by Dr. Clayton Small Sr.
This column is a place where members can help each other foster the resilience that has sustained Indigenous people for generations. In this issue, the message comes from Dr. Clayton Small Sr.’s presentation on “Using Cultural Resilience to Overcome Trauma and Other Stressors” given at the 2021 Leadership Summit in April. Dr. Small, Northern Cheyenne, has been an educator, executive at IHS, and director of several Native nonprofits. He is currently CEO at Native Pride, whose programs and leadership trainings emphasize the role of culture in overcoming risk factors.
My definition of cultural resiliency is when we use the teachings of our beautiful Native culture, our spirituality, and our healing ceremonies to overcome trauma, tragedy, threats, and other stressors. Young people should know our culture teaches us that it’s OK to ask for help, to call the spirits, and to call on the Creator. It’s also important to talk about our feelings, our stressors, and our multigenerational trauma. That’s how we break the cycle. When we can talk, when we can give our feelings to the spirits — the Creator — we can heal. Our ceremonies let us do that, and our elders help facilitate this process. Our tribes have beautiful ceremonies that, in addition to counseling and talking, help us deal with grief and loss. Feelings we should get past include hurt, anger, guilt, and shame. Forgiving and letting go will set us free. Self-care is also important. We should seek happiness because we will have better health, relationships, and connections to our community — and we will be more resilient. Research shows that much of our happiness is up to us. We have to choose happiness. For long-term happiness, we should cultivate good relationships, commitment to community, and personal growth. Instead of worrying about the future (anxiety) or the past (depression), focus on the present. Don’t let fear hold you back: 90 percent of our fears never happen. Stay the course and remain vigilant and prayerful. Remind yourself that you are worthy. You are resilient. Tomorrow is a new day — seek happiness.
In many ways the 2021 Leadership Summit was no different from similar events in past years. It gathered Native STEM students and professionals for sessions and opportunities for networking and mentoring designed to equip them with the strategies and tools they will need to navigate their personal career paths. But instead of assembling in one place for a weekend, this year’s participants logged on remotely for a full schedule of virtual learning opportunities. The Summit, held in April on two successive Fridays, featured remarks from members of the AISES Council of Elders, students, and professionals as well as keynote addresses from Dr. Keolu Fox, the first Native Hawaiian to receive a PhD in genome sciences; Teara Fraser, Métis, the first Indigenous woman to own an airline company in Canada; Dr. Clayton Small Sr., CEO of Native Pride; and others (for more on Dr. Small, see “Cultivating Indigenous Resilience”). Nearly 450 participants — 63 percent of them women — from 38 states and Canada attended this year’s opportunity to celebrate Native values while honing the skills it takes to succeed.
With the launch of a dedicated website, nfc.aises.org, AISES has made its Native Financial Cents (NFC) program more accessible to the K–12 and young adult target audience. The program is designed to help Native young people secure their financial futures by making smart decisions about saving, spending, and borrowing. Working with Wells Fargo, the AISES team adapted content from the Wells Fargo financial education Hands on Banking curriculum for Native students and cultures. To bring the program to tribal communities, in 2020 AISES and Wells Fargo recruited and trained 50 Native Ambassadors. Now with the new website, more people can access NFC money management tools and resources.
GreatNonprofits, an online resource for community recommendations of charities and nonprofits and the largest donation website for nonprofits, has named AISES a 2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit. The rating is based on the number of reviews contributed by volunteers, donors, and other supporters.
AISES was cited in the forbes.com article “How Indigenous Groups Raise Youth Who Are Passionate About Math” as a supporter of the Alliance of Indigenous Math Circles, which holds teacher workshops, provides mentors, organizes informal gatherings called math circles, and runs a summer math camp for pre-college students.
Remembering Jimmy “Jim” Curtis Shorty
The AISES family was saddened by the passing in April of Jimmy “Jim” Curtis Shorty, one of the original co-founders of AISES and a former member of the Board of Directors. In the earliest days of the organization, he took on a substantive role in writing the bylaws and formalizing legal aspects of what would become AISES. After earning a BS in geology and a doctorate in law from the University of New Mexico, Jim Shorty served his tribe for many years in the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources. He also worked at Sandia National Laboratories from 1983 until retiring in 2007. A fluent speaker of the Navajo language, Shorty was well-known in the community and served as an assistant to the president. Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife of 54 years, Patricia Shorty, his sons Richard and Patrick Shorty, two granddaughters, and four great-grandchildren.