The Basket Weaver: December 2020 by twofeathers1

December 2020

THE BASKET WEAVER

Two Feathers Native American Family Services COMMUNITY FOCUSED | CULTURALLY ROOTED | PREVENTION BASED

The Basket Weaver Two Feathers Native American Famil y Services br ings y ou monthl y updates about the p rograms, ev ents, and news from our agency to your inbox. Just as a basket is wove n, we hope that The Basket Weaver wil l weave connection, inspirat ion, and community with our l oc al famil ies and communities.

IN THIS ISSUE GREETINGS FROM LEADERSHIP

SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE

TWO FEATHERS NAFS RECENT NEWS & EVENTS

YOUTH & STAFF HIGHLIGHTS

LOCAL ARTIST COLORING PAGE

Greetings from leadership: A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEAD PROJECT COORDINATOR

Mabuhay - welcome everyone to The Basket Weaver’s December 2020 issue. As one of the newest team members of Two Feathers Native American Family Services, it is an honor to have the opportunity to introduce myself and this month’s newsletter. Ang pangalan ko ay Chelsea Miraflor Trillo, nagpapasalamat ako na maging bisita dito sa Wiyot Territory - My name is Chelsea, and I have been a guest in Wiyot Territory for over four years now. I descend from Mindanao of the so-called philippine islands and have lived on the California coast my whole life. I moved up here for grad school and received a MSW with an emphasis on decolonizing social work and #MMIW2S. My passions are centered on co-creating systems of care led by local Indigenous Peoples, culture-based responses, and traditional ecological knowledges. This past August, I joined the team as the Lead Project Coordinator. My role includes program coordination, event planning, social media/public relations, and foundation fundraising. In my role, I have a bird’s-eye view of the medley of brilliances, creative energies, critical thoughts, and dedicated passions that make up our nearly 30-person team. Majority of my time is spent supporting the Youth Promotion and Prevention Program, which I feel especially honored to work with my grad school sister, Shaylynne Masten, and the Youth Advocates -- all of whom are our community's next generation of cultural leaders, educators, healers, and innovators. And continue to teach me every day how to be a good community member. We recognize November was a difficult time for many of us and that the holidays often bring up challenges to mental wellness. Our team is doing what we can to offer a diversity of services -- from creating cultural care packages, to providing clinical and crisis support, to organizing Covid-safe community events, and much more -- we hope you know that we are here for you and are refining daily how to show up better for you. You are not alone, and we are only a phone call away at (707) 839-1933. As I also lead the newsletter, I encourage any feedback, such as additional resources or topics you would like us to include (contact at Chelsea.T@twofeathers-nafs.org). I hope The Basket Weaver brings you some joy and comfort as we move forward into the last month of 2020. Sending warmth and best wishes as you close out this unforgettable year! Maraming salamat po, All our relations,

Chelsea Miraflor Trillo

Speak Your Language

"Thank You"

Hupa

ts'ehdiyah

Yurok

wo-hlklaw’

Karuk

yôotva

Tolowa

shu' shaa nin-la

Wiyot

Hou'

AT-HOME CHALLENGE Practice saying "Thank You" in your language at least twice-a-day for one week.

YĂ´otva to all the language speakers, learners, and teachers who continue to support us in ensuring we can include language in our newsletter and programs.

Two Feathers NAFS Recent News & Events

Native American Heritage Month In honor of November being Native American Heritage Month, Two Feathers NAFS Youth Advocates celebrated their local Native role models in Noo-lue-choh (We Love You)! This week-long series included each Youth Advocate speaking on who inspires them and why. Check out their sweet shout outs by clicking the following links or visiting Noo-lue-choh Series on our YouTube channel, Instagram, and Facebook:

Wakara Scott honors Vicki McCulley Bubba Riggins honors "The Bones Crew" Charley Reed honors Danielle Anderson Ellen Colegrove honors Gary Colegrove Jr. Amada Lang honors Julian Lang Keoki Burbank honors Alme Allen

More Honors by Staff Yvonne Guido honors Robbie Lara Robbie Lara (Hupa) inspires me in so many ways. What comes to mind first is her love and knowledge of our culture. She has an ability to connect teachings through stories. Robbie has helped me through many challenges in my life. Robbie is also an inspiration to me by how she connects with such a kind, warm energy that brings peace to people when they are experiencing difficult emotions. Robbie inspires me to be a more spiritual person, she has motivated me to be a better person. Thank you for being my friend, who has became a sister. Thank you for helping me through some of the most heartbreaking times in my life. Thank you for being by my side during some of the most wonderful times in my life. Most of all " Thank you for all the work you do with the community, professionally as a SUDs counselor, as a spiritual leader, and as a Daughter, Sister, Auntie, and Friend...Yvonne Guido (Karuk)

Shoshoni Gensaw-Hostler honors James Gensaw Sr. James Gensaw Sr. (Yurok) is my brother and a Yurok linguist who has dedicated his life to preserving the Yurok language. He is a Yurok language teacher at Eureka High and Mckinleyville High. He invests in kids and has made lasting connections to our local indigenous youth by freely offering his time, knowledge, acceptance and love. I appreciate him sharing his gifts and passion with the world and that I'm so proud of everything he does. The work he does to save our language is much needed work! Noo-lue-chek!

