In August, 11 Indigenous youth from the greater Tucson area participated in NNI’s new Project Youth ACT (Agents of Change within Tribes) initiative. Funded in part with a seed grant from the Native Americans in Philanthropy #GenIndigenous Response Fund to Support Movement Building, Project Youth ACT trains youth to become advocates within their own tribal communities. During two of the Project’s one-day workshops, participants met with:

• Jaynie Parrish (Navajo), founder of Parrish Digital, who demonstrated how students can develop effective messaging campaigns
• Bobby Narcho (Tohono O’odham), a videographer, who showcased the possibilities for iPhone video creation
• NNI staff members Amy Jorgensen and Jason Aragón, who taught media making skills
• NNI staff members Joan Timeche (Hopi), Danielle Hiraldo (Lumbee), and Lindsay Riggs (Navajo), who gave presentations on Native nation rebuilding

At the final workshop, students created media messages of their own, using the video, graphic art, and social media campaign skills they had honed through Project Youth ACT. Highlighted issues included access to quality housing, suicide prevention, culture and language revitalization, and other key topics of concern in their Native communities.

Read the article in Indian Country Today Media Network