The Soboba Tribal TANF and Soboba Parks & Recreation collaborated to co-host a day-long program presented by Tribal Unite on June 12. The event combined music from DJ Rudy Indigenous with guest speakers Chance Rush and Abby Rush, all co-founders of Tribal Unite. The purpose of the event was to motivate the young Tribal members to spread positivity in all aspects of their lives.
“This event over exceeded my expectations,” Regional TANF Manager Harold Arres said. “The youth were not only willing but excited to participate.”
Chance, who lives in Dallas and is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, travels throughout the United States and Canada to work with Native communities in efforts to inspire, heal, motivate, and energize. He has a talent for using his energy and humor to spread a simple message, “Use your personal talents to lead you to greatness.” He promotes healthy living and lives his life alcohol and drug free.
Tribal Unite was formed about two years ago to unite Tribes through encouragement, leadership and spirituality. “We need to support each other,” Chance said. “We visit at least 20-30 Tribal communities across the United States every summer. We’ve had the privilege of working with Soboba at various conferences and it’s truly an honor to finally come out here.”
He has been serving tribal communities and organizations for over 20 years as a motivational speaker, event MC, and professional development trainer/facilitator. Chance is also a stage, television and film actor who appeared in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a movie that earned 10 Academy Award nominations this year. He is the principal founder of Tribal Unite with the vision to utilize multiple platforms to encourage tribal interests. For more information, www.chancerush.com.
Arres has seen Chance at several UNITY conferences in the past and said, “He’s got some great things to say to the youth and today was no exception. After speaking with our youth, a lot of them stated they enjoyed Chance’s words of encouragement. The youth were optimistic about their futures after hearing him speak.”
The 28 youths who attended enjoyed lunch before listening to an introduction by Chance, followed by an ice-breaker activity to start off with fun. Rush said the focus for the day would be on spirituality, leadership, mental health and opportunities.
He told the young people to “work strong in your community.” He said it’s okay for adults to have expectations for their children, but encouragement has to be the priority.
Chance requested two volunteers to illustrate the message of “whatever you lean toward, it will lean back.” Mkilawish Arres and Exequiel Minott stood back-to-back and as he asked one to lean backwards, the other had to do the same to maintain solid footing.
“Whatever you’ve got going in your young life, remember that Soboba youth run things. You are number one. I want you all to get down to business. You’re not the future, you’re the now. The future is in the unborn,” he said.
He told the youth that they should have a game plan and stick to it. “Everybody has a purpose while they’re here. We get on you and tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. We throw everything at you because we know that youth are ready to go,” he said. “You have to be ready to level up when the time comes.”
Chance admitted that even as an adult and all he has experienced, there is still so much for him to learn. He told the youth that with all the programs they attend, people know who they are. “You have a reputation. It’s a good one so keep it strong and take ownership of it,” he said.
He told them to always remember everything they have been through as Native people. “It’s a privilege to be who we are,” he said. “We were put on this earth to do great things, do something powerful. There is great energy in this room, there’s something powerful in this room.”
Chance told them to get ready. “Some of you are going to be put in some amazing places but it’s going to take hard work of being solid to be successful.”
He said younger siblings and other children are looking up to them and they should be a good example. “You don’t have to be perfect and ladies and gentlemen, you are not going to be perfect until you get home with Creator,” he said. “But while we’re down here on Mother Earth, let’s go all out and make an impact, make a difference in other people.”
Fifteen-year-old Mkilawish Arres was impressed with the things that Chance had to say and learned not to wait “for people to tell me what I can do.” The soon-to-be high school junior will be spending the summer working and playing sports.
Abby Rush is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold. She resides in Tulsa, OK where she is pursuing her M.A. in English Literature and Language. Abby pursued her poetic voice at a young age and has grown with her craft for over a decade. She seeks to tell the stories of Indigenous people through her work, always uplifting Native voices in her writing and outreach endeavors. Abby is dedicated to spreading her message of wellness through writing across Indian Country.
She shared with the audience at Soboba a video of a recent TEDx Talks she had done at the University of Tulsa, discussing how more light needs to be shed on the violence faced by American Indigenous women, the pervasive PTSD within Indigenous communities, and the alarmingly higher violent crime rates they endure compared to the rest of America. She shared how she promotes wellness through storytelling and poetry.
She made it clear that her stories don’t speak for everyone, but she encourages others to share their thoughts through the written word. “Your people came through their own trials and tribulations; we are here because our ancestors survived,” Abby said. “I started to think about my voice and the power it could yield. I’m a writer, a poet and maybe you’re an athlete or a musician. All of us have gifts we can use to build relationships.”
Abby, 25, shared that she struggled with mental illness a couple of years ago and didn’t want to ask for help. But she decided to take the advice she always shares with young children and that is to not keep things bottled up inside and to reach out to others when needed. “Push your ego and pride down and ask for help,” she said. More information can be found at www.AbbyRush.com.
Her TEDx Talk about the plight facing American Indigenous women can be viewed at www.youtube.com/live/AeYpZ0edhT0?app=desktop.
High school senior Zachary Guacheno said he enjoyed all the different talks. “There were a few things I learned and will keep in mind for the future,” he said.
The afternoon was filled with fun activities and frequent breaks between segments. This allowed the youth to socialize and enjoy the music provided by Rudy Indigenous. The Oklahoma based DJ and motivational speaker is Choctaw and Kickapoo. With a primary focus on personal growth and wellness to spread positivity throughout Indian Country and beyond, Rudy uses his skills in music and public speaking to help create, uplift and support the stories of Indigenous people and communities across the United States. For more information, please visit www.RudyIndigenous.com.
Nowaniiki Resvaloso, 13, had fun with all the games. His takeaway from the talks is “that we are not the future” but rather the powerful present, as Chance emphasized. Joeann Walker, who just completed her freshman year of high school, also enjoyed the activities. She learned it is important for her “to put myself out there” and plans to do that more.
There were seven TANF staff members present to assist with the event who will be able to encourage and reinforce the messages in the future. The three staff members from Cahuilla were JJ Sanders-Alto, Howard Matthews Jr. and Andrea Candelaria. Joining Arres from the Soboba office were Nancy Gallegos, Maria Hernandez, Mayra Campos and Annalisa Tucker.
“A highlight for me was seeing the engagement and enthusiasm in our youth,” Arres said. “This year, our youth are really stepping it up and getting involved and contributing to our events. This event was a great opportunity for them to do so.”
Parks & Recreation Director Andy Silvas also oversees the Soboba Youth Council and was pleased with the success of the event. A highlight for him was seeing the youth get involved with all the activities that were presented. “I expected the kids to lose interest at some point, but they stayed engaged,” he said. “We would definitely like to host similar events in the future.”
Aniyah Brittain, who is headed to seventh grade, said her plans this summer are to have fun and relax. She enjoyed the event and said, “I liked that they said I can be whatever I want to be in the future.” Shania Guacheno, also an upcoming seventh grader, said she liked how people at the event were nice. “I want to try to be successful like them,” she said.
Arres said they are considering doing more of these hands-on wellness type events in the near future. “We are also looking forward to inviting Chance Rush and Tribal Unite to host another event sometime next year,” he said.
For more information, www.tribalunite.com.
