of domestic and global organic production and distribution of healthy produce and tourism.

Keep in mind to do extensive research on cost, long-term planning and be prepared for unforeseen rapid growth and development along with supply and demand. Be well organized, staffed and prepared mentally and physically to undertake the work before you. If you put the work in, you will reap the benefits for the community in the long-term. Be open to forming partnerships with universities, collaborating with local cooperative extensions, towns, cities, and community support agriculture (CSA’s) and regional food, farm and policy councils. We would be happy to share our experiences and knowledge we have gained in a short 18 months. Visit us on our website at www.hawkeyeindianculturalcenter.com

2014 ACF Native Grantee Meeting

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) was extremely busy the week of June 16, 2014 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Crystal City, Virginia.  On June 16, ANA held the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Tribal Consultation, co-hosted the 2014 ACF Native Grantee Conference on June 17 — 19, and on June 20, sponsored a Native American Languages Summit.  Turnout for all of the events was larger than expected and participants said it was a positive conference with a lot of valuable and inspiring information they could take back to their communities.

The ACF Tribal Consultation is held annually and welcomes tribal leaders from all across the United States to consult with ACF and help build a meaningful relationship.  The consultation attracted many tribal leaders to come and discuss concerns facing their tribes and tribes within Indian country.  The consultation was also heavily attended by grantees that were in town for the ACF Native Grantee Meeting.  The written response to the testimony will be posted on the ACF Tribal and Native American Resources page under “Spotlight” in the coming weeks.

The 2014 ACF Native Grantee Meeting was held over the course of three days and was attended by approximately 500 grantees across ACF.  The theme for this year’s conference was “Honoring Our Commitments to Native Families and Communities: Today and Tomorrow”.  Commissioner Sparks Robinson, Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Mark Greenberg and Actor Gary Farmer opened the conference. Mr. Farmer, the keynote speaker, emphasized the power of media to maintain culture and address pressing social and health issues. Dennis Zotigh of the National American Indian Museum in Washington, DC performed a traditional drum and song to help open the conference as well as inspire and guide participants and presenters. 

The conference had eight tracks (Accessing Educational Opportunity, Economic Opportunity NOW!, Promoting Health, Supporting Governance, Promoting Hopeful, Safe and Healthy Communities, Understanding Grants Management and Reporting, Spotlight, and ACF — Learning from YOU! (Listening Sessions)) and each track contained approximately six to twelve unique workshops.

Grantees were encouraged to participate in a poster session where they could feature their programs/projects, network and inform agency staff about the benefits provided by these programs/projects. This session has proven to be a highlight of the ACF, and ANA conferences.  Approximately 80 posters were displayed from grantees across ACF and provided grantees with valuable insight and information on what other tribes, agencies, and organizations are doing to help alleviate the issues within their communities.

Mr. William Mendoza, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education closed the session along with a community driven give-away and closing drum and song, again by Mr. Zotigh.

The Administration for Native Americans sponsored a Native American Languages Summit the Friday following the sessions. This event was co-hosted by the Department of Education and the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Education, and included a welcome from Raina Thiele, Associate Director at the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement.  The theme for this summit, held as part of the Interagency Memorandum of Agreement on Native American Languages was “Working Together for Native American Language Success” and featured experts from Tribal leadership, public schools, language immersion schools, and test development to discuss ways to work in partnership to create successful language programs, with a special emphasis on how to assess your learners.

ANA thanks all those who participated, attended and helped organize the events and looks forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Presentations and slideshows from the meeting are available for your download for a limited time here .

The Notah Begay III Foundation

The Notah Begay III Foundation (NB3F) received a two-year SEDS grant to implement San Felipe Pueblo: Turning the Tide Against Childhood Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Crystal Echo Hawk, the NB3F Executive Director, was instrumental in the development and conceptualization of the project and was successful in leveraging funding from W.K. Kellogg Foundation to also support the project.

