Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA) Youth Program has a longstanding record of providing Unangax̂ youth with culturally relevant programs that promote healthy lifestyles. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, APIA is one of four organizations who make up the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation’s Community Empowerment Cohort. The cohort is focused on initiating collective impact efforts that measurably impact Native youth health through physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections. With a goal that includes increasing the psychological and physical well-being of youth through use of cultural traditions and healthy foods, APIA has initiated a collective movement that includes six community partners from across the Aleutian Islands.
Beginning with an environmental scan, APIA collected feedback from a variety of individuals in the region. The scan included an online survey giving community members a chance to respond to questions pertaining to youth programs, culture and the health and wellbeing of their youth. “We wanted more data from individuals in the region,” Olivia Bridges, youth services coordinator said. “We felt we didn’t have enough representation from all the communities like we wanted to.”
Upon analyzing the results, APIA saw some glaring similarities emerging from all the communities. Bridges said the importance of traditional language, and youth and elder connections in programs were the highest ranked and most recurring in just about all the survey responses. “We were happily surprised how many people said they wanted to see more youth programming with elder and youth connection, and programs in their traditional language,” Bridges said. “After seeing and hearing this it made us think, wow we really need to do programming with youth and elder connections with our funding.”
With knowledge learned from the environmental scan, APIA and their six community partners are now moving forward together strategizing and working towards making meaningful changes in community that will impact the health and futures of youth. Currently, one of APIA’s partners in Unalaska is utilizing funds to cover the travel costs for a culture bearer to fly to the Aleutian Islands to teach a headdress making workshop to youth and families. This investment shows the emphasis and value communities in the region place on cultural connections and its impact on youth health. “Communities know what they want to do; they know what they need; and what kind of programming youth and elders in their communities want to be doing.” Bridges said.
With the guidance of the NB3 Foundation and fellow cohort members, APIA will continue to work with the six community partners through spring 2023.
Through the Community Empowerment grant, APIA has broadened their reach forming new partnerships and working with 6 community partners to include: Aleut Marine Mammal Commission, Atka IRA of Atka, King Cove Strong Non-profit of King Cove, Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point, Aleut Community of Saint Paul Island, and the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska.
