UMD News: May 31, 2013

Communication Associate: Public Relations | Lori Melton | lmelton@d.umn.edu | (218) 726-8830

Participants in the 2012 Minnesota Indigenous Youth Freedom Project

The Minnesota Indigenous Youth Freedom Project will offer an Advanced Leadership Program June 25-28 and July 9-12, 2013. The leadership program takes place at the Cloquet Forestry Center, 175 University Road in Cloquet, Minn. The program is part of UMD's Eni-gikendaasoyang department (Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Language Revitalization), located within the College of Education and Human Services Professions.

The mission of the Minnesota Indigenous Youth Freedom Project is to rebuild nations through youth. The participants are from reservations throughout Minnesota, ages 13 through 17, interested in increasing their leadership skills.

"We're replacing the loss of Indigenous knowledge systems with indigenous knowledge that is applicable today," says Jamie Walt, project manager and community outreach specialist of the Minnesota Indigenous Youth Freedom Project. "Things like knowledge of governance, education, and Indigenous language remain valuable to both participants and the broader community." More than 100 Native American youth from around Minnesota have participated in the project since its inception in 2010. This year's participants are returning students who will take part in the Advanced Leadership Program. Up to 15 young men will participate in the first session, June 25 - 28, and up to 15 young women will attend the second session, July 9-12.

The project is sponsored by the Blandin Foundation, Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation, Otto Bremer Foundation, Northland Foundation, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and UMD's Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.

More information:
Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Language Revitalization website: http://www.d.umn.edu/enigikendaasoyang/MIYFP.html
Minnesota Indigenous Youth Freedom Project (MIYFP) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Minnesota-Indigenous-Youth-Freedom-ProjectMIYFP/106178066140724

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