On Thursday, December
1, eleven Native Youth leaders will be honored at the White House
as Champions of Change. These young people are Champions in their
tribes and communities as they work to improve the lives of those
around them through innovative programs that help others, raise
awareness of important issues like suicide and bullying prevention,
energy efficiency and healthy eating.
"The 'Champions of Change' for Native
American youth are here to share their stories and to attend the
White House Tribal Nations Conference. They are examples of the
generation that will build a stronger future for Indian Country
by continuing to address the challenges facing American Indians
and Alaska Natives," said Associate Director of Intergovernmental
Affairs, Charlie Galbraith.
The Champions of Change program was created
as a part of President Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Each
week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions,
ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists,
are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.
These outstanding young Americans were
selected from a group of hundreds who answered President Obamas
call to share their stories of leadership and community service.
The White House's Native American Youth
"Champions of Change" honorees are:
Teressa
Baldwin, Native Village of Kiana
Sitka, Alaska
Teressa Baldwin has been directly impacted
by suicide and wanted to take action to help reduce the rate of
suicide in her home state of Alaska. As a junior in high school,
Teressa was appointed by Governor Sean Parnell to the Statewide
Suicide Prevention council and became one of the youngest appointed
representatives in the state of Alaska. Following her appointment,
Teressa started her own organization teaching her peers about the
signs of suicide and sharing her own story about how suicide affected
her life.
After facing common hurdles to suicide
prevention programs, including high costs and low enrollment numbers
in trainings, Teressa has been able to work with 12 schools on suicide
prevention programs and is hoping to expand to more. Teressa feels
that her work is part of her life goal to help lower the rates of
suicide in not only Alaska but the rest of the country.
Morgan
Fawcett, Tlingit and Haida
Fort Jones, California
Morgan Fawcett was diagnosed with Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorders when he was 15 years old. At the time
of his diagnosis, Morgan knew that he wanted to help educate others
about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders both among Native Youth and
all youth and adults across the country. Morgan has organized concerts
and benefits that allow to him to speak about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders at school assemblies, colleges, community colleges, hospitals,
churches and many more.
Morgan has also created a flute program
that has allowed him to donate over 650 Native flutes to at risk
youth and challenged individuals. The Alaska State Legislature recognized
Morgan for his work by awarding him the NOFAS leadership award in
2011. Morgan hopes to begin college this year and show others that
just because you are born with a disability, with help from friends,
family and the community you can succeed.
LeVon
Totsohnii Thomas, Navajo
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Levon Totsohnii Thomas is currently studying
Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and has been actively engaged with the Navajo Nation Government.
Levon currently sits on the Navajo Green Economy Commission which
promotes green businesses/jobs and influences green legislation
in the Navajo Nation.
In addition, Levon has worked on wind
energy development on the Navajo Nation to educate the people on
the importance of sustainable development. He plans to use his education
to help his community by bringing together the need for small businesses
on the reservation with sustainable business practices.
Madeline
Sayet, Mohegan
New York, New York
Madeleine Sayet keeps her culture alive
by telling the stories of her tribal ancestry through storytelling
and plays. Beginning as a teenager, Madeline spent summers creating
and teaching shadow puppet plays of traditional stories in the Mohegan
language to her Youth Camp. Madeline played a critical role in all
aspects of the development and production of these plays which were
intended to help children gain a deeper understanding for their
heritage and native tongue. She went on to receive a degree in Theater
from New York University (NYU) where she also served as Co-President
of the Native American Club.
Since graduating, Madeline has performed
a Native play by William Yellowrobe Jr. and still plays an active
role on the campus of NYU as she continues her education.
Madeline also writes about her homeland
including one short story in University of Nebraska's forthcoming
Anthology of New England Native Literature. She is currently working
on her Masters' thesis which will be a play illustrating the life
of her ancestor Fidelia Fielding, the last fluent speaker of the
Mohegan language - to be performed in NYC this spring before performing
to her tribe back home.
Desiree
Vea
Koloa, Hawaii
When Desiree Vea returned home to Hawaii
in 2009 after attending college in New York, homelessness was at
its highest since 1997, with its highest rates among Native Hawaiian.
Moved by the needs of her community, Desiree began developing a
curriculum to help homeless families transition to permanent rentals.
During this time, Desiree helped the community see how important
their voice was and as the 2011 legislative session began in Hawaii,
she conducted her first workshop of 12 people who came together
to organize a poverty simulation at the capitol.
This group continued with her support
to create community cash-flow projects, multi-family markets and
micro-enterprise. Now they are rebuilding their community on their
own and creating models for other communities.
