PHOTOS BY CLARE JENSEN

Kimberly Scott, a representative from Junior Achievement, spoke to a group of students about the importance of budgeting and investing as part of Chief Leschi’s second Native Youth Summit.

Youth summit gets students talking, thinking ahead

By Clare Jensen

The leaders of tomorrow got a taste of what may come in their future at the second annual Native Youth Summit at Chief Leschi Schools.

High school and middle school students went from room to room hearing the stories of today’s Tribal leaders, listening, learning and talking about what was on their minds.

Many of the guest speakers came from different backgrounds and upbringings, but they all had one thing in common – they were all successful, productive members of the community, and they allowed the students to identify with them, and see a successful, productive member of a community within themselves.

Tribal Councilmember David Bean spearheaded the Native Youth Summit at Chief Leschi last year as a way to show the students positive Native and non-Native role models, as well as allowing the students to discuss what was on their minds.

The Native Youth Summit is “first and foremost to educate,” David Bean said.

“Other Native Americans who had similar upbringings to the students [can] talk about the trials and tribulations… and say ‘Ok, you want to be like me...this is how I got there... these are the choices I made.’”

David Bean, along with other Tribal members, came for the day to discuss different topics of life and making good choices for the future.

Tribal Councilmember James Miles Sr. discussed government, and how the Tribal Council’s decisions directly affect the membership and surrounding community.

Tribal member Chester Earl discussed gang issues. He knows firsthand what it was like growing up in gang activity. Today, he is working hard in the Tribe’s land acquisition office.

Danelle Reed-Inderbitzin, director of the Kwawachee counseling center, is a Tribal member who grew up locally. She discussed college and career planning with the students.

“I wanted to bring in people who could really capture their attention, and hold it,” David Bean said.

He noted that he remembers the impact certain speakers had on him during his time as a student at Chief Leschi years ago.

“They had an impact on me, and we hope to have a similar impact for the kids in the community.”

Nelson Hernandez coordinates the Warrior Elite basketball team, which has traveled to more than 60 reservations to work with tribal youth. This was the Warrior Elite’s second year participating in Chief Leschi’s Native Youth Summit.

“We try to be some Native role models,” and let the students “hear different stories from different guys,” he said. “Some of us went to college, some didn’t. We try to illustrate how they live their lives, and how they got to that point. We try to have a good time, and at the same time get the message across.”

David Bean said the basketball team especially is effective in getting students’ attention because the sport is so big on the reservation, and the students can see themselves in the players.

Linda Ellison, a para-educator at Chief Leschi, said she believes the Native Youth Summit is a building block that brings the outside world in to the walls of the school.

“This type of thing brings a reality into the outside world. They can be part of their community, the outside community, and they can be in control of their own person when they leave here.”

Throughout the day the students were immersed in various seminars aimed at generating awareness of the impact each student’s personal decisions have in their future.

Drug and gang resistance and financial education were key pieces that can have major impacts on the futures of tribal youth.

Because many students at Chief Leschi will receive a large sum of money in the near future, discussion as to how to best use or invest that money is key for the teenagers.

The Tribe’s Financial Education Coordinator Marsha Lamar and guests from Junior Achievement discussed spending plans and investing with the students – a reality check for many who have yet to discover the high cost of living.

And losing youth to gangs and drugs has been a tragic reality for many tribal families in the past.

“These are our future leaders…if we don’t take care of them, someone else will – and that someone else is going to be a gang member, or a drug dealer,” David Bean said.

“We need to start talking to them young, before these negative influences start talking to them.”

David Bean said because this is only the second year of the event, there is no hard data indicating success. However, he feels that the students are responding to it positively, and continuing the message year after year will make an impact.

“It’s a positive message… a continual, consistent, positive message for our kids. We want them to talk ownership. We want them to be a part of growing this community.”

David Bean said in the future, the summit may expand to include students from other schools and reservations.

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