By NB3 Foundation

NB3FIT XC goes virtual

 

This year the NB3FIT XC program went virtual for the first time this fall. Due to the pandemic, Cross Country was postponed just like many other youth sports. However, we wanted the youth to be active during this time even if we couldn’t be there in person. Going virtual was not an easy decision, but we knew we wanted to provide a way for new and veteran runners to still participate in a XC program safely.

In preparation, curriculum was created and workout videos were recorded. These videos included a dynamic warm up, cool down stretches, and circuit training follow-along videos recorded by our own coaches and staff.

Forty youth registered from Santa Ana, Jemez, San Felipe, Santo Domingo,  Acoma Pueblos and Navajo Nation. For six weeks, parents received a workout plan for the runners to complete for the week. The runners were asked to practice three times a week, completing two runs, a circuit training and attend a check in with the coaches. These check in’s were a time for the coaches to interact with the athletes and do various fun activities such as running games, “Team Time”, meditation and other leadership activities. To assist in keeping track of the runners’ progress, each one received a FitBit. Coaches challenged the athletes to achieve 10,000 steps a day and because of this, the kids all together totaled over 9 million steps! Top 3 with the most steps were Julyssa Montoya, Sandia Pueblo with 468,984 steps; Quinton Begay, Jemez, San Felipe, Navajo, with 458,313 steps; and Lisa Leon, Santa Ana Pueblo, with 446,129 steps!

It is incredible what these runners achieved in six weeks and all the coaches are so proud of them.

It wouldn’t have worked how we imagined without the help and support from the parents. Thank you to them and their runners for being apart of this first Virtual XC experience. We hope next season will be in person!

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By NB3 Foundation

Gachupin, evaluation coordinator, graduates with Master’s in Public Health

Special congrats to NB3 Foundation team member Alva Gachupin (Pueblo of Jemez) for achieving an amazing milestone! Gachupin will be graduating from the University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health with her Master’s in Public Health on December 18.

We are so proud of Alva, not only has she played an integral role in  helping build and excel our Indigenous Evaluation and Research Department, but she has been accomplishing her educational goals at the same time!

Congrats Alva, you show us all that hard work and dedication pays off! We are so honored to have you on our NB3 Foundation team.

“I received my Master’s in Public Health from the University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. The journey I set forth to reach this milestone has had its share of trials and tribulations and it tested my ability to continue to move toward my goals and to persevere from the different challenges along this journey. It gave me the ability to see through a different lens, it gave me the opportunity to learn and grow as individual, as a mother, and as a Jemez woman. Obtaining your hardest goals and dreams can be scary but the more you put yourself through uncomfortable positions, you come out even stronger. I did something that scared me for years, and I am fortunate and humble that I did take this journey. If it wasn’t for my past, and current mentors along my journey, I wouldn’t be where I am. I plan to grow my career in public health and to be an advocate for our Native American communities because all too often, we are a statistic and that has to stop at some point. The knowledge gained is not only for me, it is also for my people, and our youth that will someday lead us.”

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By NB3 Foundation

Tsosie earns certificate in Health Wellness Public Safety

Special shout out to our Advancement Administrative Assistant, Jessica Tsosie for earning her certificate in Health Wellness Public Safety from Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). Jessica is a non-degree seeking student at CNM completing pre-requisites to apply for her Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.

We are happy that Jessica joined our team early this year! She has been a great addition to the Advancement team and the NB3 Foundation family. We are so proud of her accomplishment and look forward to cheering her on as she continues her academic endeavors.

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By NB3 Foundation

Silva recognized for work advancing community health

It’s been a busy few months for Leroy “Buster” Silva as he been the recent recipient of two awards celebrating the work he does in community. Silva was first recognized by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development as a recipient of their 40 under 40 award! The award is bestowed upon individuals under the age of 40 who have demonstrated leadership, initiative and have made significant contributions to their community.

“We are so grateful to have Leroy on our NB3 Foundation team. The energy and true passion he has for strengthening communities is apparent in all that he does,” COO/Acting President and CEO Jon Driskell said. “It is great to see him being recognized for all his hard work and dedication.”

Silva was also recognized as the Con Alma Health Foundation’s 2020 Hero of Health! Fellow NB3 Foundation team member Simone Duran, who works closely with Leroy, nominated him for the award.

“He is a passionate leader who loves to help communities create positive changes to live healthy, strong and resilient,” Duran said.

In such a challenging year, it makes us feel good to see one of our own receiving such well-deserved recognitions.

