Report of the 27th Arizona Indian Town Hall
State of Indian Youth 2007: Strength in Youth
hosted by:
Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs
July 16-18, 2007
at
The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
Table of Contents Executive Summary ...........................................................................................3 Introduction.....................................................................................................7 Background and Methodology...............................................................................8 Subtopic I: The State of Indian Youth: Health and Wellness............................................9 Subtopic II: The State of Indian Youth: Education and Leadership...................................10 Subtopic III: The State of Indian Youth: Family Life....................................................11 Summary of Issues Discussed..............................................................................12 Recommendations and Strategy............................................................................13 Conclusion and Recommended Action Steps............................................................15 Appendix I: Subtopic I: The State of Indian Youth: Health and Wellness...........................16 Appendix II: Subtopic II: The State of Indian Youth: Education and Leadership..................20 Appendix III: Subtopic III: The State of Indian Youth: Family Life..................................25 Appendix IV: Reporting of Results Recommendations.................................................29
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Executive Summary This summary highlights the findings and recommendations that were acquired during 27th Annual Arizona Indian Town Hall. This annual event hosted by the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs was held on July 16-18th, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Over 150 participants gathered from throughout Arizona to discuss an especially important topic: The State of Indian Youth in 2007. This executive summary is a synopsis of the Town Hall participants' discussion including their collective recommendations for action, identification of key stakeholders, and acceptable evaluation and follow-up reporting. The theme of the 2007 town hall the State of Indian Youth 2007: Strength in Youth focused on identifying and building upon the numerous talents, resources and skills of today's Indian youth in areas of education and leadership, health and wellness, and family life. Our intent was to focus the discussion on the positive aspects of Indian youth rather than the negative characteristics utilizing these strengths as catalysts for change. As expected and as in year's past there was a healthy discussion between participants that included elected and appointed public and tribal officials, policy advisors, community and business leaders, health and education leaders, and of course youth. Over the course of two and half days, participants were guided though a facilitated discussion that focused on three key areas: Health and Wellness, Education and Leadership, and Family Life. The facilitators and recorders made a sincere effort to accurately reflect the expressed recommendations and comments of the participants. A draft report was also written and submitted to the participants on the final day of the town hall which was adopted and approved. With regard to the Health and Wellness topic, participants identified numerous successful urban and tribal community and institutional programs ranging from wellness to prevention. However, specific needs for improvement were identified, including expansion of wellness programs, the need for more community involvement, the need for more youth involvement, increased funding for these programs, creation of culturally relevant educational materials and curriculum, increased need for role models, and the need for stronger lines of communication between all parties. In terms of the Education and Leadership topic, participants identified several existing programs that were exceptionally strong. They included a few urban programs, and many tribal, educational and community based programs that focused on a variety of different areas such as dropout prevention and leadership. Participants determined needs for improvement in these programs including several specific recommendations such as the revision of existing truancy codes, improvement of the cultural relevance of programs and curriculum, the need for dropout reintegration and support programs, the expansion and extension of more programming to the reservation, and the need for incentives to increase interest and participation among communities, parents and children. Family Life was a thread of interest that seemed to connect all the discussions. Participants generally agreed that family, ceremonies, community, schools, media and church were all places that children learned adult behavior. Further, community programs and events that reflected community and culture, required family involvement, included incentives and meals, and that 3
were accountable to some entity were the most successful. The following is an unranked list of recommendations for future action. Health and Wellness � Policy consultation, development, and change to allow greater access to/improve health care services to: 1) increase tribal and urban Indian input on state programs, 2) result in more equitable distribution of resources, 3) to include youth voices in programs to that effect. Improve buildings and facilities Increase funding and resources, and improve staffing for existing programs Obtain fair share of funds directed to American Indian health disparities. Increase and integrate effective programs concerning health wellness for youth (i.e. wellness & home life, tobacco prevention programs, domestic violence, diabetes prevention, recreation centers, and intergenerational activities, traditional nutrition and diet, address substance abuse issues). Implement youth programs & councils to ensure youth input in communication about health issues Promote healthy original native foods, and promote fact that processed foods are source of Native health problems. Use traditional models for programmatic structures that include emotional, physical, mental, and tribal spiritual health beliefs with emphasis on prayer. Implement programs concerning health professions for youth. Increase communication between state/tribal/local entities to foster improved collaboration, implementation, and planning of health and wellness programs.
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Education and Leadership � � � � � � � � Review and assess existing tribal education programs for effectiveness; Identify successful (tribal and non-tribal) programs as models; Provide community training on No Child Left Behind program to leaders, council, parents, educators, students. Promote college and pre-college preparation, and also vocational education/ partnership with trade union apprenticeship programs federal and state certified and; Set higher levels of expectation regarding college attendance beginning in elementary and middle schools through programs such as Achieving College Education (A.C.E.) Increase partnerships with educational institutions, including universities and tribal and community colleges and vocational training programs. Recruit, hire, train, and retain highly qualified and effective educators; add more computers and improve facilities; develop more effective & supportive school boards. Emphasize shared responsibility of all stakeholders in our communities (tribal leaders, community presidents, schools, state agencies, judicial system, elders, police, parents, media, etc.), including consistent messages from communities and schools through community forums.
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Focus on drop-out and truancy issues; offer students financial education; attend dropout prevention conference (ex. 2007 Arizona National Dropout Prevention Conference sponsored by AZ State Department of Education, September 14, 2007); implement more comprehensive retention programs in Pre-K--20; provide daycare options for teen mothers; develop truancy conferences. Promote youth interaction with tribal councils (re: policies, laws, and programs on youth education and leadership) e.g. establish central base operation (ex. Youth Department or assign directorship to tribal leadership); promote intergenerational communication; include youth voices in planning and development (ex. have youth keynote speaker at ACIA). Increase communication between state/tribal/local entities to foster improved collaboration, implementation, and planning of education and leadership programs.
