The goal of the Generations Project is to help build healthy family relationships in the American Indian/Alaska Native community.  The Generations Project offers activities and groups for both Native youth and adults to encourage the formation of lasting families and healthy relationships by providing gender specific education as well as skills strengthening classes.

Positive Indian Parenting, which was developed by the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), is one of the ongoing adult groups that are culturally specific training programs where parents explore the values and attitudes expressed in traditional Native child rearing practices and apply those values to current skills in parenting.  Valuable lessons will be learned from the old ways and parents can find strength in those cultural traditions.                                                                                    

Both the men’s and women’s Relationship Strengthening groups engage the participants in learning healthy pre-marital, marital, and parenting relationships. Gender specific skills for relationship building are explored and discussed.  These groups are provided on an ongoing basis throughout the year for adult men and adult women

The Generations Project also holds community celebrations four times a year to encourage and promote the strengthening of children and family’s social networks and increase community unity and support. The community gatherings involve and engage members of all ages and are held around the traditional seasonal celebration times such as the Spring and Fall Equinox or Summer and Winter Solstice.  The community celebrations provide an opportunity for families to learn about traditional learning styles such as story telling, dances and songs. The celebrations also serve as lively forums in which we share upcoming classes and groups available for Native men, women, and youth.

This is a fun and successful Native-specific group for middle school youth to explore healthy relationships led by facilitators. We explore what it means to have healthy relationships and how to build and maintain healthy relationships with themselves, their families, and their friends and social groups. Lots of interactive activities and trips are used for further the youth’s understanding of these concepts. Some highlights from this year’s Talking Circle include cooking classes, yoga instruction, sweat lodge ceremonies, guest speakers, rock wall climbing, delicious dinners out and much more!