“Da’wa’eh (Thank You) to everyone who has supported me along my leadership journey. Leaders are made in many different ways. All I can say is that I have been groomed by the best minds and hearts in the world,” Silva said. “Thank you for challenging me, thank you for the opportunities to grow, and thank you for taking a chance on me. When I shine, YOU shine!”

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By NB3 Foundation

NYM Community Team meetings draw to a close; work in communities continues

 

On August 26, NB3 Foundation hosted our last meeting with the Native Youth on the Move Community Team.
Over the last two years, we had the pleasure of working with nine organizations, from the Albuquerque area and surrounding Pueblo communities, to create more opportunities for Native youth to participate in play, physical activity and sports.

 

The numbers tell the story. This graphic breaks down the quantitative data which highlights all the work and impact that took place over the last two years.

Pre-COVID, the NYM Community Team attended monthly in-person gatherings where they learned and shared with community partners from across New Mexico. In these gatherings, teams shared their programming, collaborated on various events, and were provided helpful tools, such as Zines, Photo Voice, and Graphic Note Taking, to help them along their journey.

By utilizing a collective impact approach, we were able to gather support from local organizations, businesses, sports teams, and community champions.  Each partner played an important role throughout the Native Youth on the Move journey, and we are grateful for their support!

 

This graphic showcases the tools that the NYM cohort learned and utilized through-out their journey together.

 

Lastly, we would like to thank the NYM Community Team for their time and commitment to Native children’s health! It was a pleasure watching your programs grow and prosper, but most importantly—it was so nice to build meaningful relationships with you all.

Stay tuned as we share the stories of impact our community partners had on the youth in the programming and communities.

 

Native youth on the Move Community Team:

Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women
Cycles of Life (Karuna Colectiva)
Mountain Chief Institute (Spirit of Hoops)
National Indian Youth Council
Native American Community Academy
Native Health Initiative (Running Medicine)
Pueblo of Laguna (Sports & Wellness Department)
Pueblo of Santa Ana ( Youth Programming Department)
Tribal Entities Connect
NB3FIT

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By NB3 Foundation

Native youth golfers qualify for Jr. National Championship at  NB3 Foundation’s Inaugural All-Native Youth Golf Tournament 

Zachary BlueEyes winner of 13 and under boys division.
Over 30 Native youth golfers ages 8-18 competed in the NB3 Foundation Inaugural All-Native National Youth Golf Tournament on August 3-4 at the Santa Ana Golf Club, Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. Three of whom have qualified to play on the national stage in the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship at Kosati Pines at Coushatta in Kinder, La. in November.
 “I am proud of the youth, families and coaches who participated in our inaugural event. Despite the set-back with COVID-19, we were honored to host a top-notch event for Native youth and to continue to provide them with opportunities for their future,” said Justin Huenemann, president and CEO.
Skyler Woods,14, Shandiin Harper,17, and Zachary BlueEyes,13, all representing the Navajo Nation, won their respective age divisions securing themselves a spot to play in the national event November 15-17 that will be aired on Golf Channel.
“I’m definitely super excited and ready to go,” said Harper when asked about qualifying for the national tournament. Harper is from Farmington, N.M. and currently plays golf for Piedra Vista High School.
BlueEyes, from Kirtland, N.M., said he had some ups and downs throughout the tournament, but he still managed to hold steady lead in the 13-and-under boy’s division on both days.
“I played good. Some holes I did bad, but I shook it off and just played on and tried my best,” he said.
Woods, winner of the boys 14-18 age division, plays golf for Kirtland Central Highschool in Kirtland, N.M. Woods said despite having a rough back nine on the last day, he’s glad he was able to pull it off and come out with the win.
Looking forward to playing in Louisiana for the national championship, Woods said, “I’m excited to play on a new course that’s really nice.”
“It was great to see Native youth of all ages come out to play in this event,” said Clint Begay, director of NB3FIT. “Our Native communities put out some really great golfers. It’ll be awesome seeing our Native youth represent and compete on the national stage in November.”
Due to state travel restrictions with COVID-19, the event was only open to Native youth residing in New Mexico. However, the hope is by next year youth from all around Indian Country will be able to travel to play in the NB3 Foundation All-Native National Youth Golf Tournament.
Qualifying SCORES:
Skyler Woods (14-18 boys division) – 83, 86 — Two Round Total – 169
Shandiin Harper (14-18 girls division) – 79, 79, — Two Round Total – 158
Zachary BlueEyes (13 and under boys division) – 87, 88 — Two Round Toal – 175
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By NB3 Foundation

NB3 Foundation taps one of its own to develop new Evaluation and Research Department

The Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation is excited to promote Renee Goldtooth-Halwood to lead its new Department of Evaluation and Research.  As the new Director of Evaluation and Research, Ms. Goldtooth-Halwood will help develop a department focused on indigenizing evaluation and research practices that reflect and respect the communities we serve.