Family Life � � � Support existing and expand to rural areas an Arizona Youth Council (with a high school student youth coordinator) which should meet regularly for training on community issues and prepare proposals for an AZ statewide youth conference. Develop and/or coordinate foundational workshops that can be adapted by different tribes and communities; Train families on how to nurture healthy family behaviors; being available, showing respect, teaching, nurturing, loving, motivating, instilling identity, learning, discipline, listening, communicating, nourishing, being a role model, protecting, supporting, be understanding, forgiving, cooperating, develop unity, honor, and integrity; building awareness of support networks. Offer more options for parenting and life skills classes for all parents and guardians, with specific programs tailored for young people. Offer more counseling services and classes from traditional spiritual leaders, elders, and others that focus on behavioral health; Expand counseling time and variety of classes, peer mentors; advertise programs; increase availability of youth-oriented talking circles; Increase availability of treatments programs for Indian youth; have more traditional practitioners, and support for traditional services when appropriate. Teach community-oriented native languages, culture, values, and traditions and ask elders to participate in teaching cultural related activities; Increase communication among people with cultural knowledge. Identify best practices for elder participation (ex. develop Saturday and after-school culture and language classes). Increase and expand communication between state/tribal/local entities to foster improved collaboration, implementation, and planning of family-nurturing programs through emails, websites, or other electronic media. Establish and promote community-building networks.
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Next Steps Over the last few months, the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs has evaluated all recommendations and is in the process of identifying key areas where the Commission, in collaboration with other state agencies and tribal and urban Indian communities, can be most effective and facilitate the implantation said goals. Many of the recommendations identified were goals that could only be changed from within each respective community, for a variety of reasons. Upon formal invitation, the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs looks forward to collaborating with communities to realize the identified goals. A complete one year progress report will also be provided at the 28th Annual Arizona Indian Town Hall currently scheduled for July 2008.
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27TH ARIZONA INDIAN TOWN HALL STATE OF INDIAN YOUTH 2007: STRENGTH IN YOUTH ARIZONA COMMISSION OF INDIAN AFFAIRS Introduction The Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs is proud to offer the Final Report of the 27th Annual Arizona Indian Town Hall (AITH). This report reflects the hard work of over 150 participants from federal, state, local and tribal governments, as well as community members from across Arizona. This annual event hosted by the ACIA was held on July 16-18th, on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson. Over 150 participants, including elected and appointed public and tribal officials, policy advisors, community and business leaders, health and education leaders and many Indian youth, gathered from throughout Arizona to discuss an especially important topic: The State of Indian Youth in 2007. The conversations were engaging, discussion was healthy and in the end all participants contributed to this living document with their specific recommendations. Conceptually, the idea of the town hall is easily traced back to what many call `talking circles' in historic Native cultures. Indian nations and tribes often settled issues by discussion among their villages, clans, and elders until consensus was reached. Community values such as harmony, consensus and respect were and are still valued. Historically, many tribal leaders ruled by consent of the people and were held accountable. They consulted the people and could not make decisions without first discussing matters with tribal citizens; the will of the people was paramount. Native traditions of discussion and consensus-building are the foundation upon which the AITH builds. Today, the AITH is more formal than the `talking circle,' but still holds community values as primary. Structurally, the AITH borrows many of the methods of the Arizona Town Hall incorporating processes such as group panel discussions and a plenary session, where all participants work to develop a final report of recommendations. The AITH Report is designed to be a snapshot of participants' perceptions and understanding of the issue under discussion, to provide recommendations for policy changes, and to address concerns that surfaced during the discussions. The AITH Report should also be deemed as a "report card" of government officials in developing policies to ensure that both tribal and nontribal governments learn about these programs and providing training to develop and implement these programs in their own communities. This year's theme of the State of Indian Youth 2007: Strength in Youth was well received by Arizona's Indian country. From diabetes, to domestic violence to high school dropout rates and low self esteem, nearly all communities are affected in some way by these and many other issues relating to our Indian youth. However, as the theme implies, there is also a tremendous amount of strength and resiliency in Indian youth of today. The focus of the discussion during the AITH was to identify what these strengths are and apply them as an agent for change in our communities. The following is the final report of the participants' two and half days of discussion. 7
Background and Methodology As previously stated, the theme of the 27th Annual AITH was State of Indian Youth 2007: Strength in Youth. The focus was on identifying and building on the numerous talents, resources, and skills of today's Indian youth in regards to education and leadership, health and wellness, and family life. This Town Hall was the first to be held in Tucson and was hosted by the University of Arizona. The ACIA carefully considered a number of factors in determining the topic for the Town Hall. Specifically, the Commission took into consideration the Governor's State of the State address, the Arizona State Legislature's Priorities, Indian Nations and Tribal Legislative Days discussions, statewide issues and concerns, and Tribal specific issues and concerns. During the topic development process, these issues and others affecting Indian communities in Arizona were reviewed and with the help of other public institutions and tribal entities, the ACIA settled on the topic of identifying the strengths of today's Indian youth for the Town Hall. The 2007 Town Hall included three keynote speakers, selected for their expertise on the topic, to discuss tribal, state, and private sector perspectives on the issue. The speakers included Chairman Wendsler Nosie Sr., from the San Carlos Apache Tribe; Albert Pooley, the Executive Director of the Native American Fatherhood Initiative; and Ms. Karletta Chief, PhD in Hydrology and Water. Other speakers at Town Hall included Dr. Robert Shelton, the President of the University of Arizona and Lucinda Hughes Juan, (Tohono O'Odham) Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs Board Chairwoman. The AITH was structured with two keynote speakers in the morning on the first day and one during lunch on the second day. After the keynote addresses, the general session broke up participants into one of four panels that created a working and living document addressing target questions on the topic. Guided questions were provided to each group by a facilitator in order to stimulate discussion. The facilitator kept the discussions focused and a recorder kept a written record of the data generated during the discussions. Each group discussed and was charged with creating recommendations regarding 1) Health and Wellness, 2) Education and Leadership, and 3) Family Life. From the recommendations, a living document was created, which was organized and merged with the information from the other groups. On the last day, participants finalized the information from their sessions and presented it to the large group. The raw data from these sessions forms the basis of this report and the recommendations contained within. All efforts have been made by the ACIA to preserve the "voice" of the 27th Annual American Indian Town Hall. Scope Each subtopic of the Indian Youth 2007: Strength in Youth was addressed in three substantive ways producing 50 plus pages of recorded information categorized as follows. 1. Health and Wellness a. A list of existing programs 8
