I’m really pleased with what [the Center for Native American Youth has] done so far. We’ve created a start-up non-profit from scratch. In 2 ½ years, I think we’ve done some significant things. We’re focusing on the well-being of Native American youth; we’re working on teen suicide prevention; and education opportunities—a series of issues. We’re also doing youth summits on Indian reservations, working with tribal officials, and parents and children. We created a program called “Champions for Change” in which we’re seeking and finding some extraordinary young people on reservations across the country who have been nominated by their tribes. We have been able to celebrate their successes and create mentors back home for others on their reservations. I’m really, really pleased with what we’ve been doing.
Read the full interview at the Indian Country Today Media Network website.