Birth Equity Programs Yellow Shawl Toolkit Childhood is Sacred The Cancer Prevention and Control programs...
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Birth Equity
Programs
Asabike Coalition
About
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY?
Do you care about important issues such as breastfeeding, children’s reading skills, and parenting support? If so, we encourage you to apply for an exciting opportunity to make a difference in your community by joining our Asabike Coalition Parent Initiative. Asabike Coalition is a group of people who work to improve the lives of Native American families just like yours.
BENEFITS
- All expenses paid travel with a breastfeeding and child-friendly environment;
- Connect with parents like you who care about improving their community;
- Opportunity to speak to local and state leaders about issues you care about;
- Earn a letter of recommendation and valuable leadership experience that you can use for future job opportunities or college applications.
IDEAL CANDIDATES
- Parent or primary caregiver of a Native American baby or toddler up to the age of two years old;
- Eligible for services at your local tribal clinic or County Health Department;
- Current or former tribal home visiting participant preferred (for example, Family Spirit, Healthy Start, or MIHP);
- 18 years of age or older with valid Michigan driver’s license and access to a vehicle to travel to two meetings per year (see below for more information).
EXPECTATIONS
- Commit to provide your input on a one-year project from April 2018-March 2019;
- Participate in two in-person meetings per year, each with an overnight stay if applicable;
- Sault Ste. Marie, MI – April 17th, 2018
- Lansing, MI – August 1st, 2018
- Attend 4 phone meetings over the course of the year (one hour each during normal working hours);
- With the help of your local tribe and others in your community, create a project that will help parents and children in your community. For example: help start a breastfeeding support group, playgroup, or children’s book exchange.
HOW TO APPLY
- Deadline to apply: Friday March 23rd, 2018 by 12:00PM NOON Up to two people from each tribal community will be selected by members of the Asabike Coalition. Applicants will be chosen based upon availability to participate and strength of your application. You will be notified of whether or not you have been selected by April 2nd, 2018 to give you time to prepare your travel to Sault Ste. Marie, MI on April 17th, 2018.
- There will be an informational webinar for selected participants on Friday April 6th, 2018. A registration link will be sent to your email. You will need computer and internet access to watch the webinar.
- Complete an online application at this address: https://goo.gl/forms/VmswGhjgSC7L0FM73
Resources
Infant Safe Sleep
PROTECT AND NURTURE STARTS WITH SAFE SLEEP
Welcome to our Infant Safe Sleep Resource Site. We have a number of resources to help parents, providers, and tribal home visitors to follow safe sleep guidelines. This website is intended to be a resource guide for our tribal community to honor our newborn babies and prevent sudden unexpected infant deaths. Explore the links above to learn more about what you can do to be sure every baby reaches their first birthday.
The Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan would further like to respectfully acknowledge valuable contributions, collaboration, and support of our many partners in the development of these resources, including our fellow Indigenous wisdom-keepers, graphic artists, media specialists, Federally Recognized Tribes, partner agencies, and grant funders you see throughout this page.
Explore the resources below to learn more about what you can do to be sure every baby reaches their first birthday.
Resources
Parent Resources
Infant Safe Sleep PARENTING RESOURCES Ending Tobacco Use Ending commercial tobacco use in the home...
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The Power of your Newborn Online Course
The Power of Your Newborn Online Course INFANT SAFE SLEEP The Power of Your Newborn...
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Community Leaders and Provider Resources
Community Leaders & Providers INFANT SAFE SLEEP Resources Powered By EmbedPress Supporting Native American Families...
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Infant Safe Sleep
9 Videos
Additional Resources
We would like to acknowledge the work and dedication of the Michigan Public Health Institute in continuing to support our work around Infant Safe Sleep for their work in mining data, analyzing and synthesizing the data into this valuable brief.
The following four documents are information sheets referred to as, “Indigenous Infant Safe Sleep Series.” It is our intention to support Indigenous families and providers with information that promotes safe sleep for all babies while also supporting the different ways we carry and nurture our children’s development.
