Connecting with Our Homelands in 2019

Students from the Cheyenne River Youth Project explore Wind Cave National Park.

Photo Courtesy of Cheyenne River Youth Project.

UNITED STATES – Throughout the 2019 academic year, Hopa Mountain, in partnership with the National Park Service, awarded Connecting with our Homelands travel grants to 21 different indigenous organizations, schools, and nonprofits. This annual NPS program is open to applicants from Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Recipients are able to use funds for inter-generational trips (with students and elders) to ancestral lands now located within national park units.

This year, trips took place across 12 states/territories within the United States, and included over 20 different national park units. The goal of this program is to provide support across the country for youth and elders to travel to a national park where they can share Indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage, traditions, epistemological healing, and learn about national park opportunities. More can be read on the 2019 awardees here on NPS.

Kids from Friends Forever Mentoring enjoying a hike at Glacier National Park.

Photo Courtesy of Friends Forever Mentoring.

One of this year’s awardees included Friends Forever Mentoring, who were able to bring their Youth Leadership Program students to Glacier National Park. Many of the participating students are members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, with some being descendants of the Blackfeet Nation. Given their backgrounds, they were able to experience culturally important locations including St. Mary Waterfall, Upper Two Medicine day, and view scenic points from Lake McDonald continuing through the Going-to-the-Sun Highway.

Chippewa Cree Tribe Senior Center stop for a bite to eat during their trip to Glacier National Park.

Photo Courtesy of Chippewa Cree Tribe Senior Center.

Given the open criteria of Connecting with Our Homelands, a diversity of inter-generational programs were eligible to participate. Another group that traveled to Glacier National Park was the Chippewa Cree Tribal Senior Center. This is a program for elders who were able to bring some of their young, student-aged grandchildren to experience the park. Together they ate, shared stories, and saw a number of sites.

Students from the College of Menominee Nation walk up to view Cahokia Mounds.

Photo Courtesy of the College of Menominee Nation.

Meanwhile, the College of Menominee Nation’s Native Youth Heritage Program traveled to Gateway Arch National Park, in addition to Cahokia Mounds—a signature site on the Lewis and & Clark National Historic Trail. At the “Indigenous North American Metropolis,” students got to tour and explore the site with Dr. David Overstreet, Menominee Nation’s tribal archaeologist. The students were able to learn about the “Mound Builders” and marvel at the prehistoric architecture and archaeological history in person.

Students from Las Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College learn about the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Photo Courtesy of Las Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College.

On another Connecting with our Homelands trip, students from Las Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College were excited to travel and learn at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. They toured the islands by boat and were able to see some of the cave formations up close. Sirella Ford, Youth Development Cultural Coordinator, exclaimed that, “We are very grateful to have the opportunity to extend this trip to the youth in the Ogiimaakaw program; a couple of the young men are interested in becoming Rangers. The Ranger that did the presentation for our youth did an excellent job!”

Overall, Connecting with Our Homelands aims to foster connections between indigenous groups and place to help shape pride in identity. The National Park Service oversees the stewardship of so much of America’s key cultural and natural resources, and will continue to build bridges between America’s indigenous groups and these important places. With this program continuing into the next academic year, Hopa Mountain will be posting the next application on their website by the start of 2020.