b. A list of reasons why those programs are successes c. Recommendations to improve these programs d. A list of stakeholders in implementing these recommendations 2. Education And Leadership a. A list of existing programs for dropout prevention and leadership programs b. A list of why these programs are successful c. Recommendations to improve these programs 3. Family Life a. A list of who teaches youth to become adults b. A list of both Fathers role in the family and Mothers role in the family c. A list of successful community programs d. A list of why they are successful e. A list of challenges to the success of these programs The raw data for each of the subtopics of Health and Wellness, Education and Leadership, and Family Life are first summarized and then followed a bulleted list of raw data. Please note that the raw data has been condensed by removing redundant information. This information is included in Appendices. Subtopic I: The State of Indian Youth: Health and Wellness Health and wellness of Arizona's Indian communities, both urban and reservation, continues to be a top priority of the state and the various communities affected. Therefore, ACIA determined that the state of Indian youth discussion needed to address health and wellness, as these factors are determinates in attaining success. The following summary is based on the Health and Wellness discussion at the 2007 Indian Town Hall. The raw data for this section is included in Appendix I. In order to stimulate the discussion on Health and Wellness, facilitators used the following questions as prompts. 1) Are there existing youth related programs that affect health status that are successful; if so, what are these programs? 2) Are there recommendations to improve these programs? 3) What stakeholder entities should be responsible for implementing the recommendations and within what time frame? Additionally, participants were asked to identify 4) what stakeholder entities should be responsible for implementing the recommendations and within what time frame? A summary of the responses of Town Hall participants to the first question regarding existing programs reveals numerous tribal and urban community and institutional programs ranging from wellness to prevention based. These programs and wellness centers included recreation departments and fitness centers; Boys and Girls Clubs; Methamphetamine, Tobacco and Behavioral Health programs; summer camps and youth councils; and urban programs through I.H.S. and Indian centers. Participants spent considerable time discussing needs for improvement to existing programs. The list of recommendations for improvement of these programs was long, but can be thematically categorized roughly into seven groupings. Suggestions included 1) expanding wellness programs; 2) the need for more community involvements; 3) the need for more youth involvement; 4) increasing funding for these programs; 5) relevant educational materials and
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curriculum; 6) an increased need for role models; 7) and finally the need for stronger lines of communication between all parties. It was generally agreed upon by all Town Hall participants that everyone in the community is a stakeholder in implementing changes and/or the recommendations listed. Those entities specifically listed as stakeholders included Tribal and other leaders, Tribal communities, various agencies, youth organizations, elder organizations, and Tribes. Not all groups of participants were able to agree upon recommendations for suggested time frames for implementation of recommendations. Subtopic II: The State of Indian Youth: Education and Leadership The topic of education was one of three key priorities outlined by Governor Janet Napolitano in January 2007 State of the State of Arizona address. Because of this, ACIA and the other organizers of the Town Hall determined that the topic of Education should be one of the priorities of the 2007 Indian Town Hall. The following summary is based upon the Education and Leadership discussion at the Town Hall. The raw data for this section is included in Appendix II. In order to stimulate the discussion on Education, facilitators used the following questions as prompts. 1) Are there existing programs in the tribal or urban Indian communities related to dropout prevention that are successful; that need improvement? Where are they located? 2) Why are they successful? 3) Why do they need improvement? Specific questions regarding Leadership included: 1) Are there existing programs in tribal or urban Indian communities related to youth leadership development that are successful? That needs improvement? Where are they located? 2) Why are they successful? 3) Why do they need improvement? Finally, facilitators led the discussion with the following question, which is directly related to the third and final subtopic discussed at Town Hall, that of Family Life; 4) Of the students that go on to higher education: What qualities do they share; what type of family support do they have; do they have community support? Town Hall participants identified many existing dropout prevention programs. These programs were located both in both urban and tribal areas and included educational and community based programs. While there were few urban programs identified, there were numerous tribal programs ranging from prevention classes to charter school programs. Community programs included head start program and boys and girls clubs. Educational programs were the most numerous identified and included university programs, high school programs, charter programs and government funded programs. Participants identified many challenges to the dropout prevention programs. Specifically, they identified five general areas in need of improvement with recommendations for improvement including 1) truancy codes; 2) the cultural relevance of programs and curriculum; 3) the need for dropout reintegration and support programs; 4) reservation needs, including expanded programs and extending more to the reservation; and 5) the need for incentives to increase interest. It is telling that participants only agreed on three successes regarding dropout prevention programs. Successes included 1) tutoring, 2) use of computers, and 3) the Junior Achieving a