NB3F is a non-profit organization and our offices are located in Santa Ana Pueblo and Turning the Tide programming is conducted predominantly in and serves the San Felipe Pueblo, which is about 20 miles north on Interstate 25. The main goals and objectives of our project are:

Goal: to define a replicable model of culturally appropriate, community-driven collaboration and programming to address the epidemics of obesity and Type 2 diabetes that severely and negatively undermine the quality of life and lifespan of members of the San Felipe Pueblo by building community capacity, mobilizing internal and external community assets, and empowering ownership among community stakeholders to create systemic change in their own community.

Objective 1: Within 24 months, mobilize at least 150 community members (youth, families and leaders) to develop and begin to implement a consensus-based community action plan focused on addressing type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity, to host one annual community-led health summit and create a cadre of at least 20 youth health champions annually.

Objective 2: Within 24 months, increase the San Felipe Pueblo community’s access to and use of healthy and fresh foods by supporting the introduction of a Mobile Grocery (MoGro) food delivery truck through 24 promotional events (cooking classes, cooking demonstrations, nutrition/health mini-workshops and physical fitness activities) reaching 360 San Felipe community members annually, subsidy coupons, and a multi-media, youth-led and culturally-based health education marketing campaign.

Objective 3: Within 24 months, expand the physical fitness opportunities for 400 youth ages 4-18 annually from San Felipe and Santo Domingo Pueblos through the NB3F Soccer League, through training 30 adult volunteers to assist as soccer coaches and youth fitness motivators and through 12 physical fitness events annually (as part of 24 health events total) for community members of all ages to encourage them to make physical activity a lifelong habit.

Current key project staff include Peou Lakhana, MSW, Director of Health and Wellness who oversees the project; Clint Begay, Director of Community Relations, who is a San Felipe community member and works closely with Tribal leadership to insure Turning the Tide aligns with community protocols; Simone Duran, Soccer Coordinator, who is a San Felipe community member and implements the soccer league and other physical activity programming; and Meghann Dallin, MPH, MoGro Project Coordinator, who works with MoGro to increase access to healthy foods and provides nutrition education.

The NB3F has served more than 2,000 (50%) San Felipe Pueblo youth and families throughout the course of the project. NB3F Physical Activity Programs made positive impact on the

prospects of vulnerable children’s health and well-being. Significant changes were found in youth participants’ waist circumference, fitness endurance, and some psychosocial factors through the NB3F soccer program. While the programming needs further refinement and the results deem further evaluation they demonstrate preliminary evidence of progress toward reducing obesity and diabetes. These findings over the past year reinforce previous NB3F soccer study findings suggesting the positive impact of the program is sustainable.

Through the Healthy Food/Access initiative, access to healthy and affordable food has been increased as was evidenced in the Mobile Grocery (MoGro) Customer Service evaluation that revealed almost all (98%) of survey respondents indicated that MoGro made it easier to access healthy food and approximately 60% reported that shopping at MoGro has resulted in changes to their diets. Further, over two-thirds of survey respondents indicated that the quality of MoGro products were either somewhat better or much better than products at other stores.

The NB3F programming has been strategically developed to ensure sustainable impacts on the long-term food and active-living culture of San Felipe Pueblo. In terms of the long-term active living culture, there is strong evidence that NB3F programs are having an impact in San Felipe.

NB3F will continue implementing Turning the Tide through September 30, 2014. After this time, existing collaborative activities will continue through remaining collaborative/partnership structures and discussion are underway with San Felipe tribal programs to develop a plan for those interested to own remaining project activities in order to sustain them in the community.

Advice NB3F would offer to someone planning or implementing a project similar to Turning the Tide:

* If you are a non-tribal program, leverage your Community Advisory Board as it has allowed NB3F to better connect to the needs of the community as well as gain buy-in from community and committee members before bringing activities or program components to participants. This buy-in from the community assists both the marketing of all NB3F efforts but also adds additional legitimacy to board-supported activities.

* Take the lead from tribal program directors when working in partnership and give time for genuine partnership building and the development of shared visioning.

* Conduct process and outcome evaluation for all programs for continuous quality improvements.

* Hire youth and young adults from the community in which service is provided in order to develop their public health and prevention skills and grow community health assets.

