Zuni Youth Enrichment Project

These grant funds will be used to support ZYEP’s mission and efforts to preserve and promote traditional Native arts and cultural assets, knowledge systems, and lifeways in your community for the benefit of future generations as well as increase organizational sustainability.

Program Opportunity Statement (Recommended 300 words or less) Role models are intended to guide and mentor those who seek opportunities or wish to learn. Those kinds of individuals have and continue to exist and thrive in the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project. The team in 2009 were operating out of Tom Faber’s trunk, providing activities for camp not knowing what would become of their efforts. With hard work and many testimonials later, the program would grow to provide many initiatives and several dedicated to building the future leaders of our community. In order to pursue the mission of ZYEP by providing the youth with positive mentors, it is vital to provide training opportunities for the young leaders (16-24 year old camp counselors, after school mentors, coaches, etc.) to one, build on their skill set and two, practice their teachings through ZYEP programming. Within summer camp, camp counselors go through an extensive two week training filled with presentations necessary to prepare them for youth engagement. Trainings include: CPR/First Aid provided by Zuni Fire and EMS, suicide prevention training provided by on-site certified trainers, cultural responsiveness, risk management, reporting procedures, an overview of ZYEP policies, team building activities, an overnight camping retreat, and so much more. According to post evaluation surveys from the 2024 camp counselors, 80% felt the training prepared them for summer camp. Over 60% of counselors highlighted three training sessions they enjoyed the most. They included a review of reporting and emergency situations (scenario practice), group games and icebreakers, and the overnight camping retreat. Funding from this grant would allow ZYEP to supply camp counselor training materials, fund an overnight camping retreat for the counselors to practice group management skills and participate in team building activities, and fund counselor background checks in order to foster an important ongoing partnership with the Zuni Public School District.

Project Purpose The Delapna:we Project will leverage the cultural treasures represented in the audio recordings of elders telling traditional stories and incorporate them into our Delapna:we Camp that uses performing arts to bridge the gap between youth and elders by providing them the space and resources to engage with Zuni language, art, and culture.

Zuni Youth Art Markets will leverage the education and skills that the young artisans develop from ZYEP's apprenticeship program by creating spaces to put curriculum into practice through community centered events that promote wellness and the entrepreneurial efforts of our artist community.

This grant will provide event sponsorship support for Zuni / Major Market's 2024 Earth Day Event

General Operating Support

This project will assist in increasing equitable access to healthy food while increasing food security to help leverage the reduction of health disparities through the use of innovative food distribution, family kits, food sovereignty education, and the creation of a community food pantry for famished youth and families of Zuni.

Program Opportunity Statement (Recommended 300 words or less) The Zuni community is located in a rural area with limited to no access to local produce and resources. Zuni is considered a food desert despite having a rich tradition of farming that dates back from time immemorial. Zuni is located in an area that is surrounded by dormant agriculture fields that have not been utilized due to circumstances beyond our control such as climate change, lack of water/resources and lack of interest from community members. The Zuni river was a key component in maintaining a vibrant agricultural lifestyle; however, with a community upstream damming the river, Zuni lost access to our water system. The loss of the Zuni river resulted in the decline of farming which has had a detrimental effect on our people’s spiritual, mental and physical health. The opportunity that this grant will support is the expansion and renovation of existing community gardens with the potential development of a new community field that will provide locally grown vegetables for Zuni youth and community members. This program will be advised by ZYEP’s Agriculture Committee. The Agriculture Committee consists of seven individuals who are experienced individuals with a deep knowledge of Zuni agriculture. The vegetable field will consist of strictly non-GMO seeds. The creation of a larger field will also promote sustainable agriculture with the utilization of rain harvest. ZYEP has an extensive water catchment system that supports three small community gardens with the capacity to support a larger field. To further promote sustainable agriculture, drought-tolerant seeds will be planted in efforts to conserve water and resources.

