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2025 Annual Impact Report

TWO FEATHERS

Native American Family Services

Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Friends and Community,

Looking back on 2025, I find myself once again filled with immense gratitude for the wholehearted support and endorsement from our community and partners for Two Feathers Native American Family Services. Your belief in us makes our work possible—and I am deeply appreciative of the continued trust in our mission to heal, uplift, and empower Native youth and families in Humboldt County.

Over the past year, our programs continued to grow and adapt to best impact youth in the community. Key accomplishments include welcoming new Chewks clinical leadership, launching our Partnership & Outreach Department, and growing our Youth Leadership Development (YLD) program.

Through our newly formed Partnership and Outreach department, we expanded prosocial community events, engaging thousands of community members at seasonal gatherings and hundreds of youth in after-school and summer programs. Across the county, we strengthened partnerships with schools and districts, including enhanced programming at McKinleyville Middle School, continued collaborations with KTJUSD and Loleta Union, and a partnership with Hoopa High School to offer an on-campus mental health class. These events and programming are a cornerstone to building and maintaining strong community relationships as well as a gateway for accessing more intensive mental health services.

While we continue working within local county and state systems to reduce barriers to mental health services, the need in our community remains significant. In 2025, Chewks, our clinical program, served over 280 youth, and we are committed to increasing this access in 2026. In addition to changes in clinical leadership, we also advanced workforce development by supporting two Native staff in achieving clinical licensure.

Our Youth Leadership Development Program received a record 120 applications. In 2025, program participants led impactful advocacy projects in the community, elevating youth voices at both the local and state levels while highlighting the importance of wellness and culturally grounded programming.

We also made meaningful progress towards opening the Two Feather’s Wellness Center on the Hoopa Valley Reservation. The Wellness Center includes 8 housing units for transitionalage youth, with construction scheduled to be finalized in 2026.

At Two Feather’s, we take a holistic approach to wellness and health, meeting our clients where they are and supporting them in all aspects of their healing journey. In 2025, we were awarded a BCHIP grant to support the expansion and remodeling of a local church, helping establish the McKinleyville Wellness Center.

Thank you for standing with us in this work. Together, we are building a stronger, healthier future for our youth, families, and communities.

With gratitude,

Virgil Moorhead Jr. Executive Director, Two Feathers-NAFS

INTRODUCTION

Who We Are & What We Do

Two Feathers-NAFS is a Tribal non-profit chartered under the federally recognized Big Lagoon Rancheria. We serve those most in need, focusing on youth and violence prevention programming. Two Feathers connects community members with a range of cultural activities, resources, and programs within the Humboldt County Native American communities.

Two Feathers uses culturally-based interventions that promote holistic health and foster meaningful relationships with young people, allowing for deep engagement and transformative work. Our team members prioritize spending time building trust with clients, developing personalized treatment plans, and offering support to youth and their families. Our comprehensive services include trauma-informed psychotherapy, weekly group sessions, prevention programs informed by local knowledge, and culturally based intensive support in schools or at home. Prevention strategies focus on healthy behaviors and include culturally based programs, youth mentorship, leadership development, and community and professional training. Our healing program strategies are grounded in both contemporary science and Native-centered belief systems and norms. We use flexible and meaningful outreach and connection strategies that prioritize and are rooted in relationships, with a focus on one-on-one counseling.

Guiding Principles

Our mission is to promote the well-being of Native American children and families living on the ancestral lands of Northwest California. We learn and innovate with our community to cultivate healthy and balanced lives. We are committed to advancing equity and justice, and at the heart of that is valuing differences in class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities. Above all, we focus on providing free, high-quality programming to Native families in Humboldt County.

PROGRAMMING

In 2025, Two Feathers received 181 new referrals for mental health counseling and prevention, served 281 clients in mental health counseling, over 400 in culturally driven prevention based services employed 48 youth in the Youth Leadership Development program, and connected and engaged over 3,000 community members in prosocial activities.

