Reaching out: UAA student helps train indigenous leaders

Last month, Michele Kawahine Danner-a UAA construction management and architectural & engineering technology student-worked with adolescent Native youths taking part in the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) leadership training conference, which took place in Anchorage this year. UNITY had named Danner, an Iñupiaq woman, to its 2016 Top 25 Under 25 list, as a result of her work creating Mamit: To Heal, a video that grappled with the issue of substance abuse on the North Slope. Danner now plans to create a video addressing bullying and suicide. She talked to us about her work at the UNITY training.

 

What kind of work were you doing with the youths who attended the UNITY conference?

The goal of the Today's Native Leaders training by UNITY was to teach Native American and Alaska Native youth how to create their own community service projects. In this three-day training, peer leaders and UNITY staff worked with the youth to create real projects they could take home and work on in their communities after the training. I was especially excited Alaska was chosen as a location, because this was a chance for Alaska Native youth to really take in the leadership skills while showcasing our unique way of life.

Where did the participants come from?

Various youth groups and individuals flew into Anchorage from Arizona, Nanwalek, Bristol Bay, Fairbanks and Alaska villages to attend the training. During the weekend we had together, the Alaska Native youth got to share their customs with our Native American neighbors, and we all exchanged our similarities and differences in a fun and positive way.

What were you doing during the training?

One role was to be a peer leader and assist the youth with their icebreaker sessions and questions they had about the project aspect of the training, and my second role was to film the event and create a video of the training's proceedings. I tried very hard to be seen as a peer rather than a superior to the youth, and spent the weekend just trying to bring out the best in them.

What did you consider the highlights of the conference?

At the training, I reunited with other 25 Under 25 Youth Leaders, met a lot of passionate Native youth who wanted to make differences in their communities, UNITY staff and peer leaders from the Lower 48 who got to explore the Alaska lifestyle. It was an amazing experience to have a lot of passionate Natives in one room during the weekend.

What benefit do you believe will this work have on communities here in Alaska?

As a group we spent hours walking through the step-by-step process of creating successful community service projects, but also, the group got to hear presentations about public speaking and project examples. On the second day of the training, I did a presentation about my short film Mamit and discussed the issue of substance abuse on the North Slope of Alaska. This gave me the opportunity to show young Natives they could have a real impact in their community if they use their own talents in a positive way.

What were you hoping to accomplish on a one-to-one basis with the kids who were there?

My personal goal for the training was just to set an example and be a friend. I know Alaska Native youth are great; I was just there to share that greatness with them and help them use it to do good. Like the other peer leaders, I wanted to make sure they knew they could go back to their communities and do great things.

 

One of the youths Michele worked with at the conference, Isaiah Bales of Nanwalek, 15, said a Project Grad USA representative recommended he sign up to participate in UNITY. "I liked how [Michele] was always active in everything, really nice to others, funny," Isaiah said. "I am really shy-like, really shy-but something about her kind of opened me up and got me more active in the healing circle project."

What was your takeaway from your week there?

The experiences I had with UNITY have changed the way I look at things entirely. Spending time with Native youth on a personal level is rewarding-so rewarding that now I am considering moving into education, health, or even law. It was not just UNITY that led me to the conclusion that I want to serve Native people in greater capacities, but UNITY definitely gave me the tools and confidence to begin this journey.

In what ways did you see the Alaska youths excel?

This event was a great chance to show other tribes from the Lower 48 what we are about, and boy, did we. As one of the peer leaders mentioned (who has attended numerous TNLs), the Alaska Native youth did exceptional work with the budgeting portion of the training, which is usually the hardest part. I was so happy and pleased to see Alaska Native youth step up to the plate and really give it their all to create some really cool projects.

What are some ways youths can train themselves, every day, to become leaders?

I believe leadership is an ongoing journey and that we can always better ourselves individually. We train in leadership by doing little things like going to class on time, helping out a friend with a crisis, or standing up to bullying. Events like these are made to challenge the youth to take those leadership instincts they already have and apply them to projects that will benefit everyone on a greater scale.

Why are events like UNITY so critical, especially for Alaska Native and American Indian teens?

They are essentially the future. In decades to come, the youth will be the next leaders and we will expect them to be able to continue our successes. They can't do that unless they are prepared with the right leadership skills. UNITY is a network helping prepare Native youth in particular so they will be effective community contributors in Indian Country.

Compiled by Tracy Kalytiak, UAA Office of University Advancement