health and cultural healing practices. There were informational tables and interactive booths addressing various mental health issues (including a booth representing the National Indian Child Welfare Association, NICWA). Booths included disabled bowling, yoga, meditation, communication exercises, team building, good touch/bad touch, listening to popular songs to identify the mental health themes, drawing and journaling about feelings, etc. Mental health providers were able to meet and describe their services to Native American youth and families in a non-threatening environment. Raffle prizes were awarded to youth who visited each booth. Cultural Adaptation SNENA traditions of adaptation, passing SNENA traditions of adaptation, passing knowledge through oral history, and knowledge through oral history, and maintaining inter- and intra- Tribal maintaining inter- and intra- Tribal community connections were used to adapt community connections were used to adapt the Children's Mental Health the Children's Mental Health Awareness Awareness Day activities.…The cultural Day activities. The planning committee interactive booths allowed youth to not decided that the event should always only acknowledge problems in our include cultural stations/activities. The community , but to also recognize the cultural interactive booths allowed youth traditions and cultural practices that can be used to heal those problems. to not only acknowledge problems in our community , but to also recognize the traditions and cultural practices that can be used to heal those problems. Our follow-up feedback indicated that the youth seemed the most engaged with the cultural stations, such as the following. !
Pequot Language & Art Project – youth drew a picture of something that made them feel happy. They also learned the imperative "Be Happy/Be Well" in Pequot (Wuyámush) [adapted from the "My Feelings are a Work of Art" component of NCMHAD].
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