CHEKWS

The Two Feathers’ Chekws: Hope for Tomorrow counseling program strives to provide innovative, culturally-responsive, trauma-informed, mental health and well-being services that center and uplift the voices, values and cultural practices of Native youth and families in Humboldt County.

Framework

We strive to reduce barriers to services and do our best to offer high quality services that are culturally driven, strengths-based, collaborative and meet the youths and families where they are at. The program does this through adopting a framework that seeks to decolonize its mental health services through the following values and approaches:

Acknowledging Native Culture: Acknowledging that Native culture is grounded in values that provide a framework for living a healthy, balanced, and relational life rooted in culture, connection and community.

Community Connection: Working through a community and connectioncentered approach that recognizes the individual cannot be separated from the community.

Strength-based: Engaging in a collaborative approach with youth and families to support and uplift their culture, goals, dreams, and aspirations.

Developmental Relationships: Extending the dosage and duration of care, youth can develop long-term relationships with healthy adults which may make lasting impacts on the trajectory of their mental health.

Reducing Barriers to Care: Actively addressing and reducing barriers to services by applying dedicated resources, sustained efforts, and overcoming systemic inequities that affect Native communities.

Youth Success Story

Youth 1 is a Native American middle school student referred to therapy services one year ago by tier I TF staff due to positive mental health screenings and high levels of behavioral issues reported by school staff and observed during school-based mental health promotion activities (Project Venture). Upon further assessment this youth had been involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems due to severe child abuse, illegal activity in the home, and youth’s involvement with an incident with a firearm.

Initially engagement in therapy was very difficult for this youth and it took three months for the clinician collaborating with school staff, the foster parent, and county and tribal social workers to build a therapeutic relationship. In addition to providing individual therapy, the clinician also attends CFT and school meetings to coordinate care. The clinician works closely with the youth’s foster parent providing weekly check-ins for caregiver to report progress and challenges and consulting about parenting skills development. The clinician also collaborates weekly with school staff on challenging behaviors, potential targets for treatment, and progress that they observe. Youth 1 attends Two Feather’s mental health promotion events such as summer and holiday day camps, cultural programming, and TF tier I school groups including Project Venture. Youth 1 has built close relationships with both TF staff and other youth who attend programming.

Youth 1 is making tremendous progress in therapy. This is evidenced by higher than average attendance and engagement in therapy, as well as significant emotional and behavioral improvements as reported by clinician, school staff, and foster parent. This youth began therapy displaying signs of actively pushing away their peers, school staff, foster parent, and clinician, and now they have positive close relationships in all these areas of their life.

Youth Success Story

Youth 2 is a Native American high school student referred to therapy services by school staff due to ongoing suicidal ideation, self-harm, and multiple suicide attempts requiring hospitalization. The youth also engaged in high levels of substance use as an attempt to selfregulate overwhelming symptoms of depression.

Upon intake, youth 2 began intensive weekly individual therapy services focused on developing emotional regulation skills, processing underlying trauma, building distresstolerance strategies, reducing substance use, and strengthening their personal identity. The therapeutic work also prioritized safety planning and relapse-prevention strategies, emphasizing empowerment, choice, and self-advocacy.

During treatment, youth 2 also received support in accessing medication management services through a child psychiatrist. Through collaborative coordination of care, the TF clinician and psychiatrist worked together to consistently monitor medication responsiveness and risk, provide support, and promote stabilization for the youth’s safety and wellbeing.

Over 18 months of intensive services, the youth demonstrated a profound shift in both functioning and life outlook. This client previously stated that they did not wish to live past the age of 18. They have since graduated high school on time, secured full-time employment, and are now enrolled in college courses. The client is still in weekly therapy and has expressed a desire to become a therapist themself, with the intention of supporting others who struggle with similar challenges. Their journey is a story of resilience and personal growth with the support of compassionate, coordinated mental health care.