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College Education or Junior A.C.E. program, citing 83% of student participants continuing on to college. When addressing the subtopic of Leadership, Town Hall participants cited many existing programs. These programs included educational programs and native oriented tribal and national programs. Participants listed specific challenges to Leadership programs, including 1) the need for more student involvement; 2) the need for more funding; and 3) the lack of programs and need for more programmatic opportunities. Participants generally agreed that the successes of Leadership programs included 1) gaining practical knowledge; 2) opportunities for travel; 3) the chance for exploration of interests; and 4) the students gained discipline. Subtopic III: The State of Indian Youth: Family Life When examining the state of any youth population, family life is an indicator of success in life. Because of this, the ACIA chose Family Life as one of the subtopics for the 2007 Indian Town Hall. The topic proved to be highly engaging for participants, but difficult to assess and determine specific recommendations and/or strategies. In fact, so much time was spent discussing the topic, that some breakout groups did not have time to formulate recommendations. The following summary is based upon the Family Life discussion at the Town Hall. What little raw data that was recorded by participants is included at the end of the document in Appendix III. Questions from the Education and Leadership discussion were a natural lead in to the topic of Family Life. Indeed, the topic The State of Indian Youth and all subtopics, Health and Wellness, Educational and Leadership, and Family Life are all intertwined and connected. Inevitably, the subject of Family Life came up in the other discussions. Because of this, separate data was more difficult to discern. However, facilitators attempted to stimulate the discussion on Family Life using the following questions as prompts, 1) Where do most young people in your community learn about the responsibilities involved in becoming an adult, including parenting (e.g. parents, family, church, school, friends, self, etc.)? 2) What role should a Native American father play in a family; what role should a Native American mother play? 3) What are some successful community programs? 4) Why are these programs successful? In response to the discussion prompts, Town Hall participants generally agreed that young people learn to become adults by modeling behavior. Influences and other sources for learning adult behaviors included family, ceremonies, community, schools, church, and the media. In discussions regarding father's and mother's role within the family, there was much deliberation. Participants identified the father's role as that of provider, especially in terms of food and cultural guidance; also highlighted was the social role and being a mentor. All groups stated that the mother's role is that of a nurturer and she should teach children and take care of the household. Breakout discussions on the third question regarding successful community programs and what makes them successful, elicited much information. Programs deemed successful included 1) social programs including topical classes; wellness programs, including behavioral health classes at clinics and hospitals; and tradition oriented programs and events including powwow's, ceremonies, and spiritual gatherings. The aforementioned programs were successful because of 1) family involvement; 2) accountability; 3) cultural aspects were reflective of the local community; 4) and incentives that were offered such as meals. 11
As previously stated, this section proved difficult to record and was not as clearly delineated in discussions; the raw data reflects this. Indeed the data reflects that family life was more of a connecting thread through all the topic's and subtopics of the Town Hall. The following points below were considered by the group to be most important, emotional, financial, moral, spiritual, values, and cultural. Summary of Issues Discussed On behalf of the State of Arizona, the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs would like to thank the 150 or so participants in the 27th Annual Arizona Indian Town Hall. This year's event was a great success and reflects the hard work of all who attended. It is our sincere hope that the information contained in this report will be directly applied in Arizona's Indian Country. This year's topic was the State of Indian Youth: Strength in Indian Youth with three identified target tracks; Health and Wellness, Education and Leadership, and Family Life. With regard to Health and Wellness, participants identified numerous urban and tribal community and institutional programs ranging from wellness to prevention that were considered successful. However, definite needs for improvement were identified, including expanding wellness programs, the need for more community involvement, the need for more youth involvement, increasing funding for these programs, creating relevant educational materials and curriculum, an increased need for role models, the need for stronger lines of communication between all parties. In terms of Education and Leadership, existing programs including a few urban programs and many tribal, educational and community based programs were identified. Participants determined many needs for improvement in these programs including several specific recommendations such as the revision of existing truancy codes, improvement of the cultural relevance of programs and curriculum, the need for dropout reintegration and support programs, the expansion and extension of more programming to the reservation, and the need for incentives to increase interest and participation among communities, parents and children. Family Life was a thread of interest that seemed to connect all the discussions. Participants generally agreed that family, ceremonies, community, schools, media and church were all places that children learned to model adult behavior. Further, community programs and events that reflected community and culture, required family involvement, included incentives and meals, and that were accountable to some entity were the most successful.
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Recommendations and Strategy The following recommendations were developed from a combination of the four break-out sessions each delivering a priority list from three target tracks. From the prioritized lists provided by each group, we have compiled a consolidated, unranked list of recommendations. The facilitators and recorders made a sincere effort to accurately reflect the expressed recommendations and comments of the Town Hall participants. Health and Wellness � Policy consultation, development, and change to allow greater access to improve health care services to: increase tribal and urban Indian input on state programs result in more equitable distribution of resources, and to include youth voices in programs to that effect. Improve buildings and facilities; increase funding and resources, and improve staffing for existing programs; fair share and funded directed to American Indian health disparities. Increase and integrate effective programs concerning health wellness for youth (i.e. wellness & home life, tobacco prevention programs, domestic violence, diabetes prevention, recreation centers, and intergenerational activities, traditional nutrition and diet, address substance abuse issues). Implement youth programs & councils to ensure youth input in communication about health issues; eat healthy original native foods, promote fact that processed foods are source of Native health problems. Use traditional models for programmatic structures that include emotional, physical, mental, and tribal spiritual health beliefs with emphasis on prayer. Implement programs concerning health professions for youth. Increase communication between state/tribal/local entities to foster improved collaboration, implementation, and planning of health and wellness programs.
