NB3FIT XC Team has top finishes the regular season at the USATF NM State Meet at Sky City Casino in Acoma Pueblo. Three of the age groups had top three finishes.
11-12 3K girls finished third place, 8 and under girls finished 2nd and 8 and under boys finished 3rd place.

The team has it’s eyes set on the USATF Regionals Meet in Lyons, Colo. on Saturday, Nov. 19. All runners from the state meet qualified for regionals and are eligible to compete.

The recent time change has put a wrench in training for the team, but the youth and coaches have made the most of it using headlamps while they practice in evenings. They have also stayed in race shape by running in the foundation’s own NB3FIT Community XC Race this past Sunday at the Santa Ana Golf Club.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Regionals will be a great learning experience for runners and families. Youth runners from across the South West will be in Lyons, hoping to get the qualifying spot for nationals next month!

We wish all runners, families and friends safe travels and looking forward to how Team NB3FIT will finish!

State Results:
Top 15 individual finishes include:

2K Boys
Jake Aguilar 7th place – 9:24.84

2K Girls
Tenaeya Calabaza 12th – 10:07.43
Emma Ansera – 15th – 10:22.43

3K Girls
9-10 Girls Ava Toya 9th – 14:39.87

3K Boys
Boys Quniton Begay 9th – 11:30.87

3K Girls (11-12)
Desinayah Pacheco 8th – 12:22.64
Jacqueline Durand 10th – 12:47.112
Gionni Quiver 15th – 13:12:73

4k female
Aja Casiquito 12th – 20:44:08
Analyn  Toya 13th – 21:03:25
Jaylana Sanders 14th –  21:23:22

Team Results:

8 and under girls – 2nd Place

8 and under boys – 3rd Place

11-12 girls – 2nd Place

Full State Results:

https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/218366/results/all

Join us in welcoming Jan Aguilar, Pueblo of San Felipe, to the NB3 Foundation team!

In her role, she will perform office and clerical tasks and provide administrative support to the executive team and staff. Jan will be the first face who greets visitors to the organization and has already jumped in demonstrating how helpful and thoughtful she is.  For general questions or help connecting to a particular program, please reach out to Jan at Jan@nb3f.org or by calling the mainline at 505-867-0775.

“My motivation is being a part of a team who change and empower many of our Indigenous youth and families around the world. All children have the ability and confidence to enjoy life. Embracing them with good ethics will lead to healthy futures” – Jan Aguilar

The NB3FIT cross country kicked off the 2022 season with 70 youth runners on the roster; the most in the program’s history. Since then, the team has competed in four meets including meets in Las Cruces and El Paso, Texas. The next few weeks the team will be back in the Albuquerque metro area before hitting the road again to regional race in Lyons, Colo on November 19.  You can catch the team in action next at the Cougar Track Club Meet at Ben Grenier Dam on October 22.

Top finishes in El Paso meet 09/24/2022) :
Jake Aguilar, 4th place 6 & under
Eli Light-Chee, 5th place 6 & under
Jacqueline Durand, 6th place 11-12 Girls
Desinayah Pacheco, 5th place 11-12 Girls
Quinton Begay, 6th place 11-12 Boys
JayLana Sanders, 3rd place 13-14 Girls

Top finishes at Dukes Track Club Meet (10/8/2022):
Desinayah Pacheco: 6th place 11-12 Girls
Chris Wynos: 2nd Place 17-18 Boys
Mosiah Silentalker: 3rd Place 15-16 Boys
Marcus Tenorio: 1st Place 13-14 Boys
Quinton Begay: 3rd Place 11-12 Boys

The Notah Begay III New Mexico Grande Slam fundraising golf event returned to the Santa Ana Golf Club on Thursday, Sept. 29.
The premier golf event celebrating and supporting New Mexico’s children has been on hold since the beginning of the pandemic, but welcomed back over 125-golfers this year. Golfer from across the US and Canada turned out in support of Notah and his passion for healthy youth and communities.

Led by Begay and and the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, the golf tournament serves as an annual fundraiser for not only the foundation but nonprofits around the state. This year, the proceeds with benefit two local organizations: The Somos Unidos Foundation and  Native American Professional Parent Resources, NAPPR, Inc.

Since 2016, the event has raised over $750,00 for the NB3 Foundation and a dozen other organizations focused on eliminating disparities, creating opportunities and providing hope for children in New Mexico.

This year’s special guests include former professional baseball player and World Series champion, Jacoby Ellsbury and NM United’s own Chris Wehan and Kalen Ryden.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Healthy Kids! Healthy Futures! Conference at Sandia Resort and Casino earlier this month. The NB3 Foundation staff worked hard the last eight months to make sure conference attendees had access to a variety of resources and knowledge sharing tools. We are happy to have welcomed back over 100 attendees from 30 different communities across the country.

We’re proud of our staff’s eagerness to bring the conference back to the community after two years. There were more unknowns than certainties in the planning process, but with the help of many along the way we were able to pull off a successful comeback to the conference circuit.  We know there are definitely areas for improvement at next year’s conference, and we know that thanks to attendee feedback on conference knowledge kits. Thank you for your feedback, engagement and suggestions that’ll help make the next event even more impactful for attendees.

We’d also like to send our gratitude and much deserved recognition to our creative presenters who traveled to share their knowledge and tools with attendees. No one is an expert at everything, so we are thankful to have such great support from our fellow Native organizations, tribes and facilitators.

As we reflect and begin to plan for the 2023 conference, we know the Healthy Kids! Healthy Futures! Conference will always be a welcoming space for community members to learn together, reconnect and elevate each other’s work for the benefit of our Native youth and communities. We cannot wait to see you July 10-12, 2023 at the Sandia Resort and Casino for our next convening.