Staff Success Story

Shanley Masten, MSW, LCSW is a Yurok Tribal member and Hupa descendant who is deeply committed to the health and well being of her community. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology: Exercise Science and Health Promotion and a Master of Social Work, combining a background in health sciences with her clinical knowledge as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

As a mom of three, Shanley knows the importance of connection, support, and community. After completing her education, she returned home to give back to her people and the land that helped shape who she is. Her work is grounded in gratitude, cultural identity, and service, supporting families and individuals through generational healing. Shanley believes in meeting our youth where they are. She provides care that is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and helps community members access support and services up and down the river.

ACORN

ACORN is a year-long cultural program for Native American youth (ages 9–18) that focuses on reconnecting them with traditional practices and providing mentorship. Celebrating its seventh year in 2025, ACORN improves health and wellness by fostering friendships, strengthening intertribal connections, and enhancing cultural identity and self-efficacy.

ACORN Programming

87 youth participants across the 5 ACORN Sessions

AAcknowledging our whole selves

• Language games

• Cultural Fire Burning

• Carving and decorating redwood medallions

CConnecting to ceremony, culture, and language

• Hupa Language activities led by Taihvoovhi Colegrove and Muriel Ammon

• Fish Hatchery tour and feeding

• Medicinal Plant Hike

• Sports and games led by The Warrior Institute

• Roller-skating at Prasch Hall and Mountain Biking

OOpportunity and access

• Salmon jeopardy

• Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Basketball

RRelationships to others

• Building connections with the land, culture, and each other.

• Potawot history and land restoration

• Plank House and Sweat House Education

• Traditional games, mini drums, and mini aprons, Yurok Language scavenger hunt

NNature and Spirit

• Paddling traditional canoes, riding bikes, swimming, and good times.

Youth Highlight: Stanley Ferris

Stanley has been a regular at ACORN and always brings a great attitude. He has been very active in Two Feathers programming being part of Hoopa Young Bucks and school groups. His favorite part of ACORN is visiting new spaces and meeting new people. He has been a joy to get to know and have around all of the programming.

Abalone Sisters: xoje kya’ ya:dilchwe

As part of the ACORN Youth Wellness Program, Hoopa Valley High School and Hoopa elementary school youth learned the process of making ceremonial dresses. Through this series, they gained valuable dressmaking skills and knowledge about the Flower Dance. Our youth were honored to receive an invitation to a Flower Dance in the summer of 2025.

Youth Leadership Development (YLD)

Two Feathers’ Youth Leadership Development (YLD) Program aims to build leadership and professional skills while promoting connection and wellness. The YLD Program offers Native American youth, ages 15-21, the opportunity to develop leadership and advocacy abilities while deepening their connection to others, community, and culture. Activities include peer advising, employment preparation and support, certifications (first aid, food safety, etc.), conflict resolution, landscaping and gardening, event planning, youth activities, cultural education, team building, public speaking, and problem-solving.

Native Youth Ambassador Spotlight

Jayla is a second-year Youth Ambassador and graduating high school senior who consistently demonstrates leadership, initiative, and a strong commitment to her community. A Seminole Tribal member, she brings cultural pride and responsibility to her participation in the Two Feathers Youth Leadership Program.

This year, Jayla is beginning an internship at the Clarke Museum, where she will support the curation of cultural exhibits and gain hands-on experience aligned with her interest in Cultural Anthropology. She has also volunteered at the Foster Care Resource Center, assisting foster families in accessing essential resources and services.

Jayla plans to attend college following graduation and participated in the UNITY Conference this summer, the nation’s largest Native youth leadership conference. Her experiences reflect the program’s impact in preparing Native youth for postsecondary education, workforce readiness, and culturally grounded leadership.

Senior Native Youth Ambassador Spotlight

Alicia Davis is a second-year Senior Youth Ambassador who has been engaged with Two Feathers since high school. During her time in the program, she has participated in youth panels, uplifted Native youth voices, and demonstrated consistent leadership and commitment within her community.