Too often, evaluation and research practices collide with or misrepresent Indigenous people. The results are research methods and evaluation data that do not improve the life of Indigenous peoples nor support their interests, but rather support theories of change and interventions that may or may not support or reflect Indigenous peoples.

“Creating a formal department focused on Indigenous Evaluation and Research is exciting and needed.  And I am thrilled that Renee is going to lead this important journey for us. She holds a sincere passion for helping our relatives tell their stories and to keep track of their own journey through methods that genuinely improve their lives,”said Justin Huenemann, president and CEO.

Renee is Diné from Whippoorwill Spring and Chinle, Ariz. She is a doctoral of public health student at the University of Arizona’s Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health located on Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui homelands. She has been with the organization for six years

“Indigenous peoples have always been evaluators and researchers. So, it makes sense to have a department that elevates and prioritizes our voice, art, values and geography. I recognize evaluation and research processes that are viewed as a collective are more powerful, and I will humbly continue living and learning alongside those in this space,” said Goldtooth-Halwood.

The NB3 Foundation remains committed to honoring community knowledge, stories and practices that have supported centuries of resiliency and determination. When communities are the architects of their own evaluation approach and their own research agenda, then the measures, impacts and knowledge gained are owned by and matter to the community.

 

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By NB3 Foundation

Equal Justice Initiative, CDP & NB3 Foundation COVID-19 Response Funds and Regional charities to receive entire purse and donations from American Century Champions

LAKE TAHOE, Calif., (June 30, 2020) – NBC Sports and American Century Investments announced today all prize money for the upcoming American Century Championship golf tournament will be donated to the Equal Justice Initiative, COVID-19 relief, including the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) COVID-19 Response Fund, as well as regional Lake Tahoe non-profits. Combined with additional donations, event organizers anticipate fundraising to exceed $600,000. The American Century Championship has donated over $5 million to various charitable organizations over the years.

 

Stephen Curry, Aaron Rodgers, Charles Barkley and two-time defending champion Tony Romo are among more than 70 sports and entertainment stars competing in the 31st annual event at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, July 10-12. NBC Sports, owner and operator of the championship, will televise more than 18 hours of tournament coverage across NBC, NBCSN and GOLF Channel.

 

The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is an organization committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. The EJI is one of the many organizations Comcast (parent company for NBC Sports) and NBCUniversal are supporting as part of a multiyear plan to fight injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability.

 

The NB3 Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund launched in April with the goal of providing food, water and educational resources to Native American families and communities facing unprecedented challenges during the global pandemic. Founded by former PGA TOUR professional and current NBC Sports golf analyst Notah Begay III, the fund provides financial support to Native-led organizations who are working on the ground in their communities to provide for those in need.

 

The CDP COVID-19 Response Fund was launched in March to support nonprofit organizations working directly to respond to the pandemic among vulnerable populations. These include social service organizations focused on supporting low-income households, small businesses, immigrants, refugees, Native Americans and Alaska Natives, older adults, people with disabilities, and other communities vulnerable to the physical health, mental health and economic impacts of the pandemic.

 

“In this time, when so many people in this country are hurting over racial division, the Equal Justice Initiative is a force for good focused on rectifying past wrongs,” said Jonathan Thomas, American Century president and CEO. “Also, we’re pleased to be committing tournament dollars to COVID relief and helping out our friends in Lake Tahoe, who have supported our tournament the past 31 years.”

 

“In celebrating the American Century Championship’s 31st year, we look forward to televising the event in a meaningful way that will help continue the nationwide dialogue on social justice, as well as supporting organizations and relief efforts that have been affected by the global pandemic,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports.

 

“I’m honored and humbled by the American Century Championship making the NB3 Foundation one of the charitable partners,” said Begay. “It has been a tough road in a lot of communities on a variety of fronts, and I’m looking forward to doing more work on behalf of my Native American community, which has been devastated by COVID-19.”