Tribe Upgrades Information Technology through ANA SEDS Grant

In September 2011, The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin (LCO) received a two-year SEDS grant to upgrade their information technology systems.

Prior to the project, Tribal employees were equipped with computers and an internet connection, but lacked a shared information technology system.  There was no back-up server, no shared drives, and no official Tribal email network, causing lost work and slowing employee collaboration. 

Through their ANA grant, the Tribe hired an Information Technology (IT) Specialist and an IT Assistant who installed virtual servers to support a shared network and established an emergency back-up system. The IT team also connected 62 employee workstations to the network, launched an internal employee website, updated their external public site, and created policies for internet and computer use.

In the span of two short years, the Tribe installed and implemented a sophisticated system with network sharing, storage, and emergency backup capability.

ANA SEDS Grant Funds Tribal Cemetery Plan

As of 2011, The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (HBMI) did not have its own cemetery.  Tribal members are buried in cemeteries across Maine, the rest of the U.S., and Canada, creating disconnects between generations and making it difficult to track lineage. 

The Tribe received a one-year ANA SEDS grant in 2012 to create a Tribal Cemetery Plan. Through their ANA grant, the Tribe created a site development plan and set of policies and ordinances to govern the creation, management, and regulation of a culturally appropriate Tribal cemetery. 

The new plans and policies will enable HBMI to own, govern, and maintain a cemetery.  Many Maliseet members expressed interest in repatriating loved ones’ remains to the cemetery once complete. The Houlton Band of Maliseets is now closer to the community’s long-term vision for a Tribal burial ground where Maliseet ancestors will be laid to rest. 

Homeless to Homeowner in 30 Months

Despite being commonly thought of as a tropical paradise, the housing situation on the Hawaiian Islands is desperate for many of the islands’ residents.  On the Wai’anae Coast of Oahu, high housing costs have forced many Native Hawaiians to live in transitional homeless shelters. Many of these individuals find it difficult to secure permanent housing due to poor credit history and lack of financial skills.

Through a SEDS grant implemented from 2010 to 2013, Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA) provided financial literacy, renter education, and credit counseling to 354 residents of transitional shelters in Wai’anae.  HCA worked performed credit checks, created Individual Development Accounts for residents, and developed a network of 20 landlords and private housing agents who agreed to rent to shelter residents.  As a result of HCA’s efforts, 70 families secured rental housing.

One success story of the project came from a Native Hawaiian veteran.  Upon returning from service, he found himself homeless while waiting for his lease award on Hawaiian Homelands.  While residing at a shelter, he completed HCA’s financial education, established a monthly budget, set a savings goal, and created an action plan to purchase a home.  In July 2013, he closed on a mortgage loan and moved into a beautiful home on Hawaii Island.  Thanks to his hard work and HCA, he went from being homeless to a homeowner in just 30 months.

Updates from Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

On April 17-18, OPRE held a meeting titled “The Way Forward: ACF Research with American Indians and Alaska Natives” at the National Museum of the American Indian. Over sixty researchers and federal staff who do research with AI/AN communities gathered to learn about the current state of ACF research in tribal communities and to discuss future directions. From Tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grants to Tribal Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting, participants engaged in a lively discussion regarding how best to build knowledge that can increase understanding and help inform decision-making in tribal communities. You can read a short description from a recent ACF Family Room Blog here. A report summarizing the meeting will be available in late summer 2014 at /programs/opre.

Understanding Urban Indians’ Interactions With ACF Programs and Services: Final Report

What are the social service needs of low-income urban American Indians and to what extent to do they access ACF services and supports? This report presents the results of an exploratory study to better understand Urban Indians' interactions with ACF programs and services. Data were obtained via in-depth interviews with directors of Urban Indian Centers (UICs) from around the country and a set of employees from local government social service agencies. Interviewees were asked to identify the range of social service needs of the population; barriers to accessing ACF services, what role the UICs play in meeting urban American Indians’ needs, and any promising or effective practices that they believed would improve services to the urban Indian population.

