Focus on Community Strengths

Did you know that the Portland area has the ninth largest Native American population in the country? NAYA Youth and Family Center released a report on the state of Native American youth and families (PDF reader required). An excerpt from the report:

Currently, Native people count disproportionately among the urban poor. We experience the highest rates of homelessness, poverty and unemployment of all ethnic groups; depression, addiction and diabetes impact us in numbers far exceeding the norm. We constitute 24% of all children in foster care in Multnomah County, and only 37% of our high school students living in Portland graduate on time.

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette is funding two programs that focus on building Native American community strengths:

Native Student Literacy Project: Native American Youth and Family Center seeks to provide Provides culturally specific literacy and social skills to Native American middle/high school age youth to increase literacy, reduce disciplinary referrals and increase high school completion. See complete list of partners

Discovering Our Story Project: Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) will utilizes audio/video oral history collection and tribal storytelling to create culturally specific and relevant multi-media health curricula for Native American rehabilitation and prevention programs. Learn more