Native American Heritage Month is a celebration held each year in November to recognize and uplift the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and contributions of Native people. There are 574 officially recognized tribes within the U.S., nine of which are in Oregon—the Burns Paiute Tribe; the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; the Coquille Indian Tribe; the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; the Klamath Tribes; the Confederated Tribes of Siletz; the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
At OYA, through our Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations (OIIR), our staff provide several opportunities for cultural enrichment and connection as an integral part of the work we do. Our services create community and provide safe spaces for positive interaction and self-expression that allow youth to deepen their connection to their culture.
Cultural groups, activities, and workshops
OIIR offers a wide variety of activities throughout the year such as weekly groups, celebrations held several times a year, and one-time workshops. See spotlights of three of these activities below.
Spotlight: Powwows for facility youth
OIIR staff hold powwows at different facilities throughout the year. Most recently, powwows were held in September at Rogue Valley YCF and Tillamook TCF/Camp Tillamook and in October at Oak Creek YCF and MacLaren YCF. OYA is fortunate to have several volunteers who have been working with OYA for years to help MC, drum, dance, provide food, and bring community members in to help celebrate with the youth.
OYA would like to express our gratitude for all our staff, volunteers, and family members who help to make these events happen as we know how much they mean to our youth:
“Powwow gives us a lot to think about and learn. It also gives us something to look forward to, and it’s really important not just for the people that are part of the community but even more so for the people that aren’t. It’s a place of discovery, and an opportunity to share our culture with other people. It allows other people to know about us and learn about us, to understand who we are. And that way, we’re never truly gone.“
Spotlight: Sweatlodge Ceremonies
Derwin Decker, OYA Native American Services Coordinator, is Modoc and an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes in Southern Oregon. He facilitates weekly and bi-weekly groups at MacLaren, Oak Creek and Tillamook including Sweatlodge and smudging ceremonies, drumming circles, talking circles, and an arts and crafts group.
Photo courtesy of Jarrette Werk, Underscore Native News / Report for America
The Sweatlodge is a sacred place of prayer. The traditional Native American Sweatlodge ceremony combines the four elements, earth, air, water and fire to produce steam in the Sweatlodge. The ceremony cleanses the body, mind and spirit and connects youth with their ancestors and the Creator.
“The Nipi, the sweat lodge – it cleanses and heals our body, our mind, our spirit, and helps us understand we are here for a mistake we made, but we are not a bad person. We are here on a slip-up that we made, but we are not just kind of left and forgotten.“
Derwin also works with youth on their cultural goals whatever way youth wish to be supported. For example, learning more about their people and histories, traditional languages, and building regalia.
“A lot of what we do is – we uplift each other. We learn about each other, help each other, support each other. Just being able to build this community in here – it’s healthy for us throughout our stay here. Being around people that have the same interest as you, the same type of heart, your culture, your beliefs. Not feeling alone.“
Spotlight: THRIVE Youth Conference with Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) and Beats Lyrics Leaders
Tribal Health: Reaching out InVolves Everyone (THRIVE) Youth Conference, hosted by the NPAIHB and Beats Lyrics Leaders, helps youth learn about healthy behaviors and develop healthy coping mechanisms through creative self-expression. Both partners will be bringing a modified version of their conference to MacLaren YCF in early November.
Mentors teach activities and goal setting strategies that empower youth with the ability to succeed, the gift to believe, and the inspiration to create.
Beats Lyrics Leaders provides role models who demonstrate the hard work required to become a cultural leader and who help youth focus on the possibilities for their own growth, embrace their cultural pride, and enhance resiliency.
Tribal connections
Leslie Riggs, Tribal Liaison and Native American Programs Coordinator, is Umpqua, Rogue River, and Shoshone Bannock, and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. As Tribal Liaison, Leslie works with OYA youth in many different ways, including tribal enrollment and assistance with qualifying per capita payments, ensuring youth have Tribal representatives at their case management team meetings, and connecting them to monthly calls with Tribal representatives.
Photo courtesy of Jarrette Werk, Underscore Native News / Report for America
Leslie also works with youth as they prepare to transition out of OYA. This involves important links to Tribal programs and services, such as education and Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation and Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance programs. Leslie also makes connections for youth who are not enrolled in one of Oregon’s nine Federally Recognized Tribes to organizations with services such as NARA NW and Native American Youth and Family Center. These connections are vital for youth to feel supported as they transition back to their communities.
Government-to-government consultation
As Governor Kotek stated recently, “Anyone who respects good governance and public service has much to gain from consultation and partnership with each Tribal nation.”
OYA honors the intergovernmental relationship between the State and the nine Federally Recognized Tribes, including through our Native American Advisory Committee.
OYA consults with the Native American Advisory Committee to assist in the cultural competency of programs, services, and policies as well as transition and aftercare services for Native youth. They also work with OYA to assist in strengthening our connection to Native American communities, aid in recruiting volunteers, and provide staff training on Native American culture and Tribal structure.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
OIIR has a number of activities planned to honor Native American Heritage Month for youth at our facilities, including movie viewings along with discussions, drumming circles, Native American games, and discussions on boarding schools and Native American Heritage Month.
“[Attending Native programming] hasn’t just been a spiritual thing. It was overall growth for me. It was a lot about maturity. It was a safe space where I could learn a lot of teachings that otherwise I didn’t learn in my family because I was incarcerated. My questions weren’t so much answered with words as they were with experiences.“
