Tlingit & Haida was recently awarded a youth advocacy grant from the Spirit of Youth program to improve the behavioral health of young people in Anchorage, AK.
The grant award will fund Tlingit & Haida's Transformative Healing for Indigenous Youth Anchorage project which aims to increase advocacy skills among Anchorage youth, provide a forum to discuss issues impacting young people today and explore factors that affect mental health. Addressing all of these issues helps empower Indigenous youth to advocate for change, strengthen their coping techniques and support their peers.
Eight youth leaders, ages 12-24, have been chosen to participate. Each expressed various reasons they wanted to be a part of the program, from tackling bullying and stigma surrounding mental health, to raising awareness about drug use and homelessness.
With a grant from the Department of Health and Social Services, staff from Tlingit & Haida’s Community & Behavioral Services division will meet with the youth leaders to talk about issues important to them, explore factors that impact mental health, and teach coping techniques and advocacy skills.
The youth leaders will organize a half-day, in-person summit in May to teach those skills to their peers.
Tlingit & Haida’s Fourth Vice President Tasha Hotch said it’s exciting to see young people getting involved in their community.
“People are seeing the value in having a young person’s voice,” Vice President Hotch said. “Any time where we create a space for younger people to have a platform to share their feelings, their ideas and what they want, and to get a little bit of guidance, it helps them feel comfortable to continue those skills forward.”