It should be noted, that cradleboard styles and designs vary greatly across tribes and communities. We invite anyone who would like to know more to please seek out others in your local tribe or community for more information.
Furthermore, we would like acknowledge our project partner, Wisdom-Keeper, and Indigenous Doula/Trainer, Raeanne Madison (MPH, Bois Forte Band Ojibwe Crane Clan).
Additional acknowledgement goes to Mexican Indigenous Artist living and working in Anishinaabe Territory, Celeste Contreras, for her beautiful mom and cradleboard design.
Healing for Those Creating Life
Ji-Nanaandawi’indwaa
Waa-Ondaadiziikejig
About
The goal of the project is to strengthen the tribal capacity to respond to the opioid epidemic by strengthening systems and by providing support and services to mothers at risk for, or diagnosed with an OUD, and their infants and young children, including families affected by neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
Direct care coordination services are supported at three Upper Peninsula tribal communities currently experiencing the highest rates of Perinatal OUD/NAS including:
Resources
Trista LeBlanc Shares her Journey Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
Trista LeBlanc Shares her Journey Overcoming Substance Use Disorder
The Opioid Epidemic: Be Part of the Solution
Home Visiting Network
Programs & Resources
Cedar Bath
Cedar Bath Resources Powered By EmbedPress Download...
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State Home Visiting
State Home Visiting Resources
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Tribal Home Visiting
Tribal Home Visiting The Partnership for Anishnaabe...
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Healthy Start
Healthy Start Maajtaag Mnobmaadzid, “The Start of...
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Staff Resources
There is no excerpt because this is...
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Community Resources
Childhood is Sacred The Cancer Prevention and...
Read MoreChildhood is Sacred
About Childhood is Sacred
When making decisions, our Anishinaabeg ancestors thought about the impact their decision and planning would have seven generations ahead. It is a cultural practice that has helped preserved our language and traditional wisdom despite war and overwhelming historical challenges and barriers, some of which still affect us today and are largely the reason for the work we do in partnership with tribal communities.
Remembering that Childhood is Sacred keeps children at the heart of our communities and ensures a bright healthy future, many generations ahead. The period of childhood (0-8 years) is a foundational period of tremendous growth and development. It is the stage of life for learning and setting healthy practices. In addition, our elders tell us that every child is born with a unique gift important to maintaining balance in the community and as adults we are all charged with ensuring that every child is supported and nurtured in a manner that ensures their wellbeing. We want to see that every child’s gifts blossom.
Campaign Resources
Making Connections PSA
As fellow advocates, teachers, and Anishinaabe parents, we understand how important our children are to the health and wealth of our communities. ITCMI has partnered with the Michigan ACE Initiative to extend our work in addressing the mental health needs of children in our communities. Trauma is very real for our children and the more we do to understand how it affects our children, the more we help them heal and build their resilience. We are pleased to share some of our most materials for you to hang, talk about, and share with others in your community. This campaign in partnership with the MIACE Initiative (https://www.miace.org/) touches on research that points to the importance of making connections to reduce trauma and increase resilience. These materials include tips and techniques that have been developed with input from youth and their providers as well as ACEs research and culture. The goal behind this work is to build resilience in youth through increased awareness and education about the importance of healthy social connections, connections to nature, and cultural connections. To learn more about ACEs and these resources or to access digital copies for download or further sharing, please go to https://www.miace.org/up/ and www.itcmi.org/childhoodissacred. These sites can provide you with •a number of videos and 30 second PSAs you can share or play in your area.
•Posters (you can print and share for educational purposes only)
•Toolkit for lessons and activities that accompany the messages shared in the materials
•Links to other helpful resources and materials (see also: https://www.healthynativeyouth.org/resources/mind4health/)
Toolkit
Public Education Campaign Toolkit
This toolbox is designed to give parents, providers and caring adults working with youth 5-18 years old additional information surrounding the education campaign titled MAKING CONNECTIONS to Heal, Grow and Build Resilience.