 

In accordance with governmental and health guidelines, the American Century Championship will return as a live television event but without spectators. NBC and tournament partners at Edgewood Tahoe and host hotels Harrah’s Tahoe and Harveys developed a comprehensive safety plan that includes enhanced cleaning protocols at both the course and resorts, on-course sanitation stations and restrictions on large organized dinners and evening events.

 

Friday’s round will air live on NBCSN with Saturday and Sunday televised live on NBC.

All three rounds will also air on Golf Channel as encore presentations, providing a total of 18 hours of coverage.

 

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By NB3 Foundation

NB3 Foundation launches ‘Helping Our Relatives’ Project providing staff opportunity to give back

The “Helping Our Relatives” Project is a unique internal organization effort to engage all staff in direct giving and supporting those in need. A modest amount was given to each staff member to use as they see fit to support youth, elders and families. The manner and method staff choose, the people they choose and what they choose to purchase or support is completely up to them.

 

Here is one story from staff member Renee Goldtooth-Halwood and her use of funds:

“Helping Our Relatives” funding was shared via groceries to Whippoorwill community elders on Navajo Nation. The area is in a rural part of the Nation and homesteads are quite distant from paved road. Some families may have vehicles but are not reliable and other community members are fiercely protecting their families. The process to strategically plan how to share essentials was quite involved: standing in line at Bashas (local grocery store), getting my temperature checked by security, having to stand to the side until my temperature cooled, filling my cart, purchasing, loading, unloading, disinfecting each item, washing produce, repacking in clean sanitized bags, then driving rough roads to deliver.

Renee Goldtooth-Halwood delivers groceries and supplies to elders in the Whippoorwill, Ariz.

I traveled with my mother who was adamant to join me and said, “I’ll stay in the car.” She was a wonderful companion, sitting in the front seat, with her mask and gloves on. Between the car where she sat, me standing to the side and relative’s eastern facing doorways, we shared tears full of love for each other and also for the unknown future. We wanted to communicate with action that we are thinking of them through prayer, through song that takes us from sunrise, sunset, twilight, darkness then back again. Taking the pandemic one day at a time.

In addition to the groceries, the Helping Our Relatives funding fed the people by contributing to a lunch for the team’s at the Apache County and Navajo Community Health Representative (CHR) for assisting NB3 Foundation with unloading and storing 300 boxes of food, thousands of gallons of water, and then keeping them safe until the CHR’s can deliver. In addition to all these wonderful points of light, I was quite impressed with the collaborative efforts of the Navajo Area Indian Health Service Chinle Service Unit, NAIHS CSU (federal), Navajo CHR Program (tribal), Apache County (county) and Notah Begay III Foundation (native-led non-profit). This NAIHS CSU Division of Public Health team was so organized they created and printed recipes using ingredients in the NB3 Foundation boxes. In unloading boxes at Apache County, I learned more about how the CHR’s are delivering firewood and coal to community and how local young people making care packages for community. Many stories to tell but I’ll end with saying that we were honored to hear the Navajo sun song after unloading boxes, a reminder about the reciprocity that reverberates through all of our collective work whether it’s funding, food, water, masks, and time.

The generosity of donors helped us move with urgency to protect our people, thank you for that.

 

 

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By NB3 Foundation

COVID-19 Response Fund smashes original goal

Gratitude prevails. The generosity of nearly 400 individual donors, foundations, businesses and volunteers has resulted in $300,000 raised for the NB3 Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund. With these resources, we are committed to providing needed food, water and supplies directly to Native American communities impacted by COVID-19.  To date we have provided food, water and financial support to the following tribes and Native-led organizations:

  • Navajo Nation (Chinle, Az and surrounding communities)
  • Pueblos of San Felipe
  • Pueblo of ZIA
  • Pueblo of Santa Ana
  • Native American Community Academy
  • STAR School
  • Cheyenne River Youth Project
  • Thunder Valley CDC
  • Zuni Youth Enrichment Program, Zuni Pueblo
  • Mesa Elementary in Shiprock, N.M (25 laptops)

Meanwhile, we are continuing to identify and work with tribes, pueblos and Native-led organizations to help support youth, elders and families in need.

Please consider a donation today and help us help others. https://www.classy.org/give/92644/#!/donation/checkout

Santa Ana Pueblo Governor Lawrence Montoya and Lt Governor Joey Sanchez receive $2,500 from NB3 Foundation to provide resources to their members amid COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Governor Fredrick Medina and Zia Pueblo council members receive $5,000 to help provide resources to their community.

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