Voices of Native Youth

Category: In My Opinion

Native Youth share their opinions on current topics.

Hoping for a Future without Poverty on the Reservation

Posted on by Jolina Barron

Native youth perpetuate the negative beliefs of living on the reservation and maintain its stagnant poverty. Native youth grow up witnessing the poverty and are conditioned into this hopeless belief. Because they have no faith in a better future, it is impossible for an effective reform for change. I believe Native youth should be the driving force behind reformation on the reservation. I think there are ways we can break the cycle and the “Rez mindset” that has permeated through modern native culture.

Native youth have adopted the “Rez mindset.” The unemployment rate on the Navajo Reservation is 42%; and 43% of Native Americans live below the poverty rate. In all the places that I’ve lived (over 20 different locations in four separate states), the reservation has had the biggest poverty issue. Native youth witness the state of poverty on the reservation first-hand throughout their childhood. 

Children and adolescents on the reservation have the highest rates of lifetime major depressive episodes and highest self-reported depression rates than any other ethnic group. Native American youth have grown up into believing that improving their condition in life is hopeless. This carries on into their adulthood and prevents the reservation from getting any better. The “Rez mindset” has permeated the young generations and causes them to believe that the reservation cannot be helped.

The 'Rez mindset' has permeated the young generations and causes them to believe that the reservation cannot be helped. #nativeamerican Click To Tweet

Don’t Fall Victim to the Pygmalion Effect

Believing in the hopelessness of the reservation creates and perpetuates this form of self-fulfilling prophecy. This phenomena, known as the Pygmalion effect, can cause negative or positive things to happen as a result of people’s projected expectations. Living on the reservation and seeing its poor conditions gives its residents reason to accept their environment. All too often  you hear the phrase, “Well, that’s the Rez.” The terms, “rezzed out” or “rezzy,” have become synonymous with “bad” or “poor.” 

Most residents believe that the reservation has reached an insurmountable state of poverty. Because our youth have grown to accept this belief, nothing is being done to help. As we grow, we carry this perspective of the reservation into adulthood by continuing to believe that the reservation’s poverty issues are unsolvable. That is why, as a community, improving the reservation is an intimidating challenge because we have made it out to be impossible. Life has conditioned us to accept poverty on the reservation with no hope of it getting better, thus it won’t get better.

Improving the reservation seems impossible because we believe it is impossible. #poverty #rezlife #nativeamerican Click To Tweet

A Call to Break the Cycle of Poverty on the Reservation

As a new generation, we need to start taking action to break the “Rez mindset” and its cycle. Out leaders need to encourage Native youth and tell them that change and reform are possible. When Native youth start helping in their communivties from a young age, they will carry that resolve into adulthood. With a generation of willing young people, we can hope to improve the reservation. 

As adults, we may look at poverty on the reservation as a hopeless problem. But what if we changed our attitude and empowered youth? #nativeyouth #navajo #nativeamerican #poverty #change

The Navajo Nation community should begin more programs and initiatives that will encourage Native youth to produce change. In our nation’s past, President Roosevelt created the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and WPA (Works Project Administration) programs. Native Americans who participated help amend the economy on the reservations substantially. Programs like YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) and other restorative programs benefit the community and the applicants. 

I’ve participated in a Youth Conservation Corps reconstruction program for Native youth and have seen the results myself. Native youth just need the push of strong encouragement to excel. Therefore, I believe that the reservation should make inspiring Native youth and the public to restore the reservation a priority.

Every generation raised on the reservation continues to ignore its dire poverty conditions. Each generation raised on the reservation has grown into accepting the “Rez mindset” and believes that change is impossible. The reservation will never improve if Native youth resign themselves to a future without hope.

To break the cycle of poverty on the reservation, our elders need to encourage Native youth to help out in their communities in a beneficial way. The reservation is not hopeless. Native youth should be the driving force bring about the reform to diminish poverty on the reservation.

native americans in history
Jolina is a college-bound high school senior. She comes from a multiracial family that consists of mainly Hispanic and Yaqui heritage. When she isn’t dancing to 80s music, she is working to combine her passions for writing and photography by becoming a photojournalist.

The Shocking Truth about being Young and Pregnant on the Reservation

Posted on by Nelcina Bekay

Native youth shouldn’t become sexually active at a young age because they are not ready for the consequences. The reality of being young and pregnant on the Rez is harsh. Young teens drop out of school. Having a baby might lead to unhealthy relationships, and the teen might end up having no support from the dad or their own family. It is a bad idea for native youth to become sexually active at a young age because lack of support, and men don’t cope well with the responsibilities of fatherhood at a young age. 

