“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.

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This year’s United National Indian Tribal Youth Inc. conference was held in Minneapolis and 10 Soboba youth attended the five-day, youth-led event in July that attracted about 2,500 Native youth and advisors. The attendees, aged 12-17, are all participants in the Soboba Tribal TANF year-round LEAD prevention program that provides Leadership through Education, Acquirement, Desire.

While the youth leaders were busy with workshops and other activities, two advisors from the Soboba Tribal TANF Program who accompanied them, attended sessions that covered safety, provided conference updates and networked with other advisors.

“Attendance was higher at this year’s conference,” Senior Program Specialist Annalisa Tucker said. “We heard from amazing Native American women doing great things in Indian country.”

The UNITY Conference is an impactful event that offers general sessions, regional caucuses, workshops and a career/education fair. Fun evening activities provide hands-on leadership development activities where the National UNITY Council conducts elections and its annual business meeting. The national conference is a place where Native youth voice is encouraged and valued. This year’s theme was “Restoring the Spirit of Native Youth.”

Kimani Resvaloso-Sanchez, 13, attended the youth conference for the first time and enjoyed meeting new people and seeing new things. She said the group also got to do some sightseeing around the city that included a visit to the Mall of America.

“The best workshop would have to be the one about healthy relationships and mental health,” she said. She also learned that future generations will be affected by what is done now, just as how we are currently being affected by climate change that has been taking place for the past 20 years.

The conference offers unique youth programming through its UNITY Fire and UNITY Drum. The UNITY Fire, which is lit on the first day of the conference, burns 24/7 during the annual conference and is led by alumni fire keepers, is used for social and prayer purposes and has provided conference attendees an opportunity for support, healing and spiritual nourishment.

Warren Skye, Tonawanda Seneca Pine Tree Chief, said, “A fire burns within us and has so since the beginning of time. We must continue to strengthen it and keep it bright for generations to come.”

The fire is meant for all beliefs and religions to share their “Good Medicine” with other participants. The UNITY Drum, also led by alumni, is an open drum with roots in the southern style of powwow singing. All youth singers are encouraged to bring their drumsticks to join in.

Akwaalimay Resvaloso, 13, enjoyed learning new things about different cultures and places. A favorite workshop was one about leadership and plans are to share what was learned about communication and leadership skills at school and personally.

On opening day, participants were treated to a panel discussion on Indigenous actors in film with Kiowa Gordon, Dark Wind TV series; Stormee Lee Kipp, Predator 5: Prey; and Mato Wayuhi, composer for Reservation Dogs.

Also available on the three full days of the conference were optional Wellness Warriors fitness activities such as Zumba with Eileen Crocker, a one-mile walk with UNITY Executive Director Mary Kim Titla and a buddy fun run.

The keynote speaker on Saturday, July 9, which was deemed Physical Development Day, was Chef Pyet, the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s groundbreaking television program, Next Level Chef. Stephanie DeSpain goes by Pyet, which is short for her inherited Native American name Pyetwetmokwe. She is an award-winning traveling private chef whose life’s work is dedicated to Indigenous Fusion Cuisine. Chef Pyet’s passion is to uplift Indigenous culture and traditions via storytelling, traveling and cooking. Her current focus is promoting Indigenous ingredients in everyday cooking. While doing so, she hopes to encourage others to pass along healthy cooking, lifestyle choices and traditions within their own families.

The following day’s focus was on Mental Development and offered the panel presentation, “Native Youth Research is Good Medicine” with Nicole Bowman, PhD., Bowman Performance Consulting and Gregory Phillips II, PhD, MS, Northwestern University, Chicago.

Morning and afternoon workshops covered a wide variety of subjects including foster care, lack of accurate Native American based education within the public-school curriculum, sexual health and wellness, cultural sovereignty, food as medicine, culture and language loss awareness and developing positive environments and health habits.

Categories with various presentations were career, culture, education, environment, health, leadership development and wellness and prevention among other important topics. “Cultivating Connections: The Importance of Nurturing Healthy Relationships Health” offered youth leaders information on the importance of engaging in healthy relationships early in life. It also included an overview on how to build and nurture healthy relationships, as well as the effects of unhealthy relationships on personal and professional growth.

The focus on Monday and Tuesday was Social Development and that included the Education and Career Expo Kick-off with a panel presentation, “Native Activism Then and Now” moderated by Evynn Richardson and Lily Painter, featuring Winona LaDuke, Madonna Thunder Hawk and Judith LeBlanc.

Many of these workshops focused on career and financial literacy as well as animals, the transformative power of art and building steps to becoming a successful Tribal leader. “What is your legacy?” was led by Eileen Crocker. She helped youth discover their inherent abilities to cultivate their own legacy. She guided them in their journey as she shared her own life’s experiences. The skills taught are ones that they can use each day to feel a sense of empowerment.

Before the conference officially ended at noon on Tuesday, July 12, keynote speaker James Anderson provided a final message to the young leaders. As a trainer, speaker and co-founder of the LifeSkills Center for Leadership, Anderson is one of the nation’s leading authorities on peak performance and personal development. During the past 20 years, he has worked with businesses, Tribal organizations, universities and high schools sharing the skills that it takes to be successful in today’s world. He also owns and operates the award-winning Old Southern BBQ restaurants in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

UNITY’s midyear conference will be Feb. 24-26, 2023 in Tempe, Ariz. and the national youth conference is scheduled for June 30-July 4 in Washington, D.C.

For more information, please visit www.unityinc.org.

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