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Education and Leadership � � Review and assess existing tribal education programs for effectiveness; identify successful (tribal and non-tribal) programs as models; provide community training on No Child Left Behind program (leaders, council, parents, educators, and students). Promote college and pre-college preparation, and also vocational education/ partnership with trade union apprenticeship programs that are federal and state certified and; set higher levels of expectation regarding college attendance beginning in elementary and middle schools through programs such as Achieving College Education (A.C.E.). Increase partnerships with educational institutions, including universities and tribal and community colleges and vocational training programs. Recruit, hire, train, and retain highly qualified and effective educators; add more computers and improve facilities; develop more effective & supportive school boards. Emphasize shared responsibility of all stakeholders in our communities (tribal leaders, community presidents, schools, state agencies, judicial system, elders, police, parents, media, etc.), including consistent messages from communities and schools through community forums. 13
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Focus on drop-out and truancy issues; offer students financial education; attend drop-out prevention conference (ex. 2007 Arizona National Dropout Prevention Conference sponsored by AZ State Department of Education, September 14, 2007); implement more comprehensive retention programs in Pre-K--20; provide daycare options for teen mothers; develop truancy conferences. Promote youth interaction with tribal councils (re: policies, laws, and programs on youth education and leadership) e.g. establish central base operation (ex. Youth Department or assign directorship to tribal leadership); promote intergenerational communication; include youth voices in planning and development (ex. have youth keynote speaker at ACIA). Increase communication between state/tribal/local entities to foster improved collaboration, implementation, and planning of education and leadership programs.
Family Life � � Support existing and expand to rural areas an Arizona Youth Council (with a high school student youth coordinator) which should meet regularly for training on community issues and prepare proposals for an AZ statewide youth conference. Develop and/or coordinate foundational workshops that can be adapted by different tribes and communities that can train families on how to nurture healthy family behaviors such as being present, showing respect, teaching, nurturing, loving, motivating, instilling identity, learning, discipline, providing, listening, communicating, nourishing, being a role model, protecting, supporting, be understanding, forgiving, cooperating, develop unity, honor, and integrity; building awareness of support networks. Offer more counseling services and classes from traditional spiritual leaders, elders, and others that focus on behavioral health: expand counseling time and variety of classes, peer mentors; advertise programs; increase availability of youth-oriented talking circles; increase availability of treatments programs for Indian youth; have more traditional practitioners, and support for traditional services when appropriate. Offer more options for parenting and life skills classes for all parents and guardians, with specific programs tailored for young people. Teach community-oriented native languages, culture, values, and traditions and ask elders to participate in teaching cultural related activities; increase communication among people with cultural knowledge. Identify best practices for elder participation (ex. develop Saturday and after-school culture and language classes). Increase and expand communication between state/tribal/local entities to foster improved collaboration, implementation, and planning of family-nurturing programs through emails, websites, or other electronic media. Establish and promote community-building networks.
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Conclusion and Recommended Action Steps The Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs would like to congratulate all participants, especially the youth, for their outstanding contributions. Due to the exceptional input and participation of youth in this year's Town Hall, we plan to encourage them to participate in future Town Hall discussions. Over the past few months, the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs has evaluated all recommendations and is in the process of identifying key areas where the Commission, in collaboration with other state agencies and tribal and urban Indian communities, can be most effective and facilitate the implantation of said goals. Many of the recommendations identified were goals that could only be changed from within each respective community, for a variety of reasons. Upon formal invitation, the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs looks forward to collaborating with communities to realize the identified goals listed below. Health and Wellness: � � � Work with existing state and federal agencies in support of their efforts to improve access to health care at all levels Support existing programs that focus on utilizing traditional foods, and exercise. A survey will be conducted by the ACIA on existing programs with the results shared on the ACIA website. Work with local and national schools and universities that have accredited health profession programs to ensure outreach to tribal and urban Indian communities
Education and Leadership � � � Work with local schools and universities in Arizona to promote educational opportunities for Indian youth Support existing programs that focus leadership and attainment of educational goals for Indian communities Establish a state youth advisory council to promote leadership skills, civic responsibility, and input into ACIA events such as Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day and Indian Town Hall
Family Life � � � Develop and/or coordinate foundational workshops that can be adapted by different tribes and communities that can train families on how to nurture healthy family behaviors. Support existing programs and agencies that support healthy families Conduct a statewide community survey on the issues and solutions relating to strong Indian families.
