Native Youth Matter - If I Can See It I Can Be It
Founded 1995
Program Overview
Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAajN7XvuNs
RNCI Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It founded in 1995 initiative is a community out-reach program that builds strong and healthy relationships with Native Youth on Reservations through film, music, dance, sports and the arts, and international relations in Cultural Bridging. Its a prevention educational program designed to support Native youth and eliminating youth suicides in empowering them to tell their own stories.
RNCI work’s in areas of policy, research, and advocacy in regards to Native Youth. RNCI analyzes the impact of current and proposed policies on Native American youth, and foster strategic relationships with stakeholders such as legislative staff, agency personnel and tribal leaders. RNCI works directly with Native youth, in tribal and urban Indian communities across the country as part of our regular youth outreach and engagement work.
- National Endowment for the Arts
- NoVo Foundation
- California Community Foundation
- National Endowment for Humanities
Support for the
Native Youth Matter
If I Can See It I Can Be It
Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It is made possible through gifts, grants and sponsorships.
Give your support to Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It program.
- Department of Cultural Affairs City of Los Angeles
- Gavin White Empowerment Fund
- Joanelle Romero
- RNCI Board of Directors
RNCI Year-Round Program Calendar
The Red Nation Celebration Institute Programs focus on the specific development of storytellers from Native and Indigenous backgrounds, encompassing feature film and episodic work. Fellows will receive hands-on support from the Institute and advisors, including one-on-one feedback sessions and roundtable discussions.
A look inside our Creative Program Labs and Intensives
to experience more documentaries visit Red Nation Television Network and RedNationFilms
Our partners over the years in highlighting Native student films have been: Help the Earth (LA); Star School (AZ), San Francisco American Indian Film Festival, in addition native youth individual submissions to the festival.
RNCI is proud to announce this years partner Institute of American Indian Arts. RNFF will screen several IAIA student films at our NATIVE YOUTH FILMS Series in Los Angeles November 13, 2016.
SHOUT out to FILM students and Native youth: Over the 20+ years of Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) we have worked with some of the finest students native and non-native from CSUN, UCLA, USC, even grade school student from Calmont, Highland Hall, Viewpoint and Sherman Indian School.
RNCI have bused in students from San Pedro and downtown LA schools for our cultural bridging screenings to environmental projects and first American Indian Parade (DYLA). Even as current as students flown in from South Dakota “One Mind Youth Movement” Standing Rock Native Youth for our first Indigenous Women Climate Change March this past year November 2015, they were asked to sing an honor song at RNCI Red Nation Awards Show. We have worked with organization like: Native Wellness Institute Walking the Healing Path, Jane Goodall, Southern California Indian Center, United American Indian Involvement, Toys R Us, UNITY, Institute of American Indian Arts and National Indian Child Welfare Association.
RNCI continues to work with FILM students from UCLA and USC.
DREAMKEEPER: The Myths & Legends of American Indian.
Red Nation Celebration Institute travels to Mescalero Apache Nation annually to speak with the youth for 90 minute school assembly.
RELATED: www.pbs.org
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Something to Live for!
Our Mission is to actively engage with Native youth in making a connection that will have a life long positive effect on their lives. We are actively communicating with industry executives in staying in forefront of the entertainment industry to ensure our image is represented in film and television, in order to make a positive imprint of our image to native youth. Native youth do not see themselves in media, what does that say to to our youth, how does that effect them? Red Nation Celebration Institute’s program directly impacts native youth with positive images, positive roles models and through our Native Wellness Whole-being approach in developing leadership, in turn gives Native American Youth the confidence and skills in community, film, media, and activism. – NATIVE YOUTH MATTER – If I Can See It I Can Be It – One child at a time!
Our Goals to build on-site year round youth camps on reservations with a National Tour of accomplished native artists, during school session after Spring break each year to bring positive messages to native youth.
Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It program with your generous support has been able to give for the last 13 years, over $20,000 worth of food and clothing and over $10,000 worth of school supplies, books, toys, bikes, computers to Pine Ridge and Rose Bud Reservation. RNCI Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It, donated 500 t-shirts to native youth organization Blue Pony Program to support their native youth Lacrosse project.
Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It
has screened over 300+ Native Youth Films over the last 13 years that have been directed, produced, written by native youth including the annual matinee screening of ABC/Hallmark “Dreamkeeper” the Myths & Legends of the American Indian.
