NCUIH Youth Council Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign Launching Tomorrow July 24!!

NCUIH Youth Council Member Benjamin Sandecki shares with Native youth on what it means to be an Indigi-Wellness Healer and to Save-the-Date for the Launch of their Contest!

Learn how to become an Indigi-Wellness Healer!

Osiyo! My name is Benjamin Sandecki and I am a tribal member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. I am currently pursuing a doctorate degree in pharmacy at Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy. Throughout my pharmacy career, I have been privileged to intern at the Oklahoma City Urban Indian Clinic where my experience has directly allowed me to appreciate the importance of Native American health and wellness. I am also a current National Youth Council Advisory member representing the National Council of Urban Indian Health (for short NCUIH). I am excited to share with Native Youth across Indian Country about NCUIH’s Youth Council’s new launch date for our upcoming Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign. In May, Youth Council members hosted a National Native Youth Healing Gathering in partnership with UNITY and UNITY’s Peer Guides. During this National Native Youth Healing Gathering we covered:

  1. Wellness Best Practices and Resilience tools for Native Youth during COVID-19 Pandemic
  2. Learned how to use strength-based healing approaches
  3. The UNITY Peer Guides shared how they heal and stay well during these challenging times and
  4. We provided the purpose of the youth council’s campaigns & how to become an Indigi-Wellness Healer.

NCUIH’s Youth Council is excited to share that the Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign will launch on Friday, July 24th, 2020! As Native youth continue to struggle with wellness challenges because of COVID-19, NCUIH’s youth council wants to create a platform that amplifies youth voices and stories to the national level through its Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign.

The Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign is a social media campaign by Native Youth for Native Youth consisting of two hashtag themes- #NativeHealing and #IndigiLove– to express the importance of mental & physical wellness and healthy Native relationships, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. To me, an indigenous wellness healer is one who consistently supports others in their positive mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness journey. The Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign is designed to help empower and inspire AI/AN youth to help with healing, self-love, and forming healthy relationships while connecting youth with Native youth-driven resources to build youth resiliency and improve the overall health of youth for the next seven generations!

Click on the links below to 1) RSVP to our Facebook event page for the Indigi-Wellness Healer campaign, 2) sign-up to NCUIH’s e-newsletter to receive important next steps on being an Indigi-Wellness Healer, 3) Learn more about the Indigi-Wellness campaign and you are one step closer to winning some awesome prize bundles!  Lastly, make sure to also apply to NCUIH’s 2020 Urban Indian Youth Council (only 2 weeks left).

RSVP to Facebook Event

Sign-up to NCUIH’s E-newsletter to Receive Important Steps on Indigi-Wellness Contest

2 Weeks Left to Apply! NCUIH’s Urban Indian Youth Council Class of 2020

An Indigenous Wellness Healer is one who:

  1. Using their culture to be a shield to protect them, while also knowing when to get help
  2. Inspiring Native Youth to heal themselves and practicing self-care
  3. Investing in positive change for mental, physical, emotional/ spiritual health and sharing your story to inspire others
  4. Promoting resiliency, building healthy relationships, promoting generational healing to empower the next seven generations

All AI/AN youth and allies across Indian Country are invited to participate.

Who: All AI/AN youth 25 years years old or younger.
What:  NCUIH Youth Advisory Council’s Indigi-Wellness Healer Campaign Contest
When: Participate online July 24th, 2020 – August 7th, 2020. Winners will be announced by August 30,  2020.
Where: Online, by uploading your social media posts on your Facebook, Twitter, and/ or Instagram pages. Make your settings as Public for the NCUIH’s Office to view your submission.
Why: Our two hashtag campaigns are designed to help empower and inspire AI/AN youth to heal, to promote self- love, and love between family, friends, and partners, while connecting youth with Native youth-driven resources to build youth resiliency and improve the overall health for the next seven generations!

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