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Appendix I: Subtopic I: The State of Indian Youth: Health and Wellness Raw Data HEALTH AND WELLNESS: 1. Are there existing youth related programs that affect health status that are successful? That needs improvement? What are these programs? Specific Tribal/Community Programs: Ak-Chin Recreation Department o Sports events from elementary to high school such as soccer, flag football, etc. o Holds different events on holidays such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, etc. � Hopi Health Club--introduces Hopi youth into health careers and links them to appropriate colleges � Hopi 100 mile club--for all ages with a focus on diabetes prevention � Hopi Protect You/Protect Me alcohol prevention program � Navajo "Just Move It" Program � Tohono O'Odham Boys and Girls Club � Healthy O'Odham Prevention Program (HOPP) special focus on diabetes, obesity and asthma � San Carlos Apache Tribe National Resource Camp � San Carlos Apache Tribe Wellness Center � White Mountain Apache Tribe Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH)--focus on suicide prevention and young fathers � White Mountain Apache Tribe Fitness Center � Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) has programs that encourage high school students to meet and shadow health professionals at work � Tucson Indian Center has family wellness day that involves the Tohono O'Odham and Pascua Yaqui Tribe that: o Targets the whole family and encourages them to learn about health together o Special focus on heart health and physical activity � NIKE provides support for youth sports activities among native youth � Johnson O'Malley (JOM) summer programs � NABI Tournament � Save our (Children) programs � Community based programs that target Meth � Summer youth camps for Boys and Girls � Youth Councils � Tribal/School Tobacco Prevention Programs � Tribal Radio Stations � Boys and Girls Clubs � Diabetes Prevention Programs � Behavioral Health Programs � Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community-Mobile Dental and Hearing Visits 2. Why are these programs successful? 16 �
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Community Driven Consistent program advocacy Program evaluation: participation from not only clients but from parents tribal council, etc. Staff monitoring One on one interaction Family support Trained staff Accountability
3. Are there any recommendations to improve these programs? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � [Health/Wellness] programs should be expanded to fulfill demand for native health care workers [Establish additional] substations for health care in remote areas Increase resources for prevention [programs] Must involve youth in the planning of programs and peer support programs Youth leadership training to create positive peer role models Utilize positive role models to encourage healthy lifestyles Involve youth in the evaluations Include more field trips and activities for students and youth Conduct more community outreach regarding youth programs (all communities) [Cultivate] more youth role models Promote youth leadership in tribal communities (empowerment) Encourage coalition building among programs (especially programs to be less territorial/unify programmatic efforts toward youth) Intergenerational activities: Elders-Youth, traditional values, traditional ceremonies, tribal medicine-men, training sweat lodges; use traditional structures as program model. Develop/establish core programs like community based program (STEP) (visits homes) Stronger support of youth councils (community oriented promotes awareness on tribal issues) Expand/Establish more programs such as the Boys and Girls Clubs Provide healthy safe place to go that offers activates promoting healthy lifestyles and choices Tribal urban programs should be the ones implementing these projects and initiatives Funding needs to come from state and federal entities Include media in efforts In urban settings--communities/parents should be stakeholders. Currently youths are stakeholders, but parents and community are not Implement a one dollar tax on tobacco within tribes for one year to fund youth programs; continue the yearly funding on ongoing projects and make them more viable Refocus current diabetes programs to focus on youth 17
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For existing youth programs: o Provide youth focused activities (after school and summer break) in tribal wellness centers o Tobacco prevention programs: more collaboration with schools; provide training and education for school counselors; include other tribes not currently funded o Recreation programs: provide activities year round (after school and summer break); provide socialization activities; make available culturally relevant programs to all community members (intergenerational) o Education: Provide preparation and planning that is student centered; provide tutoring and mentoring programs; provide guidance Policy Changes: o Develop meaningful programming not plans delivered from some national office that aren't relevant to Indian communities o More governance and decision [about youth issues/programs] at the local level o Organize tribal and non-tribal systems to create a document to serve as an education tool for change o More health and wellness resources to be in the community that are "hands on" Increase youth participation: youth must be key to process of developing, designing and deciding and accountable to issues affecting them Increase community involvement especially from parents and tribal leaders Increase support [for youth programs/issues] from tribal governments [Reestablish] nutrition promotion and exercise/physical health programs in schools (physical education no longer a core part of the curriculum) Increase prevention education for youth that do not have diabetes Increase the number of tribal members that run youth programs; tribal members have more rapport with youth Behavioral health programs: promote healthy choices/lifestyles; integrate services; ad gambling education and work with school nurses Establish/strengthen oral health prevention education; resolve conflicting policies that crate challenges to accessing care Improve access to healthy foods; hard to find healthy foods in grocery stores on reservations; border communities are often filled with fast food options but its hard to find healthy choices; design food pyramids to be youth friendly Develop curriculums for dealing with stress and hardships Include dental and health screenings in Head Start programs Increase the number of teams for girls; identify other physical activities beside sports that girls like (rollerblading/skating/dancing/swimming/hip-hop/pow-wow) Promote free passes, incentives or discounts at recreation facilities Help college students who are from the reservation transition to the city--help them to be well and make healthy choices Inform communities about programs (schools, parents and guardians); people not directly involved in the programs often do not know much about them Participation is a marker of a programs' success; word of mouth is often important in spreading information about the programs Ensuring stable tribal and other funding sources 18
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Programs should address root causes of community/social issues Communicate, communicate, communicate Strengthen coordination and communication among different entities that run the programs Increased consistency from staff [high staff turnover rates] Improved structures of the programs Conduct quarterly evaluation Stable and consistent funding for programs
