Youth Advocates

Oneida Nation Vision Statement

A NATION OF STRONG FAMILIES BUILT ON TSI> NIYUKWALIHO’=T^ AND A STRONG ECONOMY

ONEIDA NATION MISSION STATEMENT TO STREGNTHEN AND PROTECT OUR PEOPLE, RECLAIM OUR LAND AND ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT BY EXERCISING OUR SOVEREIGNTY

Oneida Core Values

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Kahletsyalu’sla - ga lay ja lou sla The heartfelt encouragement of the best in each of us Kanolukhwa’sla - ga no lou kwa sla Compassion, caring, identity, and joy of being Ka?nikuhli:yo’ - ga nee goo lee yo The openness of the good spirit and mind Ka?tshatst^’sla - ka jat stunh sla The strength of belief and vision as a People Kalihwi:yo’ - ka lee wee yo The use of the good words about ourselves, our Nation and our future Yukwahwa:tsi’le - you kwa wa gee lay Our Family and our Nation Yukwatsi’stay^ - you kwa gee sta yunh Our fire, our spirit within each one of us

Y.E.S. MISSION STATEMENT

WE ASSIST IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENTS IN THE ONEIDA COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Y.E.S. GOALS • Raise grade point averages of youth • Raise the number of graduates • Lower drop out rates

Who are Youth Advocates?

• Professional individuals hired by the Tribe to ensure the civil rights of our youth are not being violated • Advocates are required to have a Higher Education degree and at least 2 years of experience working with youth in an academic setting. • Individuals with knowledge about the Oneida people or a background in American Indian Studies are preferred.

Who do they help?

• Funding received from Johnson O’Malley guides our eligibility criteria.

• American Indian Youth who are enrolled K-12 students attending public schools in our service area.

• Are a quarter (1/4) degree Indian blood or are • An enrolled member of a Federally Recognized tribe • Have completed YES applications on file.

2007-2008 Y.E.S. STUDENT COUNT

• Freedom • School supplies and fees • Green Bay • Southwest quadrant • Pulaski • School supplies and fees • Seymour • West DePere Total 65 272 45 273 234 889

WHAT DO ADVOCATES DO?

• Maintains and monitors YES student tracking system (grades, attendance, referrals, social, extra-curricular, etc) • Academic counseling Examples: which classes should they take for their career track, what credits they need to graduate • Advocate for student civil rights • Behavior interventions • Mentor Youth • Intervention referrals • Mediate between schools and families • Network youth and families with community support

More Advocating

• Facilitate youth groups for social & cultural development • Leadership • Intervention • Prevention • Personal growth • Social skills building • Building Self-esteem • Cultural awareness • Cultural arts & crafts • Culture camps

WHY ARE THEY THERE AND NOT HERE?

• YOUTH ADVOCATES ARE PLACED IN SCHOOLS WITH THE HIGHEST POPULATION OF AMERICAN INDIAN YOUTH.

• 7 ADVOCATES DIRECTLY SERVICED 779 YOUTH DURING THE 2007-2008 ACADEMIC YEAR. Face to face contact • ADVOCATES INDIRECTLY SERVICED 889 YOUTH DURING THE 2007-2008 ACADEMIC YEAR. Team meetings, correspondence, parent contacts • FUNDING LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE.

WHERE ARE ADVOCATES LOCATED?

• CURRENTLY THE YOUTH ADVOCATES ARE LOCATED AT : • GREEN BAY KING/LOMBARDI • GREEN BAY SOUTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL • GREEN BAY WEST HIGH SCHOOL • SEYMOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • SEYMOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL • SEYMOUR HIGH SCHOOL • WEST DE PERE HIGH SCHOOL

SPECIAL ADVOCATE INITIATIVES

UNITY

United National Indian Tribal Youth On^ yote aka Youth Group Mission Statement The mission of On^yote?a=ka Youth Group is: to prevent youth from drinking, using drugs, and participating in other destructive behaviors, to help youth become better leaders by using their voices and expressing their opinions as young Native Americans, and to strengthen our community for the future generations to come .

Validated by: • Oneida Business Committee Resolution #3-16-00-A • Membership with the National UNITY Network.

• Updated Constitution and By-Laws February 6, 2007

ON^YOTE? A-KA YOUTH GROUP GOALS

• • • • • • • TO KEEP YOUTH OUT OF TROUBLE TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE FROM USING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.

TO GIVE YOUTH A VOICE TO KEEP YOUTH ACTIVE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND HAVE NEW EXPERIENCES TO GAIN LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT OUR CULTURE, HISTORY AND LANGUAGE.

MENTORSHIP

ANOTHER GEM • Pilot Mentorship Program at Seymour Middle School • 10 youth paired with 10 adult mentors • 2007-2008 is 3 rd year • Successful outcomes reflected by pre and post surveys.

• Youth and their mentors agreed that a brighter future was in store for youth. • A major goal is to expand program.

• Seymour Middle School is looking at this project as a model

Maintaining Partnerships

• Designed to meet with school officials to address concerns, share ideas and promote success. • Opportunity to educate about Oneida’s history, economics and future plans. • Meet with teachers to share information regarding the Oneida Nation and issues surrounding Indian Education.

Native Teens for Change

• Native Teens for Change Conference • Assist with planning. • Some financial support. • Conference Themes: Native American Youth,

Suicide, Underage Drinking, Binge Drinking and Leadership.

Youth Summits

• YES assisted various entities within the Tribe to bring youth together from different school districts for social and educational advancement.

• Gave our youth an opportunity to share their concerns, ideas and suggestions for a better future. • Provided various programs within the Tribe to share history, current conditions and plans for the future.

Wrap up

• YES continues to monitor the current educational advancement of our youth. • Many people ask how learning the language and the culture will help our youth get along in the world. Many studies have shown that the more young people know their roots the more the advance in the educational system. • The language and culture are vital to Oneida in order to exist as a Nation. These are 2 components looked at when recognizing Indigenous nations. Many are losing their status because they do not possess either.