Native youth shouldn’t become sexually active at a young age. According to the Pew Charitable Trust 31 out of 1,000 Native American teenagers will give birth this year. Native youth have more babies than white teenagers. Native youth have babies because they become sexually active at a young age.

But pregnancy isn’t the only problem with sexual activity at a young age. According to Miranda Hitti on Web MD, a sizable percentage of sexually active teens noted negative consequences such as feeling used, getting pregnant, and contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Young teens are not mature enough to insist on using birth control. As a result of not using brith control, you get pregnant. Therefore, Native youth shouldn’t become sexually active at a young age because of the consequences. 

The Lack of Support for the Young and Pregnant on the Rez

The teen might have a lack of support from family or friends. For example, I have a relative who became sexually active at a young age, got pregnant, and now she’s having a hard time. She has a lack of support from family, and she has dropped out of school. All the largest public schools on the Navajo reservation don’t have a program for teen parents or pregnant students (verified by calling the three major high schools).

On the other hand, many publics school in Arizona have a program for teen moms. I think that the Navajo reservation needs a program for pregnant or parenting students. A girl on the Rez will receive little help from school, therefore the teen is more likely to drop out. 

Although 31 out of 1000 Native girls become pregnant each year, the Navajo high schools don't provide parenting programs for pregnant teens. #navajo Click To Tweet

Too Young to Cope

Although 31 out of 1000 Native American teenagers will get pregnant this year, high schools on the reservation don't provide teen parenting programs. #Navajonation #nativeyouth #nativeamerican #teenpregnancy

Native youth might not know how to cope with having a baby when they are still young. For example, my relative dropped out of school because she thought people were judging her. Therefore, she’s going to have a hard time. She stays at her mom’s house, she has no job, and she has no education.

An adult could have take care of the baby so my relative could finish high school. But she won’t listen. As a result, she has no job or education and is now suck with a baby to raise. As you can see, she is too young to make good decisions for her and her baby. 

Native youth shouldn’t become sexually active because of the consequences. A girl on the Rez will receive little help from family or school, therefore the teen is likely to drop out. My relative was too young when she had her baby, therefore she struggles to make good decisions for her and her baby. 

The Shocking Truth about the Pilgrim Story

Posted on by Jorge Lopez

Have you ever read the Pilgrim story, The History of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford? What you read might shock you because it doesn’t line up with the Thanksgiving story we’ve all heard from childhood.

Everyone thinks of the Pilgrim story as one of heroic people. After all, they escaped religious intolerance in England and came to the New World. They survived storms, sickness, leaky boats, and still managed to make it across the ocean. Once they arrived, they survived bitter cold, starvation, and even more sickness (183). And everyone knows the story of how a nice Native, Squanto, helped keep them alive and everyone celebrated together the next fall after the harvest. But people might not realize that that story only has a grain of truth. The Pilgrims didn’t treat Indians very nicely at all. 

The Pilgrim Story isn’t Very Christian

If you've ever taken the time to read William Bradford's account of the Pilgrim story, you might be shocked. It's not at all the Thanksgiving tale we know. #ownvoices #ushistory #myth #thanksgiving

Even though they were Christians, the Pilgrims treated the Indians unfairly. The pilgrims took part of their goods, like corn, which the Natives had buried (171). They knew that the corn belonged to the Indians, but still took it. Pilgrims also walked into Native homes without permission. The Pilgrims found two of their matt-covered houses with food and tools inside. When the Pilgrims thought that the Indians had run away, they decided to take what they wanted—including corn, beans, and tools. The Pilgrims saw that they were just a bunch of nobodies and treated them horrible by taking important things from them.

The Pilgrims were unfair to the Indians, they didn’t treat them very well. They took advantage of the Indians by learning their ways from Squanto. Squanto spoke English because slavers had captured him when he was a child and taken him to Europe. When Squanto returned, his people had all died. He befriended the Pilgrims and directed them how to plant their corn, where to take fish, and helped them to ‘procure other commodities.’ He also acted as ‘their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit’ (172). Squanto stayed with the Pilgrims until he died. 