4. What stakeholder entities should be responsible for implementing the recommendations and within what time frame? (within 1 year and more than 1 year) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � In wellness centers: wellness center directors, tribal leaders/council, youth leaders, community/parent volunteers In Tobacco Prevention Programs: school administration and personnel, tobacco prevention program In Recreation Programs: Tribal leaders, youth center, community/youth volunteers, parents, tribal programs, elder groups/council In Education: counselors, coaches, student athletes, school administrators, tribal leaders, parents, tutors/mentors, colleges/universities Program success can be measured by long-term results. Many programs require long time frames (measured in years, or even in ten year periods). Program expansion to reach every tribal member--all ages. Adult to youth and youth to adult programs Funding agencies (state and Fed) need to realize above point and need to talk to or with stakeholders (re: contract specifications) Tribal Health Departments State Health Department School Districts Religious organizations Universities Indian Health Services (I.H.S.) Youth Organizations Elder Organizations Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs State/Tribal/BIA Educational Depts. AHCCCS Arizona Department of Health Services DES Tribal Councils Youth Councils Boys and Girls Clubs
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Appendix II: Subtopic II: The State of Indian Youth: Education and Leadership Raw Data: EDUCATION: 1. Are there existing programs in the tribal or urban Indian communities related to dropout prevention that are successful? That needs improvement? Where are they located? Why are they successful? Why do they need improvement? Specific Tribal/Community Programs � � � � � � � � � � � � � Boys and Girls Clubs/Youth Leadership Programs Hoop of Learning Phoenix Union HSD (C Students can work on college credits for an AA degree while in High School) T.O.C.C. Credit Programs NADPI-San Carlos Apache Tribe/White Mountain Apache Tribe ROP- Recreational Occupational Training Head Start After School Programs F.A.C.E. Program/Baby F.A.C.E. Pascua Yaqui Mentoring Program (Pima Prevention Partnership) Med Start (5 weeks exposure to medical field) Indians into Medicine APEX VA Athletics & Sports (NABI) Tribal Truancy Codes � Incentives for attendance � Truancy interventions � Truancy Officers � Attendance Counselors/Liaison Community School Partnerships Tutoring, counseling, emotional support services White Mountain Apache Tribe-Alternative Schools Yavapai Prescott Tribe Education Department-GED Classes FFA Gear-Up TRIO A.C.E (Achieving a College Education) Junior A.C.E. University of New Mexico-Partners with the Din� community to recruit youth from the High Schools Native charter schools Early College for Native Youth Native Soar ( A University of Arizona program) Native College students take a class and mentor high school students one-on-one once a week
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2) What makes these programs successful? � Tutoring program as a result of NCLB- successful because its individually based � Students learn a lot more with the help of computers 20
83% of Students participating in Junior A.C.E go to college, can earn up to 12 college credits 3) What needs improvement? � � � � � � � � � � � � More college/higher education facilities should be placed on reservations; so that youth are exposed more often and are motivated to graduate from high school Reincorporate the good cultural traditions that nurture very young children and eventually prepare them for school Boys and Girls Clubs/Youth Leadership programs need to expand on the reservations Communicate with the youth to identify factors effecting dropout in order to design programs to meet their needs Develop more tribal education coordinator involvement and communication with the public schools to identify and support youth at-risk for dropping out Community School base Offer early outreach to youth to provide exposure to higher education, career options & study skills Institutionalize programs to keep them going after grant funds run out Continue to work on issue once the immediate problem has subsided Separation between dropouts and students in school (some student get pushed aside and are left feeling unwelcome and disinterested in school) Teacher turnover, poor quality staff, sub-standard education, language barriers Teen Pregnancy programs for moms School work counted for credit Follow-up programs to reach all teens Teen programs for Dads Inform students at an earlier age Truancy codes Truancy Officer: if there are too many tardy and/or absences, the child/parent must go to court Teen Court for 1st offenders; diversion program Need referral to social services for parents when students dropout Need to work with parents to help them understand the importance of education Tutoring-Need to improve course offerings and expand programs to include gifted and vocational programs Need more computers, teachers, bigger facility Daycare Center so that teen mothers can finish school Need incentive funds for future college expenses; should also be offered in juvenile detention centers Students should be prepared for college at a younger age (5th-8th grades) Some focus should be placed on vocational training; currently there is little mention of opportunities through vocational training Only 3% of Students in A.C.E. are native; we need to increase Native Students involvement More concentration should be placed on preventing dropouts in the 7th and 10th grades Provide services to get youth interested in more difficult subjects Cultural Relevance of curriculum is important 21
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LEADERSHIP: 1) Are there existing programs in tribal or urban Indian communities related to youth leadership development that are successful? That need improvement? Where are they located? Why are they successful? Why do they need improvement? Existing Programs � � � � � � � JROTC Summer Youth Programs FCCLA Ak-Chin Youth Council National Congress of American Indian Youth Commission Tribal youth conferences, national conferences, shadowing leaders WIA Conference Relationship building Identifying goals processing UNITY-Leadership training at tribal and national level Cultural Societies Tribal Youth Councils Tribal college prep leadership curriculums Youth Council Boys and Girls Clubs Teen Court ACES Explorers-Police/Fire Honor Societies AIEA Youth Conference Student Council-School
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2) Why are they successful? � Encourage tribal governments to be proactive in providing opportunities for youth input and leadership � Provide workshops and training options for teachers and parents to encourage youth participation in leadership opportunities � Encourage young adults who have been successful to be involved in speaking with and mentoring youth � Need dedication � JROTC-Funding is often delayed � Summer Youth programs-need more students and volunteers � FCCLA-White Mountain Apache Tribe Need more students (especially male) Should be expanded to include junior high youth Should be better advertised 22
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More culturally relevant More parent involvement Offered in more schools Leadership component at public schools Leadership needs to be defined 100% funding from the tribe Youth Councils Need more student involvement Recruit in middle school Statewide meeting to share operations procedures
3) Why do they need improvement? � JROTC Gives opportunities for youth to explore different branches of the military Offers college credit Creates disciplined students � Summer Youth Programs Internships Class on finance Students learn to fill out applications and apply for jobs Drug testing � FCCLA-White Mountain Apache Tribe Offered in High Schools Students take a trip to Washington D. C Trips to leadership conferences Prepares youth for the future Offers scholarships Youth receive awards for their presentations � Youth Councils-Community based On-going well thought out programs Dedicated Leaders/Coordinators 4) Of the students that go on to higher education: What qualities do they share; what type of family support do they have; Community support? Qualities they share � Resiliency � Values � Financial Aid � Friends � Family � Faculty Support � Assertive � Motivated � Confidence � Commitment � Determination 23
