On June 24, Native Healthy Initiative’s Running Medicine, NB3 Foundation, Dukes Running Club and Race NM kicked off the Friday Twilight Series! In June and July, we are asking community families to join us for some fun and movement! Everyone in the family is welcome to come join in.

The series is focused on promoting community and family movement all across Albuquerque. Each week we will meet at a different trail and walk, run, stroll together. This is not a race! So please don’t be discouraged to join.

No fees! Just a $5 suggested donation.
Raffle prizes at every gathering
NB3 Foundation’s official host gathering is July 15 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center!

 

NB3 Foundation staff, youth and families were center stage at the New Mexico United match on Saturday, June 26. The NB3FIT Track team and summer camp youth got to run in the game flag and to start the evening. But it didn’t end there. NB3 Foundation was also the featured nonprofit of the PNM PowerKick! The PNM PowerKick initiative was a way PNM could help generate excitement and support for local nonprofits.
Strong nonprofits are key to a thriving New Mexico and while delivering power is at the core of PNM, investing in our community is a critical piece of the company’s values.

Peter Trevisani, President, CEO and majority owner of New Mexico United, said New Mexico United is fueled by a passion for community, and the PNM PowerKick is another opportunity to bring New Mexicans together for a unique halftime challenge that benefits local nonprofits in need of the support PNM is graciously providing.

At halftime of the New Mexico United home game, Quinton Begay was the selected to be our PowerKicker! Begay, is an avid soccer player and participates in varies NB3FIT youth programs. As the selected kicker Begay was given the opportunity to kick three balls to try and score. Each ball made, equals a donation to the nonprofit!  The first kick is from the 6-yard line and if made, the nonprofit receives a $500 donation from PNM, the second kick is from the penalty spot location and if made, earns a $750 donation, and with the final kick being made from the 18-yard box, earns a $1,250 donation. So if all three kicks are made, the nonprofit receives a total $2,500 donation from PNM.

With the crowd cheering him on, Begay made the first, then the second and of course he nailed the their and final kick! The crowd erupted when Begay made his final kick securing the $2,500 donation for the foundation!

What a memorable experience for our youth and families. We are so thankful to PNM for selecting us for the PowerKick and for New Mexico United for providing the platform and for their continued work to support New Mexico youth and families!

The NB3FIT track season is coming to an end. All of our runners were fantastic all year long. This was a developmental year for the NB3FIT Track Club. For three months, the youth showed up to practice, events, and meets and grew as a team. Every day of practice, the team included 60 jumping jacks and 5 push-ups in their warm up as a reminder that we need to drink at least 60 oz of water and eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every single day. June 11-12 the NB3FIT Track team competed in their last regular season meet. Of the 16 team memebers, 10 competed in the USATF New Mexico Assosiation Olympic Championships at Rio Rancho High school. Three team members, Desinayah Pacheco (age 11), Gionni Quiver (age 11), and Mosiah Silentwalker (age 15) qualified to continue on to compete at the USATF Region 10 Junior Olympic Championships in El Paso, Texas July 7-10.
Special thanks and gratitude to Menaul School for providing us the space to practice for the season!

State meet results:

100 M Dash

5. 8U Finals Omree Thurmond 19.90a PR NB3F XC Club
13. 8U Amirah Zuni 23.33a PR NB3F XC Club
15. 11-12 Sophia Burshia-Nara… 17.06a NB3F XC Club
13. 13-14 Nia Douma 17.11a PR NB3F XC Club
11. 15-16 Mosiah Silentwalker 18.33a NB3F XC Club

200 M Dash

7. 8U Finals Dana Cajero 42.05a PR NB3F XC Club
10. 8U Omree Thurmond 48.65a NB3F XC Club
13. 8U Amirah Zuni 55.75a PR NB3F XC Club
6. 11-12 Finals Sophia Burshia-Nara… 34.49a PR NB3F XC Club
14. 13 Nia Douma 38.47a NB3F XC Club
11. 15 Mosiah Silentwalker 39.87a PR NB3F XC Club

400 M Dash

8. 8U Omree Thurmond 1:50.85a PR NB3F XC Club
2. 11-12 FInals Gionni Quiver 1:10.43a PR NB3F XC Club
8. 11-12 Finals Desinayah Pacheco 1:17.03a NB3F XC Club
9. 11-12 Lilliana Tsethlikai 1:18.77a PR NB3F XC Club

800 M Run

6. 8U Finals Dana Cajero 3:45.55a NB3F XC Club
5. 11-12 Finals Quinton Begay 2:55.46a NB3F XC Club
3. 11-12 Finals Gionni Quiver 2:54.33a PR NB3F XC Club
7. 11-12 Finals Desinayah Pacheco 3:02.01a PR NB3F XC Club
10. 11-12 Finals Lilliana Tsethlikai 3:21.27a NB3F XC Club

1500 M Run

7. 11-12 Finals Quinton Begay 6:02.64a NB3F XC Club
4. 11-12 Finals Desinayah Pacheco 5:59.70a PR NB3F XC Club Q
5. 11-12 Finals Lilliana Tsethlikai 6:40.26a NB3F XC Club

Long Jump

10. 11-12 Quinton Begay 2.84m NB3F XC Club
4. 15-16 Finals Mosiah Silentwalker 3.15m PR NB3F XC Club
7. 8U Dana Cajero 2.26m PR NB3F XC Club
10. 8U Amirah Zuni 1.56m NB3F XC Club
5. 11-12 Gionni Quiver 3.51m PR NB3F XC Club
10. 12 Sophia Burshia-Nara… 2.67m PR NB3F XC Club
9. 13 Nia Douma 3.00m NB3F XC Club