The Pilgrims left no record of doing anything for Squanto, and they just took advantage of him. Squanto helped them survive, but they did nothing for him. The Pilgrims stole from the Natives and never returned it back. The Natives did steal from the pilgrims once, but they returned the things they stole back to the Pilgrims (187).

The Original Thieves

The Natives acted fairly by returning what they had taken, but the Pilgrims didn’t have the same courtesy. What the Pilgrims did wasn’t right, they had used Squanto for his skills to guide to them until his death. Pilgrims were greedy and stole much from the Indians and never returned anything.

The Pilgrim found land occupied and decided to call it theirs. Even though the land was cleared, just because the Pilgrams didn’t see anyone they called it a “Divine Providence” and moved in. The Pilgrims did not care to ask anybody whose land it was. The Indians saw the Pilgrims on their land and felt confused. When the Pilgrims saw the Indians, the Pilgrims didn’t care who’s land it was and decided to use force against the Indians for their land. They killed Indians, and scared them away by shooting their guns.

Stealing from someone and calling it 'Divine Providence' doesn't make it right. #pilgrims #thanksgiving #nativeamerican Click To Tweet

The Pilgrims stole from the Indians without returning what they stole. Pilgrims saw that the Indians had no records that they could understand and used this as an excuse to treat them unfairly. The Pilgrims used the Indians for support and used them to survive without keeping any record of their help. The Pilgrims took land from the Indians using force and didn’t acknowledge the way they did it. People think the Pilgrims were nice and good to the Indians, but clearly they were not.

Jorge hates snow but loves snowboarding. He’s proud of his Navajo heritage

Urgent Advice About Dating at a Young Age

Posted on by Davarena Hubbard

Dating Young Seems Fun, but…

Many Native Americans have had experience with or are currently in, unhealthy relationships. I think this happens because most Natives haven’t seen what a good relationship looks like. As Native youth grow up, they often don’t see good role models of healthy relationships from their family members. We’ve also started dating young, and I think that since we’re young and haven’t been shown what a relationship is supposed to be like, we have unhealthy ones ourselves. 

Adolescents should avoid dating relationships. You should not only look at the nice things that could possibly come out of the relationship but also the bad. Unhealthy relationships can cause negative emotional and physical consequences.

Dating isn’t all about Roses and Kisses

When you get into a relationship, you’re probably thinking about the nice things that can come of it, not the bad things that could possibly happen. Before getting into or even considering a dating relationship, you should evaluate both the good and bad things that could happen. I know this may seem boring, or even pointless, because your young minds just don’t want to be lonely. But this will allow you to see the cost of the relationship—both positive and negative.

According to Anita Ojeda, you should weigh the positive and the negative consequences. When you do this, if there are more negatives than positives, then you know the relationship wouldn’t be a good idea. Therefore, make a chart or something that separates the good and bad before starting the relationship.

Dating can Depress You

A high school senior advises kids to think before they start dating. Just because everyone else seems to be hooking up doesn't mean you need to! #dating #highschool #middleschool #relationships #consequences #graduate

When you start a relationship you’re all lovey-dovey and happy; you can’t imagine the relationship not working out. Because Natives aren’t exposed to what a good relationship should look like from childhood, we don’t know what to expect. We may come from an abusive family or background and might start acting out like that in a relationship. Since Natives basically grew up around lying and stealing or cheating you might act out like that in a relationship. According to domesticshelters.org, the National Institute of Justice did a study showing 84 percent of Native American women have faced violence in their lives and half of that is caused by an intimate partner. Alcholol-related abuse is not only found within the Native American culture, it’s a universal concept.  

Men suffer from domestic abuse, too—not just women. I have adolescent family members who have gotten depressed from being in a relationship. I myself have been let down from an unhealthy relationship and have gone through depression. This type of emotional negativity shouldn’t be coming from a relationship at a young age. Adolescents can get emotional consequences like these from dating while young. 

Things You Think Will Never Happen to You

In addition to the emotional consequences, there are other negative consequences. When you date, you might get distracted. You may not focus in school completely because you spend all your time thinking about something relating to your relationship or the other person. It can cause you to fall behind in school work from lack of concentration. 

When you date, your teenage hormones can take over sometimes, and you and your partner can get sexual. It can start with kissing and lead to something else. According to advocatesforyouth.org, 31 babies are born to every 1,000 Natives between the ages 15-19. I know at least seven people who got pregnant before finishing high school.

