PROGRAM EMPOWERS NATIVE YOUTH
Round Valley Indian Health Center (RVIHC) just completed the first round of a new program Native WAY (Walking Amongst Youth) with 15 participants and 10 mentors. The program seeks to teach traditional ways and revitalize tribal traditions while also teaching leadership skills, youth empowerment and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Youth Outreach Coordinator and Project Developer Angelica Flores-pete said the program first started in January. Her and Media Specialist Shayleena Britton have been running Native WAY since.
The project was envisioned from the Path to Wellness Grant (RVIHC’S underage drinking prevention program).
Flores-pete explained, “We decided to have a youth empowerment program and the way we did that was to have a mentorship program through the community.” In this program, adults partner with youth in Covelo. Adults bring talent, knowledge and experience in a variety of areas such as hunting, regalia-making, making ribbon skirts, and
Pete said the goal is, “Getting back into our culture and our tradition and trying to teach the youth.”
The 10-week session started with mostly high school seniors (although participants ranged in age from 12-20 years old). Youth are partnered with a mentor who they meet with once a week for two hours and learn about something that interests them. Possi- ble topics include but are not limited to; traditional language, basketry, beading, fishing/hunting, activism, culinary, social work and traditional gardening.
Over the course of the session, mentees figured out how to display what they have learned in a presentation, which they present to the Round Valley Tribal Council and Health Board. Mentees discuss what they learned, the process and what they overcame along the way. Aside from learning a skill in their area of interest, youth learn how to get on the meeting agenda and how to speak with Tribal Council.
Flores-pete said, “Not a lot of people know that you can just go in there, sign a paper to get on the agenda.” She also pointed out the experience teaches youth how to be in leadership roles as well.
Both mentors and mentees receive a stipend for participating in Native WAY ($60 weekly for mentors and $150 weekly for mentees). The second round of the program will be starting in September and enrollment forms are
currently being accepted. Flores-pete said of the program, “We are super stoked to be able to provide this for the youth in our community.”
Interested mentors fill out an enrollment form, complete a background check and sign a pledge to remain drug and tobacco
free while working with the youth. The program is open to Round Valley youth ages 12-26 years old. For more information and to enroll, email Flores-pete at Apete. ptw@gmail.com or Britton at Shayb.nativeway@gmail. com. Information is also posted on RVIHC’S Facebook page.