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Pride Mentor Positive peer pressure Patience Civic Minded Fiscally Responsible Role Models Family history of college attendance They have a vision Family support Community support Discipline
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Appendix III: Subtopic III: The State of Indian Youth: Family Life Raw Data FAMILY LIFE: 1) Where do most young people in your community learn about the responsibilities involved in becoming an adult, including parenting (e.g. parents, family, church, school, friends, self, etc.)? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Model parents' behavior "I learned it by watching you" Native American youth tend to take on adult responsibilities much sooner out of necessity Environment / community (difference between rural and urban) Peer pressure friends / siblings Learn from peers /school Family taught responsibilities (financial, cleaning, home cleaning, sibling care Elders' teachings Family gatherings (respect, knowledge, positive relationships, story telling) Tribal ceremonies TV / Movies / Parents / Communities Home: parents/grandparents/family/extended family (sponsors) School: teachers, mentors, tutors (teen group moral support) Church: traditional ceremony (life connections), Bible study, community service, family involvement, rites of passage (baptism, first communion) Community: tribes sponsor for higher education scholarships (requires qualities of responsibility and commitment); tournaments (basketball, rodeo, baseball); tribal members Parents, school, traditional ceremonies Food, shelter, protection, prepare for the real world Family, grandparents, community, school, brothers and sisters Spiritual gatherings, maturity
2) What role should a Native American father play in a family; what role should a Native American mother play? ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FATHERS � Teach culture and history � Teach how to provide for the family (crops, etc.) � Involvement share in the rearing of the children � Presence � Supportive (moral, monetary, emotional, mental health) � Teacher, mentor � Strong/good role model, protector � Educated and working � Have strong family values/ties � Respect for self and others � Free of drugs and alcohol � Non-violent, not abusive 25
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Involved with family/children Be present Inform/teach Protect Instill identity Be a role model and motivator Egalitarian (responsibilities are different for each parent, and both are required); ceremonies, too, are impacted when one member of the household is absent Fathers go out and hunt/farm, provide
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MOTHERS � Takes care of the house � Nurture and teach life skills � Go to for advice / caring � Presence � Moral support, emotional, mental, nurturing � Show affection � Teach traditional values, examples � Commitment � Honor for elders � Open communication � Nourishment: emotional, spiritual, physical, affection, love � Mothers teach inside the home ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHILDREN � Listen and learn � Cooperation � Care for siblings and family � Take care of parents � someday � Help cook and clean � Get good grades and study � Parents need to know that kids need quality time � Financial responsibility (pay bills, bad debt) � Learning traditional roles / values � Practice good manners (traditional) � Use critical thinking � Family medical histories � Know their possible future roles in the tribe / future leadership � Know their tribal government & profile of their tribe � Learn about other tribes � Have a responsibility to go to school, honor elders, be involved in the family, learn to live within family's provisions, doing chores, doing homework, learning.
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ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH MOTHER AND FATHER: � Financial � Housing � Non-alcoholic / Non-drug user � Not physically abusive / nor verbally abusive � Being available, willing to listen � Constantly promote understanding � Share responsibility with spouse � Explain family relationships (family tree) � Advocate for family � Love your children (Say it) � Cultural / Traditional roles between families � Native language skills important, more expressive � Look beyond own clan � Accept responsibility for the family � Provide shelter, protection � Both parents should discipline / provide structure � Communicate � Involved with family � Common sense � Community involvement � School involvement � Read � Honor elders � Respect self and others � Believe in self 3) What are some successful community programs? 4) Why are these programs successful? Programs for families: � Social services--parenting support group � Boys and Girls Clubs � Group home for elders and children � Homeless shelters � Domestic Violence � Family clinics � Behavioral Health � Parenting, conferences/workshops, communication, sharing ideas, pamphlets � Native American Fatherhood Initiative (Dine) � Programs for incarcerated parents � Women's wellness conference (topic: family) at Ak-Chin � Talking Circles � Powwows, rodeos, song and dance � Spiritual gatherings, family conferences � TANF � Head Start 27
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Churches John Hopkins Sports/athletic events Heaven Sent Dad's Programs
Traditional Ceremonies
Successful Programs: � Involve the entire family; are responsive; collaborate with other services and programs; communicate and advertise � Require research and evaluation � Sponsor/mentor to respond and to be accountable � Outreach and surveys/assessment for family needs � Family fun days--expand, increase frequency; requires family involvement � Programs reflect family and community values Why Are These Programs Successful? � Allow all family members to participate � Provide incentives/meals � Recognition � Traditional values implemented � To keep these programs going: need continuity, Native communities working together with all resources and professionals, involvement, communication, more funding, more research
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Appendix IV: Reporting of Results and Recommendations 1. How should progress on these recommendations be reported at next year's town hall? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Write a final report on youth programs/services that includes best practices, number of participants and the percent of increased participation, parent and community involvement, visibility and stakeholders Hold a workshop or panel at next year's town hall Include a student panel to share success stories Progress to be reported by numbers of participants and the percent of increased participation, parent and community involvement, visibility, and presentations and stakeholders Arizona Department of Health should monitor the recommendations and report back next year Each tribal health department should communicate with the state health department Use technology (email) to continue the dialogue and stay connected to communicate ideas Do outreach--invite youth to be involved Every town hall and conference should have a youth track component Within the first year reach out to stakeholders and figure out a plan that will work Within one year develop a statewide communication tool Develop five year plan to address issues with benchmarks for reporting progress Develop a resource directory for tribal health care Within one year write a report on best practices (in AZ or US) and potential funding mechanisms; in year two: selection and implementation; possible demonstrations of model programs at the next Town Hall Develop a means for on-going monitoring and evaluation Agencies should examine and report on cross-agency polices, including date sharing to facilitate program integration The Arizona Department of Health Services should conduct " Cultural Sensitivity" training once a year Meetings should be held between the tribes and health agencies-Convene these groups to establish an equitable allocation of these resources to the tribes; A report of this meeting should be given at next year's Town Hall
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