CNAY-Brown Summer Scholarship for Native High School Students
Save the Date: 2018 State of Native Youth Report Release Event
Gen-I Movement Builder Fellow Jarrette Werk Takes Over Gen-I Twitter for #WeAreStillHere Tweet Chat
Recently published public opinion research in the report Reclaiming Native Truth found that Native people are not only absent from K-12 education, mainstream news and pop culture, but that this lack of visibility—more than any other factor—directly undermines public support for Native rights. The report also found that 78% of Americans are ready for a new and more accurate narrative about the first peoples of this land.
On Thursday, October 25 from 1-2pm EST, Native organizations, advocates, and allies partnered to co-host a Twitter chat using the hashtag #WeAreStillHere to call for this much needed narrative change. Participating co-hosting organizations included American Indian College Fund, Center for Native American Youth, Everyday Feminism, IllumiNative, Indianz.com, Indian Country Today, National Indian Child Welfare Association, National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, Native American Journalists Association, Native American Rights Fund, Native Appropriations, Native News Online, Native Organizers Alliance, NDN Collective, Not Your Mascot, Oneida Nation of New York, A Tribe Called Geek, The Women's March, and Women's Media Center.
Gen-I Movement Builder Fellow Jarrette Werk (Aaniih Nakoda) did a Twitter take-over of the Gen-I account to offer his youth perspective on the topic. As a young aspiring journalist, Jarrette is passionate about reclaiming and promoting indigenous narratives in the media. He offered great advice to organizations, particularly in the field of journalism, about including more indigenous writers and photographers in the newsroom. Additionally, Jarrette highlighted some incredible Native filmmakers, artists, and innovators working to make sure indigenous narratives and experiences are being represented.
To take part in the conversation, check out #WeAreStillHere on Twitter or visit the #WeAreStillHere Twitter Moment.
As of 2010, there were over 2.1 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) under the age of 24 living in the U.S.
"In everything I do and in every place I go my heritage is with me and [because of it] I've impacted my local community and many people from all over the United States and from around the world."
- Sam Schimmel, Kenaitze/St. Lawrence Island Siberian Yupik, 2017 Champion for Change