Alicia is known for her dependability, positive attitude, and willingness to support her peers and staff. She has completed over a year-long internship with the Wiyot Cultural Center, gaining hands-on experience in a professional cultural setting. More recently, she has developed administrative and workforce readiness skills through collaboration with Two Feathers’ financial team, including filing, scanning, and organizational tasks.

Alicia aspires to work in the medical field and has already begun the Medical Assisting Program at College of the Redwoods. She is a Yurok Tribal member and exemplifies the leadership, resilience, and growth that Two Feathers Youth Ambassadors strive to cultivate.

Alicia’s journey reflects the impact of long-term, culturally grounded youth development and the importance of sustained investment in Native youth leadership pathways.

Alicia

Jayla

Events

Our Native Youth Ambassadors (NYA) engaged with a wide range of events through our Youth Leadership Development (YLD) program. We started the year strong in January, working with the designers at Visual Concepts to bring our new logo to life: a symbol of strength, connection, and resilience. The mighty redwood tree represents the resilience of our youth, leaning on interconnected roots through storms and tribulations, just as our leaders lean on their communities to grow and thrive.

Native Youth Ambassadors have been a huge part of making Two Feathers community events come together, celebrating intergenerational community and learning traditional skills. This has included cooking up traditional meals of fish and eels, as well as cracking and cleaning acorns and pine nuts at the Cal Poly Humboldt Indigenous Food Festival. In May, Youth Ambassadors in the Fortuna Pod made an all-natural ceremony dress for young girls to use for dances, with nature’s finest bear grass, pine nuts, abalone, and freshwater pearls. Youth have been giving back by helping with creek restoration, cleaning and rewilding the Chah-Gah-Cho Trail, and working in the wellness garden. In September, NYA played a role in a Native American event at Eureka High, Indigenous Parents Night, and the California Native American Day celebration at FUHS. In October, NYA from different coastal pods came together to run an aid station at the 54th annual Avenue of the Giants marathon, and later that month also helped make the 3rd Annual North Coast Two-Spirit Conference happen.

Education is a huge part of the YLD program, and NYA were able to participate in and help create lots of learning opportunities. In April, students came together to honor their heritage, connect with each other, and shape a future grounded in pride and resilience at the Success in Both Worlds Native Youth Conference, celebrating culture, identity, and community. In July, 15 incredible Youth Ambassadors and 7 dedicated Two Feathers staff went to San Diego for the UNITY Conference—the largest Native youth leadership gathering in the nation. Over three days, our youth connected with peers from over 250 tribal nations, learning about college and career paths, wellness, advocacy, culture, and more.

In May, NYA went to the Capitol in Sacramento to advocate for the CRDP—California Reducing Disparities Project– which funds the ACORN Youth Wellness Programming. In September, NYA helped run an interactive information table and collaborated with the Young Bucks group to do a Brush Dance demonstration at the California Native American Day celebration. In October, NYA went on a tour at Shasta college, attended the Stillwater Powwow, and gained CPR training from the Fortuna Fire Department. Our Southern Humboldt pod was also able to collaborate with our community partners at Bear River Band culture department to learn about cultural monitoring. They put that knowledge into practice at a historic site to look for pieces of chert that were once used as arrowheads and tools!

OUTREACH EVENTS

Supporting Our Local Schools

Two Feathers ran activities across Hoopa Elementary School, Loleta Elementary School, Orleans Elementary School, McKinleyville Middle School, Eureka High School, and Fortuna High School.

Two Feathers hosted several Back to School and End of the Year Celebration community events with bounce houses, face painting, biking, and food!

The Native American Club at McKinleyville Middle School had 27 sessions, with 196 total participants!

The Pánamniik (Orleans) Summer Programming this year was full of fun, with crafting, mountain biking with the Mountain Bike Tribal Trail Alliance, skateboarding with Charlie Caldwell, playing sports, and swimming at the beach. The Karuk Education department brought us solar ovens, medical career path learning, water slides, and a magical science show. The Gensaw family also came to teach the youth to cut up áama (salmon) and cook it on sticks.