It's hard to take care of a baby while trying to finish school. #dating Click To Tweet

It’s hard to take care of a baby while trying to finish school. It can lead to dropping out and not graduating. That is another negative consequence to dating as an adolescent. Having a boyfriend or girlfriend at a young age can lead to negative consequences. 

Just Say, “No!”

You shouldn’t date at a young age. I know you probably feel like you have to, because it might seem fun. Maybe a relative had a relationship at a young age and so you think nothing bad will happen to you. But these reasons should help you stop and think. Especially if you don’t have anyone warning you about the dangers of relationships at a young age.

Before you get into a relationship, you should list the good and bad things that could come with it. Being in a relationship will cause emotional consequences. Not every relationship brings abuse or causes depression, but it will affect your emotions. You also want to look out for the negative consequences of relationships such as distractions and pregnancy. 

Also, since both teenagers are still basically children and aren’t on their own then you’re not mature enough to be caring about someone else’s needs when you have your own. Just worry about yourself for now and avoid dating at a young age.

Davarena (a.k.a Dave) is a Navajo currently finishing her last year of high school and preparing for her college education. Dave is an eccentric foodie with dispraxia who loves her puppy, Oliver.

The Cycle of Poverty and its effect on Native Youth

Posted on by Deidra Nez

The Cycle of Poverty Creates Vulnerability

When I was a little girl, my family was not rich and we lived in a one-bedroom house—you could say we lived impoverished. Also, we had no running water, which made it hard for everyone in my family to stay clean. The poor environment we lived in made us weak and strong at the same time, but mostly it made us vulnerable.

For example, we were vulnerable to being absent from school, sexual abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and making friends. This affects the mind, body, and identity, which makes it harder for youth to break the cycle of poverty.

What You Might not Know About the Cycle of Poverty

People don’t know that poverty causes depression and psychological problems. One reason poverty causes depression is we get bullied for it. I went to a public school and no one knew my past, but once they did, they would avoid me. I was only a fourth grader, but this led me to feeling depressed.

Recent research helps to unravel how growing up poor causes psychological problems. A study by Margaret Sheridan of Romanian children who lived in orphanages but eventually found quality foster homes says, “Increasingly we are finding evidence that exposure to childhood adversity has a negative effect on brain development. The implications are wide ranging, not just for institutionalized children but also for children exposed to abuse, abandonment, violence during war, extreme poverty and other adversities.”

Another study shows that the psychological effects of childhood poverty are likely connected to smaller brain volumes in areas associated with emotion processing and memory. From the scans, scientist found that the distress of poverty physically changes a child’s brain. In other words, poverty causes mental hardships.

The Physical Dangers of Poverty

The cycle of poverty can't be changed like settings on your washing machine. Three things we all need to understand about those who live in poverty. #poverty #resiliance #nativeamerican #nativeyouth

Poverty also brings danger to our physical health. Children and teens living in poorer communities live with an increased risk for a wide range of physical health problems. For instance, a poor child may have low birth weight and lack of access to healthy food. This combination can lead to obesity and other chronic health conditions. The environment of poor neighborhoods discourages outdoor activities and poor children will watch more television, thus leading to an increased risk of falling prey to marketing by obesity-promoting products. All of this can lead to increased violence, suffering or death. 

According to The Food Research and Action Center, “many low-income people still are uninsured and lack access to basic health care.” Most families who live in poverty are not able to pay medical bills. If you live in a poor environment, you’re likely to get a disease or get sick frequently. This can also lead to suffering or death. We can lose our physical health, something we need to thrive, because we live in poverty. 

Lost Family Relationships

Poverty forces us to lose interest in our own family and have an identity crisis. Some people are ashamed of their families because people equate poverty with failure. For example, someone I knew wanted to stay away from his family as much as possible because they had a way of bringing him down. He wanted a way to help his family, so he helped his parents with jobs and his siblings with education. He found a way help his family without allowing them to bring him down.

Eric Jensen, in an online article, states, “Unfortunately, in impoverished families there tends to be a higher prevalence of such adverse factors as teen motherhood, depression, and inadequate health care, all of which lead to decreased sensitivity toward the infant (van Ijzendoorn et al., 2004) and, later, poor school performance and behavior on the child’s part.” Poverty can cause youth to feel insignificant in their family, and this leads to other problems. If you can’t find who you are, then you can’t find the career that’s right for you and you may drop out of school.

