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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2009)
Smoke Signals 9 APRIL 15, 2009 By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer The one-and-a-half day Native Youth Leadership Conference held April 9-10 at the Tribal gymnasium focused on the idea of sustainability "to help you walk and live in a good way," said Jillene Joseph (Gros Ventre from Montana), executive director of Gresham-based Native Wellness Institute. "Thinking about sustainability," Joseph said, "is another way of think ing about your future." She was joined by Neetsaii Gwich'in Tribal member Evon Peter from northeast Alaska. Peter, 33, served as the 130-member Tribe's young est chief, starting when he was 24, for three years. He stepped down to pursue graduate studies and is now in his last semester at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He anticipates earning a master's degree in Rural Development later this year. Peter has been teaching youth about indigenous rights, sustain ability and natural resource pres ervation, he said, since he was 17. In recent years, working with an international team, he traveled to Africa, India, Polynesia, South and Central America and across the United States with his messages. He also was guest speaker for Grand Ronde's first Youth Leadership Con ference in 2004. "My path leads me all over the place," he said. The guts of the conference came from "thinking that comes out of the culture," Peter said. Tribal descendant Joey Holmes was impressed with the lesson on the seventh generation. 'They said to think about seven generations out," he said, "and the effect of your actions on the future." Talking about sustainability is an other way of seeking one's identity, Peter said. "Who are we as Native Americans? Who are we as human beings?" "If we have that foundation strong," he said, "then we have the ability to go out and deal with larger issues." Youth made agreements with the facilitators to respect self and oth- -. ... "... 'v f ' .''. ! Above, Tribal member Rylan Martin, left Memory Wilson (Klamath), middle, and Tribal member Anna Jeffers work on their budget in an activity in which they are Tribal Council members and they need to decide how to spend $1 million during the 2009 Grand Ronde Native Youth Leadership Conference in the Tribal gymnasium on Friday, April 1 0. At right, Evon Peter, a Neetsaii Gwich'in Tribal member, was a guest facilitator at the conference. Photos by Michelle Alaimo ers, to listen, participate and enjoy "healthy risk taking," in Joseph's words, and have fun. Subsequently, the group split into eight "clans." The first tasks for each group were naming their clan and coming up with a "call." Those names and calls returned through the sessions, reinforcing the The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde C" aCASA COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE become A TmiaAL count caa volvnteee and bi a f VOICI FO A NIOLSCTED OS ASL'tlD NATIVE CHILD. 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And they were placed in light party games, like an adaptation of musical chairs. Except in this ver sion, the player left out took center stage and "said something true about themselves." For everybody sitting down, if the statement was also true about them, they had to get up and find another seat. And the one left out took center stage. "We're successful when youth are engaged," said Joseph, "when they are participating, when they are taking direction. We can have fun and we can still learn." Peter sees success in future terms: "To continue to be able to work and build with young people." "It made me think about the loss of my heritage and culture," uaid partic ipant Appalonnia David (Klamath). "It feels good to be here," said Tribal member Leland Brother Dutler, "learning about different cultural things." "To come here and see other kids interested in their culture is empow ering," said Juanita Whitebear, who works for Lincoln County Schools in the Indian Education Program. She brought a group from the Confeder ated Tribes of Siletz. "It feels good stepping out," said Leland Butler's cousin, Ron Butler (Si letz), "when you're not too nervous." Organized by Tribal member and Youth Education and Culture spe cialist Travis Stewart, this year's event again incorporated the suc cessful community component, where "there is an opportunity for each group to introduce itself to the community with stories from their area," Stewart said. In deference to the ongoing finan cial crisis, however, this year orga nizers lopped a day off the normal 2.5-day event. Still, more than 50 eighth through 12th-graders from Grand Ronde, Siletz and Klamath Tribes participated. "I've been coming (and bringing Si letz youth) since they started here," said Whitebear. "What I see them doing in Grand Ronde is taking our children back home." "I always come to these," said Trib al Council member Wink Soderberg. "I figure this is a very important time in their lives. These exercises are going to play an important part in their lives. Anyone who hasn't been over here to see what's going on is missing something."