We hope that the users of this toolkit will be become more trauma aware. It may not be easy and require years of support, but we truly believe that anyone can overcome the effects of Trauma or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). We acknowledge that that can be a long challenging journey. By teaching resilience skills to children, we can empower them to resist and heal from trauma; thus, preventing the long-term health issues associated with ACEs.
Author
Michelle Leask, MA/200RYT/SEL*F & ACEs Master Trainer
Citizen, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas
Contributors
Josie Fegan, MPH & ACEs Trainer
Citizen, Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Further acknowledgement goes to PACE D2A, Michigan Public Health Institute, MIACE Initiative, Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan Project ILAUNCH, Healthy Native Youth, and GoZen for their continued work and dedication in the field of youth mental health and prevention.
Making Connections Poster
Making Connections Poster free for download and distribution.
Billboard
This billboard is on display during the summer of 2023 through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Childhood is Sacred PSA
Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents and grandparents to make time, listen, be curious and love them unconditionally. It’s our job to care for and spend time with our children so they realize their gifts and use them to help all our people. Childhood is sacred. Make time with your child sacred by being active, playful and true. This is how we heal the future.
Posters
Download these posters to help promote the Childhood is Sacred Campaign. Each poster features different ways to be active, playful and true with your child including cooking together, picking berries, playing ball games and getting regular exercise, making music, and more!
Resource Guide
Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents and grandparents to make time, listen, be curious and love them unconditionally. It’s our job to care for and spend time with our children so they realize their gifts and use them to help all our people. Childhood is sacred. Make time with your child sacred by being active, playful and true. This is how we heal the future.
Wisdom Keeper Video Series
Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents and grandparents to make time, listen, be curious and love them unconditionally. It’s our job to care for and spend time with our children so they realize their
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Join The Young Child Wellness Advisory Council (YCWAC)
This Council aims to create space for dedicated parents, community staff, and family members to share their voice and vision for young child wellness. If you are passionate about the wellbeing of children and families, please join our Young Child Wellness Advisory Council Meetings (held quarterly) and/or contact one of the members below.
Members
Michelle Leask (Schulte): mschulte@www.itcmi.org
Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
Ashley Seppanen: ashley.seppanen@kbic-nsn.gov
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Julia Schroeder: julia.schroeder@hannahvilleschool.net
or Kendra Kleiman: kendra.kleiman@hannahvilleschool.net
Hannahville Indian Community
Lauren Ryskey: lryskey@lvdhealthcenter.com
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Laura McKechnie: lmckechnie@saulttribe.net
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
History
Since 2012, ITCMI has been working with Tribes and Tribal Citizens across Michigan to erase the silos across services and programs that serve children 0-8 and their families. From community discussions to strategy innovation and implementation, everyone involved has been working to elevate the role of our early childhood providers, support parents and be more effective and efficient with existing resources in each community.
Additional Resources
Presentation and Webinar Recordings
The ITCM’s past REACH US project was a national, multilevel program that served as...
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Publications
Publications Our Work Presentations Plain Language Training – Making a Proverb Come True...
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Additional Links
- Upper Peninsula Community Resources
- Here families, individuals, home visitors, and community organizations will find helpful tools, information, and resources to help answer questions, find resources, trainings, share documents, and find community partners.
- ACF Video Series on Early Childhood Social Emotional Development and Mental Health and Caregiver Wellbeing
- The Children’s Bureau in partnership with the Office of Early Childhood Development, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, the Office of Head Start, and other federal partners, created a series of short videos to spotlight the importance of robust social emotional development and mental health support strategies within programs serving young children and their families.
- Fatherhood.org
- Fatherhood.org’s vision is that all communities and human service organizations are proactively father-inclusive so that every child has an involved, responsible, and committed father in their lives.