In recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, our Healthy Native Youth monthly newsletter includes culturally-relevant curricula, tools and resources for American Indian/Alaska Native teens, parents, and communities to promote healthy relationships, consent, sexual health and mental health.

Watch and utilize THRIVE and We R Native's Healthy Relationships Video Playlist below featuring short videos covering the many forms of Abuse (Cultural, Digital, Financial, MMIR) as a learning tool.

 Healthy Relationships YouTube Playlist

It is important to make the connections between a strong mind, body, spirit and how healthy relationships with ourselves and others are protective factors against violence. 

Coming Up on Valentine’s Day: Sexual Health 101  

There are many fears about how to teach or to promote sexual health in school and community settings. Healthy Native Youth is responding to requests from the field to share inclusive effective sexual health teaching strategies. Register and join us! 



If you miss it, you can view recorded sessions & handouts. Click here -> HNY Resource Library 

Native VOICES: Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex

Native VOICES is a 23-minute video, designed to encourage condom use and HIV/STI testing among heterosexual and 2SLGBTQ+ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer) American Indian young adults.

Share and watch the Native VOICES trailer!

The video shows Native role models in situations that youth can relate to - featuring culturally-relevant characters, scenes, and situations - that capture both the serious and humorous sides to Sex Ed.

The video demonstrates how to negotiate condom use with a partner and stresses the importance of talking with partners about sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

This is a free, flexible curriculum that requires no formal training and is listed as one of the CDC's HIV Effective Intervention.

Implementation Toolbox: Session Reflection Log

The HNY Implementation Toolbox is an educator’s treasure chest!

The steps and tools in the Toolbox will help walk you through important phases in the adolescent health planning process with ready-to-go templates, tips, examples, and words of encouragement.

Implement Phase: Watch the 1 minute Orientation Video

The Goal of the Implement Phase is to deliver the program with confidence! The Session Reflection Log ready-to-use template can assist you in the teaching journey - track and plan for the next go around. Give it a try!

Text Message Campaign Spotlight:

Text SEX to 94449 (a Sex Ed tool for Native Youth)

Tip: Encourage youth and young adults to text SEX to 94449 this month!

American Indian and Alaska Native youth experience serious disparities in sexual health, including the highest teen birth rates.

There is a critical need for culturally relevant, inclusive, and trauma-informed sexual health education programs to help Native youth thrive.

Healthy Native Youth is a part of a collective sharing strategies to engage youth in their own health - using skill-building tools, like Native VOICES and #Text4SexEd.

Tribal Boarding School Toolkit for Healing

Youth friendly resource on historical trauma 

The THRIVE (Tribal health Reaching Out InVolves everyone) in collaboration with Indian Health Services (IHS) contracted with Kauffman and Associates, Inc. (KAI) to develop an electronic toolkit for teachers, public health professionals, mental health professionals, tribal administrators, and public safety professionals.

The toolkit is intended to be a brief, reader-friendly resource with information on the historical trauma resulting from Indian boarding schools in the United States. 

You can find additional information about the Toolkit on our website. Promotional materials and an interactive website will be coming soon. 

Save-The-Date: 2024 THRIVE Youth Conference

June 24-28 in Portland, Oregon

This free annual conference is for Native youth ages 13-19.

The conference brings youth together to learn about health promotion and disease prevention skills with a strong focus on suicide prevention and mental health. More details to come! 

Project Red Talon Regional Partners Network Virtual Gathering in January:

Strategic Planning to end HIV/STIs/HCV in Indian Country & Alaska

The Project Red Talon (PRT) Regional Partner Network is a growing movement trending across Indian Country and Alaska - working to end the HIV/AIDS, STI and HCV syndemic among American Indian/Alaska Native people. Last minute inclement weather in Portland pivoted a planned in-person meeting to a virtual one.

But nevertheless, the PRT relatives came together to update, brainstorm and plan for the next phase of collective efforts in 2024 and beyond!

Look for PRT regional partners in the field this year at conferences, events or fairs! We invite you to join us in the movement!

Self Harm Awareness Month,

2SLGBTQ+ Health, & Girls HIV Awareness

www.healthynativeyouth.org

www.npaihb.org/thrive

www.wernative.org

www.pathsremembered.org

www.npaihb.org/project-red-talonpprojec

www.indiancountryecho.org

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