The cycle of poverty can't be changed like the settings on your washing machine. #poverty #nativeamerican Click To Tweet

Poverty has a hard effect on youth. It causes mental hardship. It also takes away our physical health. Poverty confuses who we are. Clearly, living in poverty as a child would most likely make youth live in poverty as an adult and this continues the cycle of poverty. 

Deidra Nez is a Navajo. She is currently a junior in high school. She’s learning how to play the violin and she’s also passionate about music. In college she wants to major in music and dentistry. She doesn’t like grapes nor being on stage.

What Happens When Drugs Take Over Your Life?

Posted on by Torri Tsosie

Do you know anyone who had potential and ruined it with drugs? My math teacher almost ruined his life with drugs. He told us what happens when drugs take over your life.

My math teacher (a veteran who likes to tell us stories to teach us lessons) told us the story of how when he got out of the army he turned to drugs and alcohol. He said, “Drugs distract you from reality.” He had goals after the army, but once he realized that drugs weren’t helping him achieve his goals, he quit using them. Now he’s a math teacher.

Drugs are bad for Native Americans because they contribute to poverty, cause health problems, and ruin Native American lives.

Drug Use Contribues to Suicide and Poverty

Not everyone realizes what happens when drugs take over your life. Before you experiment with drugs, read this. Hopefully it will change your mind. #drugabuse #nativeyouth #nativeamericans #poverty #health #ownvoices

Drug use by Native American youth contributes to the cycle of poverty. According to a report for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 36% of the Native Americans or Alaska Natives who died by suicide had legal intoxication rates. Another study cited in the same paper, “In a small 2007–2010 studyof White Mountain Apacheyouthages 15-24, 64% were “drunk or high” when they died by suicide, 75.7% were “drunk or high” during a suicide attempt, and 49.4% during suicidal ideation.” Suicides don’t just have an emotional toll on the family, either. Familes suffer financially as well.

Depression and substance abuse combine to form a vicious cycle that leads to suicide. According to DrugAbuse.com, “Using drugs impairs decision-making abilities and physically impairs people. This is a deadly concoction when on the job. In fact, 10-20% of American workers who die at work have a positive result when tested for drugs or alcohol.”  In other words, if you start using drugs and alcohol, you won’t live up to your full work potential. All in all, drugs don’t help you with a job, or your future dreams. Drugs contribute to poverty and suicide. 

When Drugs Take Over Your Life, They Take Over Your Family’s Life, Too

Drugs can ruin Native American families. According to Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches, Inc. “Every single person in an addict’s immediate family (and at times extended family) is affected in some way by the individual’s substance abuse. Addiction impacts a family’s finances, physical health and psychological wellbeing.”  When parents use drugs, their children will likely follow in their footsteps.

Addiction would be more likely because the relatives and other family members that also had it in the past. So you would have to suffer from that as well. It also states in casapalmera.com, “Drug addiction runs through families, perhaps in part for genetic reasons, and in part due to environmental influence. If you have a blood relative who is addicted, especially a parent or full sibling, you have a higher risk for drug addiction.” In short, drugs can ruin families because drugs come with a cost of damage to families. Also, a family history of drug addiction puts Native youth at risk for becoming addicted, too. Families could break apart because of drugs. 

The Health Risks of Drug Use

You could have health problems because of drugs or you could die. An article from americanaddictioncenters.com says, “People who struggle with addiction spend a great deal of their time intoxicated, on drugs, or trying to acquire more drugs; this means that they often neglect oral hygiene because they cannot afford a dentist or they simply stop caring about brushing their teeth.” You could have gum problems, which puts you at risk for heart disease. So, if you don’t die from the drugs, you could die from heart disease because the drugs make you stop caring for yourself. In conclusion drugs can cause gum problems, as well as heart and lung disease or worse.

Drugs will derail our dreams.#nativeyouth Click To Tweet

Native American youth may not realize how bad drugs are for them. Drugs will derail our dreams by making it difficult for us to finish school or hold a job. Drug use can increase the chances that will take our own lives. Drugs become addicting and could ruin families as well. Drugs could also give you other health problems. You could ruin your gums or increase your risk of heart and lung disease. 

In conclusion, drugs are bad for you because they won’t give you a job, they make it more likely that you’ll commit suicide, they become addictive, ruin families, and give you health problems.

Announcing the Truth: Native Americans Weren’t Savages

Posted on by Davarena Hubbard

Did you know that the Native Americans weren’t savages? Throughout the history of the United States, people have referred to Native Americans as “uncivilized” and “savages.” However, Natives were and are civilized people.

