Stand up—against negative decisions. Stand up—stay focused on traditions…
— Lyrics by Native Stand Warm Springs
The group also produced a music video, filmed in Warm Springs, featuring the song.
Native STAND (Students Together Against Negative Decisions) is a peer education curriculum for healthy decision making among Native youth.
Native STAND Warm Springs focuses on the Warm Springs community. Scott Kalama and Anita Davis are the Warm Springs program coordinators.
During the spring, they worked with 15 youth from the k-8 Academy. This was an after-school program with guest speakers and empowering projects, and the final project being the original song and video.
Some of the students are featured in the video, while others did the camera work, so they all had a part. Working with Scott, they students also came up with the words to the song, recorded at the Community Counseling Center Prevention room.
Themes of the overall program included healthy choices, being a leader not a follower, and culture and tradition. The students decided to make these the themes for the song, Scott was saying recently.
It took about five hours to get all of the vocals down. The video part was harder, with many hours of editing. The final result is excellent (you can see it at nativestandwarmsprings.com).
This was the first phase of a two-part grant project, overseen by Health and Human Services. Sponsors are OHSU and the CDC.
The second phase will be in the fall, and the program coordinators will be recruiting for youth who are interested in participating.
The program focuses on young people in grades six to 12. Seth Burke, school counselor, helped recruit some of the youth.
A thank-you goes to the guest speakers, Mykee Martinez and Leighton Pennington, Andy Leonard, Deanie Johnson and LeiRon Picard. Groups who participated were Soaring Butterflies and Warrior Spirit, the Ayayat Idait Tena Nume Dance Group; Warm Springs Community Center, the Prevention Team, and the k-8 Academy.
Youth Involved in program and project:
Rupert Bellanger, Marilyn Tom, Nathan Stywer, Jeremiah Blackwolf, Dominic Holliday, Ashlyn Johnson, Natasha James, Gilbert Moses, Tracy Boise, Isaac Boise, Jackie Zamora Heath, Marjorie Zamora Heath, Dominicio Tafoya, Silas Howtopat Jr, Nicole Goudy, Keilani Charley, Jasper Smith, Ricky Smith, Mateo Banda Smith GiGi HInstsala, David, Matthew Smith, Maylene Smith, Dapri Miller, Alex Morales, Amyah Miller,Tatum and Jadrian Kalama.
STAND team
A thank from Native Stand Warm Springs to the Native STAND core team, mentors and collaborators:
Bill Lambert, Native STAND at OHSU and associate director of Center for Healthy Communities.
Stephanie Craig-Rushing, Native STAND at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. Michelle Singer, project manager, Native STAND at OHSU.
Tosha Zaback, Native STAND evaluator at OHSU and program manager of Center for Healthy Communities.
Ben Christensen, Native STAND mentor and coach. Amanda Rowsell, Native STAND mentor and coach.
Tracey Hardy, Centers for Disease Control. Tom Becker, director, Center for Healthy Communities at OHSU.
And the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and NW Native American Research Centers for Health.