The Orleans Elementary Indigenous People’s Day Celebration was a huge success, with stick art, language learning, food sharing, and a powwow demo. Two of our staff worked with the KTJUSD Indian education program to lead a demonstration dance and Karuk language games for Orleans, Weitchpec, and Junction elementary schools.

We were at Loleta Elementary School all year, with the 2025/2026 school year marking the third year of us bringing fun, learning, and connection to Loleta students.

Rooted in Culture Young Bucks

The Young Bucks have had a busy year, full of Brushdance demonstrations, hazel burning, and our Monday Night Meetups. We were out at Sumeg village to see a hazel burning demo, and learning how to twist and put hazel ties on the ribs of the redwood houses. The Young Bucks also did several Brushdancing demonstrations, including at the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB) Traditional Indian Health Gathering, the Eel River Wailaki second annual Big Time, and for California Tribal TANFs annual Youth Summit. We had Monday Night Meetups all year, with a variety of activities, including playing arcade and video games, learning traditional cultural practices (brush dance practice, burning hazel ties, necklace making), mountain biking, hiking, and lots of team sports.

Spotted Does

Two Feathers’ Girls Cultural Group, the Spotted Does, honed their cultural crafting skills alongside a busy social schedule. This included gathering trips for regalia materials, dressmaking, and bear grass braiding and beading. Our Monday Night Meetups included Powwow protocol and games, cooking and pine nut processing, regalia display, and of course lots of community fun!

48 girls attended Spotted Does Coastal across 10 sessions.

Orleans Summer Playgroup

Our Orleans Summer Playgroup, for youth aged 0-5, included art, science, and cultural play. We had lots of water games, sports, field trips and creek days this July.

Athletics and Movement

We are committed to fostering a community of fun movement among our youth! Alongside youth wrestling at McKinleyville, we had biking and skateboarding events collaborating with the MBTTA Bike Club and the Humboldt Skate Park Collective. This included the 2nd Annual Skate Camp, with over 40 youth attending from across the county!

99 youth participated in wrestling across 55 sessions.

Holiday Celebrations

Halloween

This year we hosted our 4th Annual Spooky Trail Walk “CHAH-Gah-CHO Trail” for Halloween, and had a wonderful time haunting up the old Mill Creek theatre!

Easter Egg Hunt

We once again hosted a wonderful Easter celebration, with face painting, games, food trucks, balloon animals, bounce houses, and an egg hunt with over 5,000 eggs! Around 700 community members came out for this celebration, made possible by the work of our Youth Ambassadors and our partners: MBTTA, Humboldt Skate Park Collective, Dream Athletics, Fry Bread Love, Los Giles, McKinleyville Wrestling, and Danny Lackey.

Summer Activities

Some of our summer activities this year included the Big Lagoon Coastal Camp, the 21st Annual Fish Fair: “Swimming Against the Current”, and the Hoopa Girls Group. At the Big Lagoon Coastal Camp, youth were able to paddle the lagoon in a canoe and take aim with archery! In June, KTJUSD, Hoopa Fisheries, and Two Feathers hosted the Fish Fair, with nearly 700 hundred students and over 100 professionals, educators, and community members in attendance. Finally, the Hoopa Girls Group ran weekly activities throughout July and August, including field trips to the coast, river and creek visit, water games, and arcade and movie days.

Fall Break 2025

For our Fall Break activities, we had over 85 youth at Sumeg village engaging in cultural activities such as traditional gambling, regalia sharing, and enjoying a salmon lunch. Youth also met up with Charlie from the Humboldt Skate Park Collective to learn how to balance and ride the ramp. And of course, swimming at Arcata Pool!

2SLGBTQIA+ Events

This year, Two Feathers and Queer Humboldt hosted the 5th year of the Rainbow Extravaganza. We saw many new and returning faces this year, and are honored to be able to host such an important community event.