Program Opportunity Statement (Recommended 300 words or less) The opportunity to create “Idonapshe: let’s eat,” creates a deeper understanding of the connection of healthy, rich, nourishing traditional and non-traditional food to the Zuni youth. The fast-paced lifestyle of modern times has greatly influenced families to increase consumption of processed foods which also is influenced by the cost of eating healthy. The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is in the middle village where students walk straight to after school and arrive to play on the turf or the basketball court hungry. On one occasion, 12 middle school boys approached the Program manager, Tara Wolfe, and asked for food. Upon feeding the boys, a special bond of trust and respect with them was created, that bridged over to the middle school. This micro grant is an opportunity to provide food to those in need. One goal of the “Idonapshe’Let’s eat” program is to have a community pantry accessible to any student who needs the basic necessities of food and to increase the knowledge of our ancestors of sharing food and inviting all to partake in the consumption. The second goal of the Idopnapshe program is to have a bi-monthly gathering for 40 of the youth within our programs to join in a celebration of food with our elders. Conversations, language and knowledge will be shared as ZYEP staff will join in as a community focus group through the Zuni youth perspective.

In 2020, with help from Melvin Consulting, ZYEP established a four year strategic action plan that set specific goals that would strengthen the organization in our mission and our sustainability. Setting these intentions helped ZYEP think beyond the current operating year and make long term plans for a deeper impact. These goals are not always program or activity specific, but more capacity building and operational focused. This general operating grant will allow ZYEP to invest in our strategic action plan.

Critical Role Foundation features NYCF in campaign to promote and feature grantee project

First Nations Development Institute worked with ZYEP on developing their individual donor program, and as part of this TTA we are awarding them a mini-grant to match their individual donor drive

COVID-19 Response Survey

COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 Response

Participation in the training will help our organization focus our energy and resources toward a common set of priorities and goals to effectively pursue our mission to help Zuni youth grow into strong and healthy adults connected to their Zuni heritage.

The Zuni Youth Advisory Council creates new opportunities for young people to serve as community youth leaders and peer mentors to younger youth in Zuni Pueblo, connects them with intergenerational mentors to cultivate leadership and cultural knowledge, and helps to develop the next generation of Zuni community and cultural leaders.

Native Giving Distribution

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This project creates opportunities for master Zuni artist to pass along traditional pottery knowledge and practices to the next generation of Zuni youth-artist. Through apprenticeships, the teachers will encourage transformative learning experiences that help youth build a positive self-identity, heal from intergenerational trauma and build resiliency to navigate future challenges.

Native Giving Distribution

Our six-week youth-camp helps youth retain Zuni language and traditions while promoting intergenerational relationships and healthy behaviors. Our approach leverages community assets and ensures local control by employing cultural bearers to educate camp counselors (ages-15-24), who in turn, mentor campers (ages-6-12).

Native Giving Distribution

Native Giving Distribution

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This project provides Zuni artists with an opportunity to build their artistic capacity, celebrate art, and have a platform to promote and preserve Zuni culture for generations to come. Zuni's Emergent story art in the Hon A:wan Park will enhance the cultural connection and empowerment that community members experience.

Native Giving Distribution

Native Giving Distribution

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Native Giving match

Native Giving match and distribution

The ultimate purpose of Seeds of Zuni Health is to create an outdoor learning space and Farmers' Market space at acreage recently donated to ZYEP by the Zuni Tribe, retain traditional Zuni agricultural practices and cultural traditions related to the sharing and distribution of food, and leverage the funding provided for A:ho' A:wan Doyenkakya Dehwanne (People's Garden) to take the project from growing fresh local produce to improving the local food system as a whole.

The ultimate purpose of the Zuni Youth Teen Mentors program is to increase the leadership skills and potential of teen mentors while building commitment to serving the Zuni community. Further, the program will increase cultural connectedness and spread traditional knowledge among teen counsellors and young campers alike. The program will leverage in-kind resources from many community partners, allowing the program to continue to grow and better serve our youth.

Native Giving Pass-Thru not previously tracked in GIFTS (2015 Q1&2)

The ultimate purpose of DY MESA's Zuni Past, Zuni Future is to (1) create the opportunity for Zuni youth to learn first-hand about the Zuni migration story, one of the most critical components of Zuni traditions and culture and (2) increase cultural knowledge and language skills among participants. Additionally, Zuni Past, Zuni Future will aims to increase participants' sense of identity as Zunis, their connection to their language and culture, their pride in the history of the Zuni people and their aspirations for their lives as future Zuni leaders.

The ultimate purpose of the DY MESA Program is to 1) increase the language and cultural proficiency of participants, 2) retain Zuni language and culture for future generations, and 3) create the next generation of Zuni leaders empowered to create positive change for the Zuni community of tomorrow. To this end, DY MESA will utilize the newly created Social Justice and Empowerment Curriculum and the Zuni language and culture teaching skills of the Education Co-Coordinator.