In health,
NB3 Foundation Staff

Photos from the 2022 conference

Through its Community Empowerment program, the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation recently awarded $146,000 to six Native-led organizations and tribal communities in New Mexico supporting existing programs that focus on improving and sustaining Native youth health. 

Joining the NB3 Foundation Native Youth on the Move cohort includes: 

  • Bidii Baby Foods, The BEN Initiative, in Cudeii, New Mexico will build on their land-based learning youth program, that provides a safe outdoor environment for youth to engage in physical activities on the farm. They will focus on land-based learning, farm-to-table cooking classes and Indigenous youth farmer capacity building.  
  • First Nations Community HealthSource, in Albuquerque, New Mexico will strengthen its Community Health and Wellness Project (CHWP). The project creates healthy lifestyle opportunities that involve physical activity, access to healthy food, and cultural connections. The program’s cultural framework encourages a culturally inclusive social environment and reframes how youth perceive physical activities and healthy eating. 
  • Navajo Ethno-Agriculture, based in Fruitland, New Mexico will work on strengthening their “Preserving Culture, through Farming, Food and Fitness” program. The program is aimed at enhancing the farming program to offer healthy food preparation teachings and to highlight the physical activity, fitness, and mental wellness associated with strong cultural teachings. 
  • One Generation, in Corrales, New Mexico, will support its Indigenous Farm Hub’s “Farm to School” program. The grant will help support building capacity and curriculum development to sustain the program’s partnership with Native American Community Academy (NACA) and the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA) to provide direct access to fresh and nutritious food while providing Indigenous agricultural, language and cultural education. 
  • Pueblo of Zia Education Department, in Zia Pueblo, New Mexico is strengthening their afterschool and summer programs to provide initiatives of mentorship, educational services, and community-based support to build future leaders of Zia to sustain the culture and traditions.  
  • Ramah Navajo School Board, in Pine Hill, New Mexico is strengthening the Ramah Navajo Youth Enrichment Series. The program will implement prevention strategies that address diabetes, suicide, and substance abuse issues in the community and promote overall health and wellness for the youth and families.

In the 18-month grant period, Nb3 Foundation will work alongside community partners providing cyber huddles, technical assistance and learning opportunities to advance the cohort towards their goals.  

“We are excited to learn and share with new community partners from across the state of New Mexico. The Native Youth on the Move grants are another way for Native led organizations and communities to offer creative ways to ensure Native youth achieve their full potential, as it pertains to their health and wellbeing,” Leroy Silva, NB3 Foundation community coordinator said.

Native Youth on the Move recipients will help the NB3 Foundation reach its mission to ensure Native children achieve their full potential by advancing cultures of Native American community health. 

Support for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  

Native youth golfers from all across the country competed in the NB3 Foundation 3rd  annual Native Youth Golf Championship on July 24-26 at the Santa Ana Golf Club, Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M. Eight of the 60 jr golfers qualified to play in the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship at Kosati Pines at Coushatta in Kinder, La. in November.

“This tournament never disappoints. It’s a favorite for us at the foundation and we are excited to see it growing each year,” Clint Begay, director of NB3FIT said.

Harlow Gregory, Choctaw Nation; Aiden Raphael, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe; Emma Cunningham, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin; Ainslee Stanford III, Choctaw Nation; Beans Factor, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole tribes; Zachary BlueEyes, Navajo Nation; Ella Barbush, Choctaw Nation; Skyler Woods, Navajo Nation won their respective age divisions and securing themselves a spot in the national event airing on the Golf Channel.

This year’s tournament showcased a lot of new comers and some past champions making their return. Skyler Woods and Zachary BlueEyes both won the inaugural event in 2020 and were able to take back the title for their age divisions this year. BlueEyes and Woods are also members of the 2022 NB3FIT Golf Team.
The Choctaw Nation represented well at this year’s tournament, having three of their youth secure spots in the national event – all first timers to the Native Youth Golf Championship.

The Native Youth Golf Championship is very unique, though the tournament is a qualifier for a much larger event it is also a great opportunity for beginner golfers to experience as they grow their golf game.

“We have and welcome all skill levels in our tournament,” Begay said.  “Each youth comes in with different goals, for some it’s their first tournament, others are here to win, and some are here to learn and gain experience as they advance their game.”

Video interviews can be viewed here:

 

Official scores for the event can be found here: https://www.nb3jgt.com/Scoreboard?TournamentID=22075

The NB3 Foundation Healthy Kids! Healthy Futures! Conference is back!

For the first time since 2019, we will be welcoming communities near and far to join us for our annual conference. The conference has always been a favorite of ours and we look forward to the opportunity to once again provide this learning and networking experience to communities and organizations across the country.

The theme of this year’s conference is, “Back to the Future”. Many of our schools, organizations and communities have been focused on emergency response these past few years and we wanted to provide a space for everyone to come together to reflect, refocus and learn new ideas that’ll help drive long-term change for the futures of Native children’s health!

The conference will be in-person and will boast a wide variety of interactive learning sessions, networking spaces and of course some movement!

We are excited to announce conference keynote speaker will be Jeremy Fields, Founder of Thrive Unltd.

We will also be hosting Tommy Ghost Dog from Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Jon Greendeer and the Ho-Chunk Nation Health and Wellness Department, Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment Program, Healthy Native Communities Partnerships Inc and many more!

This year’s conference will also has new pricing tiers based on organizational budget size, and the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend.

Stay tuned for information on the pre-conference training we will be offering!

Register at: https://www.nb3foundation.org/hkhf-conference/
Questions? Contact Sacha Smith, at sacha@nb3f.org