Partner's Newsletters
Prevention & Recovery: A Multi-Agency Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Collaboration is a quarterly publication highlighting prevention practices and success stories in Indian country. It is designed to provide tools, resources, and information to prevent and address issues of alcohol and drug use disorders in tribal communities.
This issue’s theme is Strengthening Federal-Tribal Partnerships.

The July 2014 edition of the Child Support Report. is about a poverty-fighting program in the 1960s—and now; how the Office of Child Support Enforcement engages with both moms and dads; a “roadshow” that reaches employers statewide; an OCSE partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and a funding opportunity through the new Fatherhood Research & Practice Network.
 

A Book Review of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

By Michael Dorris

The novel, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, written by Michael Dorris unfolds a story of three Native American women and centers on the themes of culture, abandonment, strength and religion. The author presents the three women profoundly by introducing the “braiding” of three generations. Hair braiding is embedded in Native American culture and signifies the strength of one’s spirit and power. The stories of the three generations are interwoven together like a braid and tell a resilient story.

The novel presents a story of three generations; a grandmother, otherwise known as “Aunt Ida”, a mother named Christine, and her daughter Ramona (African American & Native American roots). The story of the three generations symbolizes hair braiding. The beginning of the story quotes Ramona, “Mom has earlier spent twenty minutes pulling my long frizzy hair into a herringbone braid and has tried to give me beauty magazine tips to improve my appearance...” (3) The story concludes with Aunt Ida quoting “As a man with cut hair, he did not identify the rhythm of three strands, the whispers of coming and going, of twisting and tying and blending, of catching of letting go, of braiding” (372). It takes three strands of hair to make a braid. The tightening of a braid signifies the strength of three Native American women blending their stories of twisted fate and acceptance.

The author chooses to tell the story in reverse, and not in chronological order. The story begins with Ramona and her perspective as a child being raised by their “Aunt”, and the feeling of abandonment. As typical, there are three sides to every story. The book centers on Ramona’s story of feeling abandoned, yet in the end, the book shows how she gained independence. Her story resonates with children being raised by their grandparents, particularly because the concept of “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” is a common occurrence in Native communities. On the other hand, Christine provides readers with a compelling story of why she chose to allow another to raise her child. Finally, the book wraps up with Aunt Ida giving her perspective on raising her granddaughter Ramona, and raising her own daughter Christine.

Metaphorically speaking, the braiding of three strands of hair alludes to the three women. The three generations are weaved together throughout the book like a braid and concludes with the message that resiliency survives across three generations of Native American women.

Written by: M. Tyanne Benallie (Diné)

Program Specialist, Tribal Tech LLC supporting Administrations for Native Americans

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris ©1987. Picador. New York, NYC.

ISBN 0-312-42185-0

DOE's Regional Resource Centers Leaders Attend Kick-Off Meeting

On June 12—13, leaders of DOE's newly formed Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) met at the National Wind Technology Center in Boulder, Colorado, for a workshop designed to introduce performance targets and metrics for the RRCs' work supporting fact-based decision making and increasing wind energy literacy across the nation. The RRCs, which were selected through a competitive process, are as follows:

• Northeast Wind Resource Center, operated by the Clean Energy Group and Sustainable Energy Advantage
• America's Islanded Grids Resource Center, operated by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project and Island Institute and covering islanded communities across the United States and U.S. Territories
• Northwest Wind Resource and Action Center, operated by Renewable Northwest
• Southeast Regional Resource Center for Wind Energy, operated by the Southeastern Coastal Wind Coalition
• Four Corners Wind Resource Center, operated by the Utah Clean Energy Alliance
• Midwest and Prairie Regional Wind Resource Center, operated by Windustry .

Learn more about DOE's Regional Resource Centers .

DOE Announces Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity for Tribal Clean Energy Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Tribal Energy Program announced its intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement . The EERE Tribal Energy Program, in coordination with DOE's Office of Indian Energy, will continue its efforts to promote tribal energy sufficiency and to spur increased deployment of clean energy and energy efficiency on Indian lands. In support of these goals, EERE intends to solicit applications from Indian Tribes, Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations, and Tribal Consortia to: (1) install clean energy and energy efficiency retrofit projects for tribal buildings, and (2) deploy clean energy systems on a community scale.