By what I have gathered from different sources there are many different opinions on what makes a person or group civilized. Native societies exhibited the markers of civilization because they had some form of government, had rules of etiquette, and practiced some form of religion.

Civilized People Have Leaders

The myth of the savage Native is just that: a myth. Native American's weren't savages (or at least any more savage than their colonizing counterparts). #civilization #preColumbian #savage #nativeamerican #myth

Native Americans had a form of government or some type of leader. Giovanni da Verrazzano wrote a letter to the king of Portugal describing his interaction with the people he met in North America in the early 1500s. One of the entries tells how a king comes on their ship and tries to communicate with them. Different tribes or groups of people had leaders, someone to look up to, and someone to put things in order. If they didn’t have a leader then everything would have been chaotic and unorganized.

In the same passage when the king came onto the ship it says that the queens stayed outside and the people watched from the ground. That proves that only the leader took care of things and his people and allowed him to keep them in place. Even in history books it talks about how a leader takes charge and helps his people. If the natives had someone to listen to and to look up to, then that demonstrates a civilized form of government.

Civilized People Have Etiquette

Natives were presentable and polite to the best of their ability. da Verrazzano says that whenever they came across a group of Natives, they always had their hair up or braided and wore their trinkets (jewelry). Also he says that the “[women’s] customs and behavior follow womanly custom as far as befits human nature.” Even the women had a presentable look.

da Verrazzano says that he and his men tossed things to the Natives out of their boats or gave them things. The Natives appreciated the gifts with gratitude. The Natives’ appreciation demonstrates a form of etiquette. In this letter alone it shows that the natives were presentable and had etiquette, qualities that civilized people share.

Native Americans weren't savages and uncivilized. Stop perpetuating that myth. #ushistory #nativeamerican Click To Tweet

Native Americans Weren’t Savages

Other hallmarks of civilization include resourcefulness, sociable behavior, and religious practices. Giovanni da Verrazzanohe wrote that the ‘Indians’ had copper, corn, and water. If they had those essentials, then they must have had food and herbs that they grow for themselves. The Natives got together sometimes and conversed among themselves in a group. They were very sociable with each other, they also had religion. Before the white people came, Natives had their own beliefs and cultures. Natives shared qualities of civilization such as religion and using resources with other people groups during the same time period.

Native Americans weren’t ‘savages’ and are civilized people. Natives had a leader and therefore a form of government. They were polite and were presentable to the best of their ability. The Natives had their own religion, were resourceful and were sociable. The Native Americans were groups of civilized people. Textbooks that portray Native Americans as savages without culture, perpetuate a myty. And that myth has hurt Native Americans since colonizers first landed in North America.

Davarena (a.k.a Dave) is a Navajo currently finishing her last year of high school and preparing for her college education. Dave is an eccentric foodie with dyspraxia who loves her puppy, Oliver.

A Growth Mindset Might Not Be Enough for Native Youth

Posted on by Keira Sloan

Native youth struggle with becoming successful even if they have the right growth mindset. One of my friend’s cousins has struggled, even though she had goals in life. People’s negative expectations kept pulling her down. She struggled because of the lack of resources in her family and eventually she wandered down the path of alcohol and drug use.

Her story made me think of why Native youth struggle so much. We might not reach our goals because of negative expectations, environmental factors, and lack of resources.

Growth Mindset Starts With People’s Expectations

Having a growth mindset might not be enough for a Native youth to achieve his or her goals. Three other factors (ones you can help with) play a part. #pygmalioneffect #growthmindset #nativeyouth #education

People’s negative expectations hold Native youth back. Projecting negative expectations onto Native youth puts the Pygmalion Effect into action. The Pygmalion Effect is when expecting certain behaviors makes them more likely to occur. A study on the Pygmalion effect (also referred to as the Rosenthal study), took place at an elementary school where students were given intelligence pre-tests. Twenty percent of the students showed potential for growth, but a group of students were actually randomly picked and placed in a class for exceptional students. All of the students showed growth when they retook the test, showing that when we expect students to do well, they will live up to our expectations. 

