The organization works closely with local colleges and universities. Some Native post-secondary students mentor Native high schoolers.
“We want our kids to see that this is possible – that this is something they can get to,” Tamayo said.
NUIHC convenes an All Nations Youth Council that has a real voice in agency matters.
“For any big push we have we get input from this community, including our youth,” she said. “We don’t want to be telling them what they need to be learning and working on if they have other things going on that need to be addressed. They discusses where we’re going with programming – if we’re hitting it or missing it.”
Last summer, participants of an NUIHC-sponsored youth group made a chaperoned road trip to Chicago and Washington D.C., where they presented cultural performances featuring traditional singing and dancing.
“A lot of our kids haven’t even been past Sioux City,” she said. “It’s giving them an opportunity to understand there’s a whole world out there and it’s very possible for them to reach and go to. They enjoyed it.
“We took them around to all the museums in D.C. The one they enjoyed the most was the Holocaust Museum. A lot of people wondered if that was going to be too traumatic for them. But when we talked to the kids afterward, they’re so used to seeing things on the reservation, they’re so knowledgeable historically of the things that have happened to Native Americans, that this didn’t affect them as it might a lot of others.
“Trauma is just such a part of their daily life that it takes so much for them to be impacted by the experience.”
In everything NUIHC does, great emphasis is placed on observing Native traditions. It even occasionally hosts funeral services, most recently for Zachary Bearheels, the mentally ill man tasered and punched multiple times by Omaha police last June before dying in custody.
“We use a spiritual base,” Polk said. “We don’t deal with religion or denomination – we deal with spirituality. Religion is for people afraid they’re going to hell, and spirituality is for people who’ve been there.”
Every effort’s made to respect client requests.
“If you want to go to the sweat lodge or have a ceremony with a medicine man or go to a pow-wow, you can do that.”
“Definitely, our focus is healthcare, but the connection between cultural activities and being able to identify who you are with how those things affect your health has come more about,” Tamayo said. “We’re able to do that to address the health issues we’re working with.
“We work with Omaha Public Schools and their NICE (Native Indian Centered Education) program on addressing truancy. We help school officials understand sometimes Native students will miss school to participate in traditional practices.”
NUIHC works with OPS and other stakeholders on cultural sensitivity to Native mobility and family dynamics that find youth moving from place to place.
“That’s very important because we look at that as a protective factor so kids can feel good about who they are,” said Polk.
Tamayo appreciates the autonomy she’s given.
“Donna (Polk) has faith in me that I understand our families’ needs and what services to give them. I have full permission. It’s like open-door mentoring. We have to be really connected and visible in the community. It’s a lot of hours.
Health and healing Through Culture and Community Part 3