Rhonda Redhead, ANA Project Assistant

Can you provide us with some background and what lead you to work for ANA?

I am a mid-career level professional that needed a platform that would offer a good opportunity to explore and enhance my career and take on new challenges. Being of Caribbean descent, I always found myself wanting to learn more about different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. The Native American culture has always been one that I found quite interesting and I believe that ANA would be a great opportunity not only for me to learn but grow professionally.

I know you have just started with ANA, but what do you enjoy most about your job so far?

My favorite part of my job is the ability to work both independently as well as in teams with my colleagues. It’s great to work with people that care about ANA goals as well as philosophy. We have a shared work ethic — and that makes all the difference. Besides all of that, the high morale in the office allows the work day to move along swiftly — and who doesn’t mind a speedy work day.

Can you share with our readers your thoughts on the importance of Social Development, and perhaps how Social Development activities might have been an influence in your life?

I believe Social Development is about improving the well-being of every individual in society, so everyone can reach their full potential. For example, there is a movement that started back in 2013 called “Pay it Forward”. The concept of this movement is, when someone does something considerate for you, you’ll do it for someone else. Paying it forward does not need to be anything drastic, it can be used for people fully capable of helping themselves. As an example, I have gone through drive through restaurants and told the cashier I will pay for the next customer order. They may have fully been able to cover their meals but I paid it forward and passed on some goodwill. This movement has influenced my life in many ways because for each favor/goodwill and act of kindness is a reward in itself. I only hope that others will join this movement and spread goodwill outward toward the rest of the world.

What are some of your interests or hobbies? What do you like to do most in your free time? (Or just something that defines you personally — doesn’t have to be too personal)

I really enjoy being outdoors-I often take mini road trips to local beaches, festivals and vineyards to enjoy the different aspect of nature.  I also enjoy spending time with my family, music, event planning, arts & crafts and interior design.

Dr. Iris PrettyPaint 

Can you provide us with some background, including what lead you to the kind of work you do for ANA?

My name is Iris PrettyPaint and I serve as the ANA Western Region Director; the Director of Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) at Kauffman & Associates, Inc. (KAI); and a Subject Matter Expert for the SAMHSA Tribal TTA Center. I am enrolled in the Blackfeet Tribe and I earned a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Minnesota.

Previous to my work with KAI, I served as the Cultural Program Coordinator at the Fairview Riverside Medical Center in Minneapolis, Project Coordinator for the W.K. Kellogg Family Education Model at the University of Montana, Academic Vice President at Fort Peck Community College, Project Co-Director for the Research Opportunities in Science for Native Americans (ROSNA) project at the University of Montana, and as the Lead Facilitator for the Blackfoot Project which included35 potential doctoral students.

In 2009, I joined KAI as the Native Aspirations Project Director and also served as the Corporate Monitor for the Native American Center for Excellence (NACE), Circle of Care (CoC), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the National Indian Education Study (NIES) contracts. As the Native Aspirations project closed, I became the new Project Co-Director for the SAMHSA Tribal TTA Center. In March 2013, I was appointed as the ANA Western Region Director.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the ANA regional team approach which allows for strong mentorship and administrative support by seasoned ANA TTA providers for staff (like me) just coming into the ANA family.

Can you share with our readers your thoughts on the importance of social development efforts? What do you see in the communities you have visited that speaks to this?

Social development is at the core of my work history. I believe that planning should always be grounded and driven by the community because it builds the cohesion, trust, and collaboration needed to sustain short- and long-term change efforts. Tribal community engagement has taught me that social development requires strengths-based and culturally respectful approaches to programming; acknowledging the regional uniqueness of each community; comprehensively gathering information on a community’s culture, protocols, governance, demographics, history, programs, resources, and seasonal activities; assessing a community’s readiness level and aligning strategies with resources; integrating sustainability from the beginning of a project cycle rather than at the end; and incorporating indigenous evaluation methodologies that define process and performance measures.