The opposite can also happen. For example, when my older sister Kayla was in the fifth grade, her teacher told her, “Your sisters are better at math than you. You’ll be repeating middle school while your sisters go to high school without you.” Kayla struggled in school all because of a comment which unknowingly put the Pygmalion Effect into motion, causing her to get bad grades after she completed the fifth grade. Now that she’s at a new school, where everyone expects her to do well, she’s finally finding success. Putting your negative expectations on Native youth may not impact you negatively, but it does have a very negative impact on Native youth such as Kayla.

The Debilitating Effects of Poverty

We as Native youth are held back by our environment. According to a 2013 article on the American Psychological Association’s website, “In 2009, poor (bottom 20 percent of all family incomes) students were five times more likely to drop out of high school than high-income (top 20 percent of all family incomes) students.” An astonishing 33% of Native youth come from families living below the poverty line (compared to 14% of the general population). This means that Native students will have a harder time in school because they are suffering from the effects of poverty. 

Statistics don't lie. Native American students start school at a disadvantage. No wonder they fail to thrive. #nativeamerican Click To Tweet

The type of environment that you live in affects your ability to achieve your goals. Poverty can not only impact school success but mental health, too. The stress of poverty can put a strain on a kid’s mental health with the constant worry of having sufficient funds to do well in school. Stress of poverty can also lead Native youth to drop out because they will need to help provide for their family. Poverty can impact not only school success, but mental health, too, which can hold native youth back from achieving their goals.

Family Support is Pure Gold

Native youth don’t have the resources we need to achieve our goals. Support from family is a resource Native youth often don’t have. Support from family isn’t very common because we really aren’t expected to go to college. Some of the Native youth’s family members expect them to stay home and watch over their younger siblings and take care of the house. Even if we choose to go to college, distance and financial support will make it even more difficult. 

When I was younger my mother went to University of New Mexico (UNM), while we stayed at our grandma’s house, who was still living in Crownpoint at the time. My mom drove herself to and from the school for her classes, she also used student loans to pay for school which she is still paying off, but it was all worth it, because she is now a nurse. Native youth might not have the right resources such as support from family or financial support which could cause Native youth to struggle with achieving their goals.

We Have Dreams, Too!

Native youth feel like they aren’t able to achieve their goals because of several factors holding them back. Projecting your negative expectations onto us will make it more likely that we’ll fail. Poverty will make it more difficult for us to succeed, and it impacts our mental health. When we don’t have support from family or financial support, it makes it difficult to reach our goals despite our growth mindset. Native youth might struggle with these things, but we want to dream big and work hard so we can achieve our goals. 

Keira is a fifteen-year-old Navajo girl with two sisters. She is the middle triplet, and hates it when people think she’s exactly like her sisters. She loves being unique. Her hobbies are reading, drawing, listening to music and watching TV, which she thoroughly enjoys doing.

Why do Native Youth Have to Drop Out of School?

Posted on by Jorge Lopez

For the past ten years my family has moved around from apartment to apartment, staying with whichever family member had room to house us. This means that we often had to change schools and make new friends.  In trying to figure out why we moved so often, I realized that none of my family had finished high school.

Not finishing high school seemed to make it difficult for everyone to find steady jobs. I now understand that not finishing school would make my life more difficult. Most Native youth don’t get enough support from family or others. Native youth drop out of school because they are unstable emotionally, academically, and financially.

The Importance of Family Support

Most Native youth don’t get the support they need from families or others, and some families don’t encourage their kids. The Pygmalion effect helps explain this: people tend to perform at the level that others expect of them. Some families don’t expect their children to finish or go to school. Therefore, their kids don’t finish.

Most Native youth on the reservation don’t have an education because their parent(s) don’t put any effort into encouraging them to go. I have four older sisters that have not finished school because of lack of support and encouragement. They would have had a better lifestyle if they would have finished school. Therefore, my sisters would have lived up to their potential and would have had a good and stable life. Most kids don’t get enough support or encouragement from their family.

Homelessness Gets in the Way of Success

Most native families don’t have a stable home for their kids to finish school. A report by the Department of Housing and the Urban Development  estimates that between 42,000 and 85,000 Native people don’t have their own home or apartment on reservations. In other words, there are thousands of homeless Native youth. Whenever a kid a moves in with a relative or friend, it makes it harder for them to get to school or to start a new school. 

One difficulty with staying in a crowded house is that concentrating on school work feels impossible. This makes it hard to stay focused on school. Usually, when the house or apartment is crowded, it is harder to get homework done and kids will eventually start to get behind in school. I was close to being a drop-out because of the struggle I had and problems I put myself in. I lived in an unstable home because problems my family had. Therefore, I know how difficult it is for Native youth to finish school without a stable home/lifestyle.