Iko'tsiskimaki
"Ekoo" Beck, Blackfeet
Missoula, Montana
Iko'tsiskimaki "Ekoo" Beck is
an advocate against bullying and after earning the My Idea Grant
from AT&T and America's Promise Alliance, she was able to fund
her project "Inspire to Lead." With this program, Ekoo
has implemented a program which is providing peer led prejudice
reduction, violence prevention trainings for high school, middle
school and elementary school students as well as after school programs.
In the course of these trainings, participants learn more about
the effects of bullying, prejudice and racism and how to end it.
Ekoo's program has impacted hundreds of
students in Missoula through community and peer leaders. Due to
Ekoo's work on this important issue, she was appointed as a youth
representative on the Board of Directors of America's Promise Alliance
led by and founded by General Colin Powell and Alma Powell.
Emmet
Yepa, Jemez Pueblo
Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico
Emmet Yepa from the Jemez Pueblo tribe
in New Mexico, is an environmental advocate in his tribe and wants
to find solutions to help educate his people and future generations
about the importance of recycling. Emmet helped to form the Walatowa
Green Stars Recyclying Group in 2010 which consists of four youth
members and is focused on preserving and keeping their ancestral
lands beautiful through recycling.
Despite initial challenges to get approval,
the Green Stars persisted and currently educate students at local
schools and have implemented recycling bins in designated areas
within their Pueblo. Since 2010, Walatowa Green Stars had been recognized
with numerous awards and given opportunities to speak at local and
national conferences. Emmet's ultimate goal is for his tribe to
eventually have its very own Recycling Center.
Lorna
Her Many Horses, Lakota
Rosebud, South Dakota
Lorna Her Many Horses is dedicated to
honoring the American Indian soldiers and veterans who serve this
country at a higher per capita rate than any other ethnic group.
She has worked with elders and language teachers to translate the
Star Spangled Banner into Lakota and Dakota because she feels that
our soldiers and veterans deserve to be honored in their own language.
To make this a reality, along with the
help of others, she was able to record and produced CDs in
her own community that have been given out to hundreds of American
Indian veterans and soldiers, and more than 50 schools and youth
organizations.
Tiffany
Calabaza, Kewa (formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo)
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tiffany Calabaza is currently a student
at Colorado College and has helped bring renewable energy technology
to her hometown of Kewa, New Mexico. Tiffany worked with her advisor
and others at Colorado College along with tribal community members
and tribal community leaders on education and development of the
energy technology. Through her community based research, everyone
agreed upon converting one of their community windmills into a solar
water pumping station which will pump ground water in a more efficient
fashion allowing livestock and other small wildlife to have a source
of drinking water.
The project continues to involve both
Colorado College students as well as Kewa tribal members. The goal
is to educate her community on renewable energy technologies so
that it will raise awareness on the efficiency and benefits of engaging
with this technology.
Overall, Tiffany's goal is to provide
her people with solutions to allow the cattle to spread evenly throughout
the rangelands and avoid over grazing, preventing further damage
to our land.
Cassandra
Candice Steele, Pinoleville Pomo Nation
Ukiah, California
Cassandra Steele started her tribe's first
traditional Pomo dance group and continues to work with a youth
group she started to preserve their culture by learning traditions
of basket-making, fishing, gathering, beading, speaking the Pomo
language, singing traditional songs and ceremonial dancing. Cassandra
arranges fundraisers, activities and talking circles for her youth
group which she works to keep inclusive of those not only in her
tribe but for any children who want to participate. The main focus
of the group is to improving life for young people in her community
by preventing teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, bullying,
and preserving their culture and tradition.
In addition, Cassandra works to teach
environmentally friendly practices to her community, including building
a prototype house for their tribal citizens. In July 2011, they
broke ground on their first house which will use solar energy, composting
toilets, rain water catch system, grey water system and hay bale
materials with a culturally inspired physical design. Cassandra
remains focused on bridging the gap between the elders and youth
in her community to preserve their culture for future generations.
Dallas
Duplessis, Alaskan Native
Tulalip, Washington
Dallas Duplessis is an advocate for healthier
eating on her reservation. After seeing firsthand the negative effects
of unhealthy eating habits, Dallas was focused on making a difference.
Dallas and her family have been involved in the Hilbulb Cultural
Center program "Growing Together as families" which teaches
families healthy eating habits. From her involvement with the Cultural
Center, Dallas was inspired to start the Tulalip Youth Gardeners
Club to inspire other kids to garden together with their families.
Since the start of the club, they have
been able to teach kids to learn about gardening during the opening
of the Hilbulb Center, at the Boys and Girls Club and at the Evergreen
State Fair where they won ten ribbons. As their club says, their
goal is not to be couch potatoes, but to grow some potatoes.
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