National Youth Photo Contest Launched for Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month – Native youth across the nation are invited to show the world what it means to be Native, using #WeRNative.

bbe342c8-4eb0-49bf-a11f-096483eda91dNovember 2014 — We R Native announced today that the Oregon-based non-profit is inviting Native American youth throughout the nation to participate in a photo challenge to raise awareness for Native American Heritage. The multimedia health resource for Native teens and young adults is teaming with Native-owned marketing company, Redbridge Inc., to host the #WeRNative Photo Challenge throughout November, which is Native American Heritage Month.

In the 2010 Census, 5.2 million people reported they were American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN), with approximately one-third under the age of 18. AI/AN youth are disproportionally impacted by a variety of adolescent health concerns, including high teen pregnancy rates, drug and alcohol use, and depression and suicide, which heighten their need for programs that align to their unique culture and social context.

Tribes and tribal organizations throughout the U.S. are working to develop and implement evidence-based, culturally-appropriate health interventions. We R Native serves as a resource for body, mind and culture concerns facing today’s tribal youth. The service was designed for Native youth, by Native youth. It includes content on social, emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual health, and encourages Native youth to take an active role in their own health and welling. “Our tribal youth face a lot of challenges that leave them feeling like they’re facing them alone” says Stephanie Craig from We R Native. “In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, Native youth will unite to show the world and each other they’re not alone and what it means to be Native by using the hashtag #WeRNative.”

On average, the We R Native project, funded by the Indian Health Service, reaches over 31,000 users per week through its various media channels. “If the total Native American population is 1.6% of the nation, then Native youth are .5%. It’s easy to see why they feel alone in the challenges they’re facing,” said Shannon Hulbert, CEO of Redbridge. “Imagine how empowering it would be if they started to see a number of other tribal youth across the nation saying #WeRNative. The Challenge could serve as a platform for raising awareness, not just for who’s struggling and how, but also for who’s facing the challenges in ways they hadn’t thought about, and who’s smiling through it all.”

To Submit a Picture

Submissions will also have the chance to win a We R Native hoodie, shirt, or $75, $50, and $25 prizes. Submit entries and learn more about the contest at: www.wernative.org/Whoru

We R Native is a multimedia health resource for Native teens and young adults. The service was designed for Native youth, by Native youth. It includes content on social, emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual health, and encourages Native youth to take an active role in their own health and welling.

To learn more, please:

 

About Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Phone: (503) 416-3259
www.NPAIHB.org

We R Native is managed by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB). The NPAIHB is a tribal 501c(3) that works with the 43 federally-recognized tribes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to promote AI/AN health in the Pacific Northwest (NW). Recognizing the need to establish healthy lifestyles early, the NW tribes developed a five-year Adolescent Health Tribal Action Plan. The plan’s primary goals are to: 1) Increase the capacity of tribal health programs to improve adolescent health using culturally-appropriate policies, programs, and services. 2) Empower AI/AN youth to realize their full potential for health and development. And 3) Improve intertribal and interagency communication, coordination, and collaboration across sectors to promote adolescent health.

About Redbridge, Inc.

Redbridge, Inc. is a Native American-owned company that specializes in consistent delivery of environmentally-friendly graphic and web design services, marketing consulting and hosting services to federal, state, tribal and native-owned entities in the energy, tech, health, and tribal industries. Founded in 2011, the company is a MWESB and 8(a) certified company. Capabilities include the following NAICS codes; 541430 GRAPHIC DESIGN SERVICES, 518210 DATA PROCESSING, HOSTING AND RELATED SERVICES, and 541613 MARKETING CONSULTING SERVICES.