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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2005)
APRIL 1, 2005 Smoke Signals 3 Graodl Roode Hosts Yoetfli Leadership A jfLA $t A A 'iX-.i , . Youth Movement On March 10-12,YouthEducationhosted the 2nd AnnualYouth Conference. About 140 students and 20 chaperones attended. There were workshops, a hip-hop dance and a three-on-three basketball tournament. Youth Education invited keynote speaker Robert Johnston from the Native Wellness Institute. Robert Johnston LEADERSHIP continued from front page "He was excellent," said Heimburg. "It was empowering for the youth to know that these events are happening all around the coun try." About 140 students and 20 chap erones participated in this year's conference, more than doubling last year's total of 60 students. "We even had to turn some stu dents down due to facility restric tions," said Heimburg. Students from all across the state joined together for the numerous activities held at the Tribal Educa tion Complex in Grand Ronde. It was a regional invitation. Students from Chemawa, Siletz, Lincoln City, Roseburg and the Native American Youth Association attended. On Friday night, the students gathered in the Tribal gymnasium for a hip-hop concert, dance and a freestyle rap battle. The all Native hip-hop crew, Culture Shock Camp, featuring D.J. "Shock B," Rapper Marcus "Quese" Frejo and Rapper "Duo," put on a show and even chal lenged some of the local Tribal youth to an MC battle and freestyle competition. The group also in cluded two "B-Boys" (break danc ers) to dance on stage and among the audience during the show. Brian Frejo, (D.J. "Shock B"), is an accomplished artist and has opened for many headlining hip hop groups including 50 Cent, Ceelo and Lil John. His younger brother Marcus "Quese" Frejo has also won many awards as a rapper and mu sical producer. Culture Shock Camp is sponsored by an American Indian clothing company Native Threads. The camp tours the na tion looking for Indian reservations to influence wellness among Na tive youth. Tribal member and Tribal Youth Prevention Coordinator Lisa Leno organized the dance and explained that she wants to set up events for youth that have a healthy, safe and positive atmosphere. Indian Boarding School took home trophies. Marissa Buckles (Sioux) and Dante Grant (Omaha), both stu dents from Chemawa, organized the tournament and said that it took about three months to get every thing coordinated. "It's a positive thing to bring ev eryone together, but most impor tantly, it's about having fun," said "This was a really positive event. I was sur prised to see how much talent we have right here in Grand Ronde. " Lisa Leno Tribal Youth Prevention Coordinator "This was a really positive event," said Leno. "I was surprised to see how much talent we have right here in Grand Ronde." Beginning at about noon on Sat urday, there was a three on three basketball tournament in the gym nasium. The tournament was coed and there were 14 teams compet ing for t-shirts that were awarded to first, second and third place teams. Trophies were handed out to the top boy's team and the top girl's team. Yellow Stones (girls) and Nato (boys), both teams from Chemawa Grant. Grant is a junior at Chemawa and holds a 4.0 grade point aver age. He is excited about college and is interested in going to either Or egon State University or Fort Lewis College after he graduates. Buckles, a sophomore, plans to attend college as well. She wants to play basketball for Montana State University and says that if she does well there, the Women's National Basketball Association may be in her future. "I just really enjoy playing bas ketball," said Buckles. I Brian Frejo "Shock B" The continuous growth of this event has left the Youth Education Department and the Youth Lead ers Group wondering if the Grand Ronde facilities are large enough to host upcoming conferences, but seem very pleased with the outcome of the previous two years. "Overall, this event has been a huge success," said Heimburg. "I want to think that each student leaves with a positive thought to carry with them." ( ' "I s rf -'H'-" G far f t -j (y- The Atmosphere In Here The students danced to the beats of Culture Shock Camp, a hip-hop group sponsored by Native Threads clothing line on the evening of Friday, March 1 1 . Students also took part in a free-style battle on stage. D.J. Brian Frejo aka "Shock B" also spoke earlier that afternoon on his life experiences and battles with gangs and drugs.
