American Indian Alumni Gathering

Mobilizing Alumni to Engage and Empower Youth

“The American Indian Alumni Gathering has its roots in youth’s call to leadership,” said Valerie Shangreaux, Blandin Foundation’s director of leadership.

In 2006, the Mille Lacs Band spear-headed the first state-wide Indian Youth Summit, which was supported by the Blandin Reservation Community Leadership Program (BRCLP) Advisory Committee and the Blandin Foundation. The Youth Summit provided an opportunity for youth to analyze and speak to the health of their communities and to help develop new ideas for community initiatives that could enable youth to develop and live optimal lives. The recommendations from youth “gave American Indian leaders important information about youth perceptions and a forum for leaders to discuss ways to involve, interest and connect youth in building healthy community,” added Valerie Shangreaux.

During the summit the youth coined the phrase, “It was what it was, it is what it is and it will be what we make it.” This phrase helped set the stage for the 75 leadership alumni who attended the gathering.

It was what it was…
Participants began the event reflecting on their experience with the Blandin leadership programs. Individually they created personal pictographs documenting key life events. As reservation-based groups they also developed community pictographs representing key events in the history of their reservation. The pictographs created an “opportunity for people and communities to share their stories in ways that can help shape and build youth empowerment” stated one BRCLP alumni.

It is what it is…
Dr. Thomas Peacock, author and University of Minnesota Duluth educator, was the keynote speaker for the event. He shared his research on American Indian youth throughout the country and their struggle to choose hope even while being surrounded by despair.

The alumni then had a chance to compare their perceptions of what reinforces or restrains youth from achieving their full potential in their communities today with those perceptions generated by youth at the Youth Summit. This comparison allowed leaders to consider ways to engage and empower youth in building healthy community.  As Roxanne DeLille, a leadership trainer stated, “our work today is tomorrow coming.”

It will be what we make it…
Dr. Kathleen Annette, chair of the BRCLP Advisory Committee and trustee emeritus of the Blandin Foundation, charged the alumni by stating “we’re here to assist our youth.” Each reservation group developed at least one community-specific Youth Engagement Plan to be implemented through the collective efforts of adult leaders and youth. One participant stated, “It renewed my desire to see our youth become successful leaders in the future; to not cast them aside as a lost cause.”

Two native youth initiatives, which came forward through the alumni gathering, already have gained momentum and received funding through the Blandin Foundation’s Quickstart grants program.

• Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers received funding to
  support its area’s native youth by starting up a Native American drumming, singing, and dance program. Classes are intended to help youth make dance regalia, with the goals of providing role models, outlets for self-expression and fun physical activities.
•  Dakota Wicohan is a regional nonprofit with the mission of supporting
  the revitalization of the Dakota language and life ways. The organization received a grant to fund two fellows to work with approximately 50 youth over the course of a year on Dakota language and Dakota leadership and citizenry.

The American Indian alumni gathering helped to create a sense of optimism about working with young people to implement each community’s youth engagement plan. One participant stated it this way, “This gathering has created a cohesive group to carry out the mission and vision created.”