OUR WORK
Our team has received generous grant funding to continue creating community-driven resources and culturally-grounded programming for Indigenous community members throughout Los Angeles County. Our work recognizes the interconnected nature of our relations, contributions and collective learning. Our projects are visually summarized below:
Indigenous Art Gatherings
Our upcoming Indigenous Arts Gatherings are designed to empower community members to engage in experiential learning that fosters access, equity and inclusion through arts and storytelling. Indigenous Arts Gatherings will take place in the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023 and will also include the development of a brief toolkit and solidarity training slides to support the development of intentional partnerships.
Decolonizing Data to Support Indigenous Elders
Decolonizing Data to Support Indigenous Elders was designed based on the results of our recent Needs Assessment project which included five focus groups designed for sub-populations within our local Indigenous community. Participants within each of the five focus groups emphasized the need for services for Indigenous elders. This project includes data collection through three community surveys, identification of priorities shared by community members for community members, hosting two in-person Elder’s Circles in the fall of 2022 and the creation of one two-three page summary of recommendations.
Honoring Indigenous Health
Honoring Indigenous Health is dedicated to reducing health disparities among AI/AN community members in Los Angeles County. This project will center Indigenous knowledge systems through a cohort model to highlight the interconnected nature of physical and mental health as well as their impact upon immediate and extended relatives. Cohort members will gather three times to focus on cultural approaches to Diabetes awareness, prevention and education.
Indigenous Mental Wellness Gatherings
We will host five Indigenous Mental Wellness Gatherings aimed to promote mental health services, reduce stigma, and increase community member engagement in the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health American Indian/Alaska Native UnderServed Cultural Communities. This project will utilize traditional methods of healing such as language, prayer, spirituality, history, songs, and food to build connections and reclaim these traditions as a way to improve overall health outcomes. In addition, we will provide a 1-2 page resource guide on housing, employment assistance, food and mental health resources to attendees.
Indigenous Community Engagement Campaign
The Indigenous Community Engagement Campaign includes the creation and distribution of five videos designed to uplift our local Indigenous community with culturally appropriate messages. These videos will contribute to the contemporary representation of our community members and promote mental health services, reduce stigma, and increase the capacity of the public mental health system in Los Angeles County.
Service, Access, and Equity Grant
SSSP was previously awarded the Service, Access, and Equity Grant from The Department of Developmental Services for the fiscal year 2020-2021. Through this grant, SSSP developed and facilitated an “Indigenous Centered Training for Disabilities,” worked with families to create one-page profiles to recognize their loved ones with disabilities as beloved community members, distributed laptops and hotspots to improve access to technology, and overall contributed to the representation of Indigenous families in advocacy spaces such as local regional centers.