Two Feathers also took 29 youth to the 14th Annual Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit (BAAITS) Powwow, where we explored San Francisco and danced with our community. This event was made possible by KTJUSD school staff, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Queer Humboldt, who assisted with chaperoning, offering a space of safety and support, and helped finance the trip.

Game Nights

Last January, Two Feathers took a crew of 27 youth and 16 adults to the Golden State Warriors Game for their Native American Heritage Night and a wrestling tournament in the city. 10 youth were invited to play a basketball game before the Warriors came out on the court to battle the Kings. After the game we had a meet and chat with Lindy Waters III, a Native American professional basketball player for the Warriors.

2025 Winter Break

This winter break was full of movies, ice skating, and roller skating! Two Feathers also took a group of youth and adults to the Golden State Warriors Game for their Native American Heritage Night-- Phoenix Sun vs Golden State Warriors!

Staff Spotlight: Katie Bowie

Katie Bowie is a dedicated Youth Development Specialist and proud citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation whose work continues to create meaningful impact for youth in Southern Humboldt. In 2025, Katie led two cohorts of Youth Ambassadors, centering relationshipbuilding, cultural connection, and goal-setting to support youth growth and leadership.

Under her guidance, Youth Ambassadors completed a ceremonial dress for a young girl—an intentional project that helps ensure families without access to regalia can fully participate in cultural ceremonies. This work reflects Katie’s commitment to removing barriers and strengthening cultural continuity for the next generation.

Katie’s passion for learning and community wellness is evident in her pursuit of professional development. In 2025, she became a certified NARCAN trainer, enabling her to train Youth Ambassadors and community members to recognize the signs of an overdose and respond effectively to save lives. Her leadership in this area expanded both youth skills and community capacity.

A positive and dependable team member, Katie consistently uplifts those around her and steps in wherever support is needed. We are deeply grateful for her dedication and leadership, and we look forward to the continued impact she will have on Youth Ambassadors and the communities they serve.

TRAININGS AND CONFERENCES

Two Feathers held a variety of trainings and conferences this year, aimed at Native youth and the wider community. This included the Youth Institute Training at Mckinleyville Azalea Hall, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and a QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training. Alongside the California Native Vote Project, Two Feathers hosted a two-day Social Justice Academy, where nearly 50 youth explored how to build and run their own campaigns, brainstormed big ideas for making a difference, and focused on one of our main messages: destigmatizing mental health. Trinidad Rancheria also hosted the Men’s Wellness Conference Youth Panel, where youth shared about the impact of social media on their mental health and the importance of having a trusted community to lean on.

In July, we also held an Indigenous Science Camp, with activities led by local Tribal leaders, scientists, educators, and knowledge keepers and rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), such as Indigenous food sovereignty, language, and land stewardship.

In October, we held the 3rd Annual North Coast Two-Spirit Conference, alongside the Wiyot Tribe, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Queer Humboldt, honoring our ancestors, celebrating our identities, and building a community rooted in strength and healing.

Role Type

Our staff and our community are intertwined. We come from a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise, and are collectively oriented towards caring for the wellbeing of our youth, elders, and community members.

Racial Demographics

Our work would not be possible without the support of our generous and collaborative individual, grant, and foundation support.

Salaries and Wages

Employee Benefits

Contract Services

Emergency Services

Supplies

Travel, Conferences, and Trainings

Facility Expense

Depreciation

Other Operating Expenses

LOOKING FORWARD

Hoopa Wellness Village is scheduled to be completed in 2026 and will include 8 units of transitional-age housing. The wellness village will be located on the Hoopa Valley Reservation.

McKinleyville Wellness Center - In 2024, Two Feathers procured a property to establish a community wellness center in McKinleyville, California. In 2025, we were awarded a BCHIP grant to expand behavioral health services and support the remodeling of a local church owned by Big Lagoon Rancheria.