Native Youth Matter programs and initiatives has worked with Michael Jackson, to screening films, to Native Youth performing at Red Nation concerts, to workshops at UNITY Inc, to film contests, to Red is Green Carpets events, to busing in Native and Non-Native youth to Red Nation events, to donating $10,000 worth of school supplies, books, toys, bikes, computers to Pine Ridge and RoseBud Reservation, to over a 3000 Red Nation T-Shirts to Native programs.
Our partners over the years in highlighting Native students’ films have been: Help the Earth (LA); Star School(AZ), San Francisco American Indian Film Festival, in addition native youth individual submissions to the festival.
SHOUT out to FILM students and Native youth: Over the 25+ years of Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) has continued to work with some of the finest students native and non-native from CSUN, UCLA, USC, even grade school student from Calmont, Highland Hall, Viewpoint and Sherman Indian School.
RNCI has bused in students from San Pedro and downtown LA schools for our cultural bridging screenings to environmental projects and first American Indian Parade (DYLA). Even as current as students flown in from South Dakota “One Mind Youth Movement” for our first Indigenous Women Climate Change March this past year November 2015, they were asked to sing an honor song at RNCI Red Nation Awards Show. We have worked with organization like: Native Wellness Institute, Walking the Healing Path, Jane Goodall, Southern California Indian Center, United American Indian Involvement, Toys R Us, UNITY, Institute of American Indian Arts and National Indian Child Welfare Association.
GOOD BEGINNINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE * NATIVE YOUTH RISE !!!
STANDING ROCK: In November of 2015, Red Nation International Film Festival partnered with Hawkwing, Inc. to bring several Native Youth of the ‘One Mind Youth Movement’ to Los Angeles. These young people led the inaugural Indigenous Women RISE Climate Change March, and were invited to sing an honor song at RNCI Red Nation Awards Show. The Native youth who attended were members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and included Jasilyn Charger, Jasilea Rose Charger, and Joesph White Eyes among others. These young people had never before seen the ocean, nor been on a plane, but they did a beautiful job –– their voices strong –– in leading the climate change march, and subsequently sang beautifully on the LIVE televised RNCI Red Nation Awards Show. Upon returning home to North Dakota, these same youth had a hand in establishing the first resistance camp against the Dakota Access Pipeline –– Sacred Stone –– in April of 2016. They would go on to petition the federal government for redress, running in relay nearly 2000 miles to speak face to face with the Army Corp of Engineers in Washington, DC. Their inspired action sparked the support of tribal leadership, and eventually Woke the World to the Resistance at Standing Rock, generating one of the biggest social movements of our time. This is an illustration of what can happen when you make a commitment to youth, and put serious time and energy into honoring their good work: inspiration and courage are strongly nourished –– and will prove to be contagious.
Here is what President Obama said about meeting the Standing Rock youth during his speech before tribal leaders at the White House Tribal Nations Conference in December:
AND SO MICHELLE AND I ENDED UP STAYING LONGER THAN WE HAD PLANNED, AND WE GOT A LOT OF HUGS IN, AND WE WALKED AWAY SHAKEN BECAUSE SOME OF THESE KIDS WERE CARRYING BURDENS NO YOUNG PERSON SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CARRY. AND IT WAS HEARTBREAKING. AND WE TOLD THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE SUCH EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG PEOPLE –- STRONG AND TALENTED AND COURAGEOUS — WE SAID, YOU’VE GOT TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN YOU. WE WANT TO GIVE THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUNG NATIVE AMERICANS LIKE THEM THE SUPPORT THEY DESERVE. WE HAVE TO INVEST IN THEM, AND BELIEVE IN THEM, AND LOVE THEM. AND IF WE DO, THERE’S NO QUESTION OF THE GREAT THINGS THEY CAN ACHIEVE — NOT JUST FOR THEIR OWN FAMILIES, BUT FOR THEIR NATION AND FOR THE UNITED STATES.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Please contact Red Nation Celebration Institute ‘Linda Tenequer‘ for more information on how WE can make a difference TOGETHER for our youth and future generations. Email: RedNation@RedNation.com
YOU can make a difference in donating to our Native Youth Programs.
NOTE: Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It was founded by Red Nation Celebration Institute Joanelle Romero and is a copyright of Red Nation Celebration Institute.
(Photo credits: Red Nation Celebration Institute, Tailinh Agoyo, MJ Productions)