Shaylynne Masten honors Two Feathers NAFS Youth Advocates The people I would like to honor for Native American Heritage Month are the Youth Advocates of Two Feathers: Wakara Scott, Charley Reed, Ellen Colegrove, Amada Lang, Keoki Burbank, and Bubba Riggins. Each of them have already made positive impacts not only in the lives of our youth, but have positively impacted the local Tribal communities as a whole. Their love for the next generation drives their work, and I am proud to be a part of their journey and learning! If I could say one thing to this team right now, it would be “thank you”. Thank you for everything you do for the youth and our community. Thank you for helping me grow as a leader. And thank you for walking this world with so much love.

Shanley Masten honors Andrew Dorgan One person I would like to honor for Native American Heritage month is my partner in crime and father to my babies, Andrew Dorgan (Karuk/Yurok). I am currently in grad school at HSU getting my MSW with a 2yo and a 3-month-old baby, and without him, this wouldn’t be possible. He is the best jungle gym for the kids and is always finding ways to teach our son skills to help those in need. Teaching him how to take out car motors, using tools, and even how to change a tire. I am thankful to have our kids call him dad and he wants nothing but the best for them. He’s always working hard to make sure our family has everything we need while supporting me through school. Not only does he support me, but he is always helping our families and others when needed, from making sure they have firewood to fixing, well anything. This year has been a hard one, but we have each other and our little family, and we can get through anything. Thank you for putting up with me; we love you!

Chelsea Miraflor Trillo honors Geneva Shaw I would like to honor Geneva Shaw (Hupa Tribal Member and Karuk/Yurok/Apache) for this month's celebrations because she made a lasting impact on how I navigate my guesthood here in Wiyot homelands. She was one of my mentors for grad school and became a confidante throughout the program and in my evolution post-graduation. I appreciate her ability to approach anyone with such tender empathy, patience, humility, humor, and grounding presence...qualities I still work to embody today. Geneva, even though we are not able to see each other as often or speak as frequently, you still have left an imprint on my heart and mind that continues to help me grow into a better person every day. Thank you for demonstrating what it means to show up in a good way -- for me and all who know you. I love and admire you very much.

We'yono' Cultural Care Packages A Call for Donations: Bear Grass Bundles Recently, Youth Advocates Ellen and Wakara launched their project, We'yono' (young women/girls) Cultural Care Packages. Such boxes include materials for cultural and language activities. Their hope is to have our young women and girls feel seen and loved by the use of these care packages. They are currently collecting 300 bear grass bundles and appreciate any donations the community is able to offer.

Truthsgiving Our [Hupa] word that we now translate to primarily as "thank you"...it's about the relationship you have...what it really means is "I'm happy." We don't think about the passiveness of what it means to just say "Thank You." To us, "Thank You" is action, and it is how we build community. Click here to view full video

Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy

We all know the tale of the pilgrims and Indians sharing a meal in celebration of the first "Thanksgiving." In recent years, the true story of what happened between the Wampanoag Peoples and English colonizers has taken the forefront. Many have worked tp reclaim this holiday weekend as, still, a time of gratitude and being with loved ones -- but also a time for mourning what happened to our relatives on the Atlantic coast and stopping the perpetuation of a tale that masked genocide. On November 19th, we went on Facebook live with Cutcha Risling Baldy to serve some Truthsgiving as she explored the origins of this holiday and how the Wampanoag continue to resist today. She also shared local stories of Indigenous ways of gratitude and giving.

Acorns & Mushrooms Every other Friday, our Food Sovereignty Series team hosts a conversation with local Native leaders on cultural foodways and seasonal food management. On November 6th, we were invited into the home of Bertha Peters for an unforgettable lesson on Acorns and Traditions. She was joined by Dania Colegrove and Marva Sii~xuutesna Jones as they all discussed traditional and contemporary ways of processing acorns and showed how to make acorn soup. After going mushroom foraging with a few Two Feathers NAFS youth, on the 20th, we hosted an episode on mushroom gathering and processing with staff members Bubba Riggins and David Hostler. They shared how to dehydrate, prepare, and cook yummy meals with this earthy relative. If you missed any episodes so far, you can find them on our Two Feathers NAFS YouTube

Food is sacred. Food is medicine. That's how we are when we're preparing something. We got to be in a good mind and a good heart because the food is love. And ultimately our medicine is love. Marva Jones

GATHER Film Screening When you have food sovereignty, you're free to be self-reliant, to grow your own food, to choose the foods you want to eat, to choose the foods you want to put in school systems, and really be self-sustaining or sustainable. Our reservations across the U.S. are far away from being actually food sovereign. Nephi Craig

From December 1st to December 7th, Two Feathers NAFS is hosting a free film screening of GATHER. Registration is still available here. This documentary is an intimate portrait of a growing movement amongst Indigenous Americans to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities through obtaining sovereignty over their ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by centuries of genocide. Don't miss our panel discussion with five local cultural leaders on Friday 12/4 at 6:30pm PST on our Facebook live! They will discuss themes illustrated in the film. Gather your loved ones, grab some popcorn to share, and tune in as we learn more about food sovereignty!