What are some of your interests or hobbies? What do you like to do most in your free time?

I grew up traveling to powwows and enjoy setting up camp, feeding visitors, listening to stories, and dancing to my favorite drum groups (Blacklodge, Mandaree, Blackfoot Confederacy, Battle River, Young Bear, Iron Boy, Fort Peck Sioux, Bull Horn, Wooden Face, Crooked Lake Agency, and Midnite Express). My lifelong passion is doing genealogy research to capture my Amskapi Pikuni and Apsaalooke family histories.

Updates from the Children’s Bureau — June 30, 2014

Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grantee Meeting

 The tribal Title IV-E plan development grantee meeting was held June 20, 2014 in Washington, DC, following the ACF Tribal Grantee meeting June 17-19. The following current grantees participated:

• Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Winnebago, NE
• Ute Indian Tribe, Fort Duchesne, UT
• Smith River Rancheria, Smith River, CA
• Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Auburn, WA
• Chippewa Cree, Box Elder, MT
• Penobscot Nation, Indian Island, ME 
• Coleville Confederated Tribes, Nespelem, WA
• Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee, NC 
• Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Tucson, AZ 
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Rosebud, SD

Representatives from Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Kingston, WA, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Baraga, MI, and the Navajo Nation, Window Rock, AZ, also participated in the meeting sharing their experiences and suggestions on implementing a Title IV-E program for foster care, adoption assistance and (optional) guardianship assistance.

JooYeun Chang, Associate Commissioner for the Children’s Bureau and Evangeline M. Campbell, Chief, Division of Human Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs also participated in the meeting.

Navajo Nation Tribal Title IV-E Plan Ceremonial Signing

 The Navajo Nation submitted a Title IV-E plan to operate foster care, adoption assistance and guardianship assistance programs for children and youth up to age 21.  The Children’s Bureau approved the plan which, at the request of the Navajo Nation, is to become effective October 1, 2014.  JooYeun Chang, Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau, travelled to Window Rock, Arizona, to participate in a ceremonial signing marking the plan’s approval on June 27, 2014.  Ben Shelly, President of the Navajo Nation, and a Navajo child signed on behalf of the Nation.

SEDS Spotlight on Youth Development

Did you know many grantees have used SEDS funding to strengthen support systems for at-risk youth? 

The Native youth population is particularly vulnerable.  Native teens have the highest rates of suicide, diabetes, and obesity, and significant numbers report drug, tobacco, and alcohol abuse.¹  AI/AN high school students are only 50% likely to graduate high school, compared to the national graduation rate of 75%, and 15% of Native youth are involved in gang activity.²

Research indicates that connection to culture and community serves as a protective factor, steering youth away from harmful behavior.³ Since 2008, 19 ANA grantees have implemented SEDS projects where youth celebrate, restore and preserve cultural practices and arts.  Several of these projects also provided intergenerational learning, mentorship, and relationship building.  In addition, ANA has funded eight SEDS projects since 2008 with a focus on preventing juvenile delinquency.

Youth Development Grantee — Native Village of Afognak
From 2007-2012, ANA supported the Native Village of Afognak’s annual summer camp programming through a SEDS — Strengthening Families grant.  The 6-week camp took place at a former archeological dig near ancestral territory on Afognak Island, Alaska.  A series of cultural activities, including weaving and subsistence hunting, built the positive self-identify of youth as they learned the history and heritage of their people.  Youth also learned relationship-building skills from Elders, who shared valuable knowledge on how their ancestors lived, and taught the value of respecting and observing the natural environment.  By the end of the camp, all of the youth participants demonstrated increases in self-esteem and communication skills.

Ready to Start a Project? Grantee Tips for Working with Youth…

• Activities with youth should be extremely structured - never boring.  Youth should move constantly from one activity to the next.
• Youth learning from youth was a good practice. 
• Set high expectations. We set the bar really high, and we know that they'll get there.  Then, we push it higher. 

Double Puzzle

Double Puzzle Key