Most people don't understand the barriers to success for Native American youth. Like laundry. #nativeamerican #poverty Click To Tweet

Drop Out or Go to School Dirty?

Laundry and lunch money shouldn't keep kids from an education. But that and other challenges often force Native youth to drop out of high school. #nativeyouth #graduation #poverty

Most Native youth don’t have the money for school and for their lunch. Most kids I grew up with didn’t have money for clean clothes and other things that were needed for school, so they decided to drop-out. Many kids don’t have the support for their financial needs. 

They didn’t have money that would get them a new set of clothes, pay for laundry, or buy food. For example, my friends lived on welfare but didn’t have the money for school. My sisters didn’t have money for necessities so they had to drop-out. My sisters also had to babysit us when we were little while my mom was working, so they got behind in all their classes.

Now that they are adults with no high school diploma, they have to work hard because of the low-paying jobs that they have for people who never finished school. Most kids don’t have the support they need when it comes to money.

Most Native youth don’t get enough support from families or others. Some families don’t encourage their kids. Native youth don’t get much support from families, either. Many Native families don’t have stable homes which makes it harder for kids to go to school and finish. Native kids don’t always have money for necessities that help ensure school success. Native youth are less likely to finish school and have a lower chance of being successful in life.

Jorge hates snow but loves snowboarding. He’s proud of his Navajo heritage

Three Reasons Why Alcohol Should be Illegal

Posted on by Davarena Hubbard

My family has a history of struggling with alcohol. They have many bad things going on for them because of their struggles with alcohol. Why should alcohol be illegal? Alcohol is bad for your health. It can cause liver disease, depression and other things can come from that. Alcohol is bad for your life, because you can die or get addicted. Alcohol can also cause permanent changes to the brain.

Alcohol Should be Illegal Because it’s Bad for Your Health

Adults make laws, but this young woman has a valid question about why alcohol is legal. She give three reasons why it should be illegal. #alcohol #alcoholic #drinking

Alcohol is bad for your health. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 88,000 Americans die annually from alcohol-related causes. Forty-nine per 1 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives die each year from alcohol-related causes, making my people the most at-risk for alcohol poisoning.

Some of my family members drink alcohol and they have bad health. For example, one relative has problems with drinking and now has liver disease. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to three main types of liver conditions; fatty liver, hepatitis, and scarring of the liver. Because my relative drinks so much, my relative makes frequent trips to the hospital for medicines and for sicknesses. Therefore, this family member doesn’t spend a lot of time with family and misses out on important life events due to bad health. In other words, drinking alcohol is bad for your health and can mess up a lot of things for you.

Alcohol Makes You Do Dumb Things

Alcohol has negative effects on your brain. When you drink large amounts of alcohol on a daily basis, it will eventually do negative things to your brain. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety.”

When you have alcohol in your system you do things you wouldn’t do when you’re sober. You can experience difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory, and bad decision-making. Alcohol can produce impairments in memory. Alcohol can do multiple things to you, but it will affect your brain the worst.

If you stay away from alcohol then you won’t have any negative effects from it that will harm your brain. Therefore stay away from alcohol or your brain will get damaged.

Alcohol and Unemployment

Alcohol is bad for your life overall. Over time, excessive alcohol use can cause unemployment, according to a 1995 study of research by John Mullahy and Jody L. Sindelar. If you don’t have a job you can’t pay anything for your living, transportation, or food. It’s hard without a job, because you can’t pay for what you need to live, especially if you have a family. 

Alcohol can also cause death. If you have a family or loved ones, they will miss you if you die. Your death from alcohol can be hard on them and they just might take the path you were on. As a result, alcohol should be illegal for these reasons I’ve talked about.

Alcohol is bad for your health, it causes liver disease and depression. It is bad for your life, causing addiction and death. It’s bad for you and your family. Alcohol can also permanently damage and change how your brain works.

Have you ever wondered why alcohol is legal, even if it's really bad for you? #alcohol #drinking Click To Tweet

Before you pick up a bottle you should always consider these reasons. You should also consider the consequences that come from drinking alcohol. 

Davarena (a.k.a Dave) is a Navajo currently finishing her last year of high school and preparing for her college education. Dave is an eccentric foodie with dyspraxia who loves her puppy, Oliver.

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