Combatting Screen Addiction

As the global pandemic persists, our organization continues to explore creative ways to positively impact our local Native American youth and families. We realize that our young people are in more psychiatric distress than ever before. One issue we have identified is the use and misuse of technology and its impact on child and adolescent development. During these times, this issue has become even more pressing, as much of our lives are online. Launched November 30th with Dimitri Christakis, M.D., we will be holding 7 more training sessions by the foremost experts on young people's relationship with digital media and technology. If you missed Christakis' talk, find it on Two Feathers NAFS Facebook! Check out our schedule of talks for the forum on the following page.

To register for the rest of the forum, click here.

December 8 12:00pm - 1:30pm PST Treating Internet Gaming Disorder Clifford Sussman, M.D. December 10 12:00pm - 1:00pm PST The High Price of Materialism Tim Kasser, Ph.D December 14 12:00pm - 1:30pm PST Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive in Their Digital World Devorah Heitner, Ph.D. December 16 12:00pm - 2:0pm PST Tech Addiction in Children & Adolescents Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D. December 21 12:00pm - 1:30pm PST The Effects of Media on Children Douglas Gentile, Ph.D. January 5 3:00pm - 4:30pm PST The Social Neuroscience of Education & Therapy Louis Cozolino, Ph.D. January 12 12:00pm - 1:00pm PST Hooked on Games: The Neuroscience of Addiction Andrew Doan, M.D.

Foundation & Donor Support Currently, we are working to bolster foundation and donor support to give us more creative sovereignty in engaging the youth and families we serve. This past month, we would like to send a shout out to the local philanthropic agency, Humboldt Area Foundation, and our program officer, Lindsie Bear, for their generosity! By strengthening our partnership, we were able to enhance the following staff-led projects:

FIRE RESPONSE Crisis and ongoing response to those impacted by recent wildfires, as well as building collaborations on land management programming and restoring local relationship with fire HEALTHY ACTIVITIES Positive holistic exercises for our youth and families during Covid-19, including cultural care packages and our Bike Wednesday Bike Program FOOD SOVEREIGNTY Uplifting traditional food lifeways through a virtual series led by local cultural leaders and seasonally-focused activities with our youth and families COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS A public health campaign featuring digital story-telling by Two Feathers NAFS participants about their healing journeys and advice for those navigating similar challenges

Would you, too, like to be a Two Feathers NAFS donor?

Your donation helps us continue to support local Native youth and families of the Wiyot, Hupa, Yurok, Karuk, and Tolowa homelands (Northwest California). For over 20 years, we have provided culture-based holistic wellness services, youth-driven prevention programming, and multi-crises response. Any donation is a deeply appreciated gift!

Visit twofeathers-nafs.org for the donation link

Youth Highlight

(Yurok / Sioux / Wailaki) The Youth Highlight of the month is Kaiden Fears (pictured with his brother Klayten)! He is 12 years old and goes to Zaine Middle School. Kaiden is being highlighted for his academic achievements, kind personality, and his love of family. Since school has changed drastically and now at home, Kaiden has persevered and excelled in his classes. He has worked hard under the circumstances and shown that he can do anything he puts his mind to. Kaiden also has shown his mentor and Two Feathers staff his kind personality by showing up every time, participating, and having good manners. And lastly, he has shown how much he loves and cares for his family by practicing COVID safety protocols. We are proud of you Kaiden!

Employee the Month

(Yurok Tribal Member | Karuk, Tolowa, Siletz Descendant) Our staff is asked every month to nominate a team member who they believe has demonstrated the organization's values of Building Family, Achieving Holistic Wellness, Teamwork, Mindset in a Good Way, Accepting Accountability, and Meeting community Needs. This month, we have the honor of congratulating Wakara Scott, Youth Advocate in our Youth Prevention Program! Wakara’s genuine love and care for her community shines through her and is shown everyday at work. She is known throughout the agency as someone who goes above and beyond in everything she does. Shaylynne is honored to be Wakara’s supervisor, as it allows her to not only watch Wakara grow to become a leader in our community, but she also has the privileged opportunity to learn and grow alongside her. Wo-hlklaw', ‘ne-too’mar

Local Artist

Coloring Pages

Sierra Joyner is an Indigenous artist with ties to the Tuolumne Band of Miwok Indians. She was born and raised in Humboldt and began taking art seriously during Covid-19 quarantine after graduating college with a B.S. in Biology. She is mostly known for her freelance design work and custom pet stickers, that she hand draws, prints, and cuts herself out of her own home. Her Instagram is @sierra.joyner and her Etsy shop is called UrGirlSJ where she sells, shirts, beanies, sweatshirts, stickers, and more!

TWOFEATHERS-NAFS.ORG

@TWOFEATHERS-NAFS

TWO FEATHERS-NAFS

TWO FEATHERS NAFS