March 2023 Newsletter

Earlier this month, in celebration of International Women's Day we launched our newest call. We are looking for Indigenous Young Leaders – young Native women, Two-Spirit, and non-binary emerging leaders who are working to further Indigenous rights. This is an opportunity to join a leadership cohort, receive group mentorship from IJC/IMAGEN and gain exposure for your work.

We believe this is a timely opportunity. The recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) confirms that young people in the US are feeling isolated and hopeless. In 2021, almost 60% of female students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and nearly 25% made a suicide plan. LGBTQIA2S+ students were more likely than their peers to have used or misused substances and to have experienced all forms of violence. Native American youth were more likely than other groups to experience forced sex and have unstable housing situations. Although the YRBS summary and trends report does not disaggregate by race and gender, it is clear that Native American LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and girls are at extremely high risk. In response to these findings, IMAGEN at Indigenous Justice Circle, with generous funding from Marty Jeiven, has issued an inclusive call for young emerging leaders.

CELEBRATING OUR NETWORK

We have started a new series to honor and celebrate our talented IMAGEN Girl Society Fellows by showcasing ways they strengthen girls and young women in their communities. IMAGEN works inter-generationally across Indian Country and we are excited to show you some of the work our colleagues do.

Kicking off our series is Michaela Parrot from the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic. Check out her bio!

There is now a free app, called Dakhód Iápi Wičhóie Wówapi, which contains over 28K words in Dakota. This app includes a Dakota language keyboard and audio recordings of first-language speakers saying the words so users can learn how they are pronounced. It’s a vital resource for preserving the language and is now available on iOS and Android!

To feature your work or share any opportunities you may come across get in touch with us on Twitter @IMAGEN_network or by email at info@imagen-network.org or info@indigenousjc.org.

Wondering how to support IMAGEN and IJC? Donate now.