Water First! water trailer has made its comeback.
We’re excited to have our trailer out and about in the community again. Over the last month, we have been to the Gathering of Nations, NB3FIT Family Day and at the Celebrating Indigenous Youth: The Intelligence of Art and Play meeting with youth and families and spreading the message of choosing “Water First!”. The water trailer was created as a tool for the NB3 Foundation staff to take our Water First! Campaign on the road and into communities. Through the water trailer we share with families ways to make water more flavorful through adding fruits and vegetables. The campaign is all centered around encouraging healthy beverage consumption and choosing water over sugary beverages.

We’re looking forward to getting out at more events this summer!

 

Finishing off the school year, members of the NB3FIT Golf Team competed at the New Mexico high school state golf tournament at Santa Ana Golf Club, Twin Warriors Golf Club and Four Hills Golf Club, helping their respective schools
Laden Lovato (14th overall) and Gabriel KnowsHisGun (29th overall) helped the 5A Cibola High School boys team finish second overall in their class.
Girls:
Alyssandra Rodriguez finished 7th overall representing 5A West Mesa High School.
Maddison Long finished 24th in 5A representing Volcano Vista High School.
Representing Kirtland Central High School: Elysse Woods finished 23rd Dallas Dan 19th in the 4A division.
 Skyler Woods (6th) Zachary BlueEyes (11th) Ardell John (10th), Luke James (35th) helped the 4A Kirtland Central boys team finish second overall in their class.
1-3A Divisions Boys: Angelo Martinez finished 4th overall representing Bosque Prep and Adiance Cheromiah finished 6th place for Laguna-Acoma High School.

After state, the youth are continuing to meet regularly practice and compete in tournaments around the state.

The NB3FIT Track season is well underway with only a few weeks left until the state track meet June 11.
This season has been filled with lots of learning, and long days on the track. Lot of the work is paying off as we are seeing a good number of our runners placing and receiving ribbons. Next up, the team will be competing at the New Mexico Jags Track Meet June 4! Follow us on social media to keep up with the team at the meets.

Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA) Youth Program has a longstanding record of providing Unangax̂ youth with culturally relevant programs that promote healthy lifestyles. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, APIA is one of four organizations who make up the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation’s Community Empowerment Cohort. The cohort is focused on initiating collective impact efforts that measurably impact Native youth health through physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections. With a goal that includes increasing the psychological and physical well-being of youth through use of cultural traditions and healthy foods, APIA has initiated a collective movement that includes six community partners from across the Aleutian Islands.

Beginning with an environmental scan, APIA collected feedback from a variety of individuals in the region. The scan included an online survey giving community members a chance to respond to questions pertaining to youth programs, culture and the health and wellbeing of their youth. “We wanted more data from individuals in the region,” Olivia Bridges, youth services coordinator said. “We felt we didn’t have enough representation from all the communities like we wanted to.” 

Upon analyzing the results, APIA saw some glaring similarities emerging from all the communities. Bridges said the importance of traditional language, and youth and elder connections in programs were the highest ranked and most recurring in just about all the survey responses.  “We were happily surprised how many people said they wanted to see more youth programming with elder and youth connection, and programs in their traditional language,” Bridges said. “After seeing and hearing this it made us think, wow we really need to do programming with youth and elder connections with our funding.”

With knowledge learned from the environmental scan, APIA and their six community partners are now moving forward together strategizing and working towards making meaningful changes in community that will impact the health and futures of youth. Currently, one of APIA’s partners in Unalaska is utilizing funds to cover the travel costs for a culture bearer to fly to the Aleutian Islands to teach a headdress making workshop to youth and families. This investment shows the emphasis and value communities in the region place on cultural connections and its impact on youth health. “Communities know what they want to do; they know what they need; and what kind of programming youth and elders in their communities want to be doing.” Bridges said.

With the guidance of the NB3 Foundation and fellow cohort members, APIA will continue to work with the six community partners through spring 2023.
Through the Community Empowerment grant, APIA has broadened their reach forming new partnerships and working with 6 community partners to include: Aleut Marine Mammal Commission, Atka IRA of Atka, King Cove Strong Non-profit of King Cove, Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point, Aleut Community of Saint Paul Island, and the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska.

The inaugural NB3FIT track team is set to hit the track for the first time on Saturday, April 30 at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque, NM. Youth elementary to high school age will represent their communities and NB3FIT at the upcoming meet. For many of the youth, this will be their first track meet.

NB3FIT is long known in the cross country community, but this spring NB3FIT has ventured into a something a little different. A learning experience for coaches and youth, the hope behind starting the track team was for youth to have the opportunity to run in the spring; rather than having to wait until fall when cross country season is. The track team has been practicing four times a week  learning proper running techniques and the rules around track.

Earlier in April, NB3FIT track team joined Running Medicine at Albuquerque High School for a practice meet. Youth suited up in their uniforms, laced up their running cleats and got a chance to experience a race-like environment.

This weekend youth will have the opportunity to compete in two events of their choosing. Some will be competing in the long jump, 800 meter, 1500 meter and a variety relay races.

 

The principal at Algodones Elementary School worked with Running Medicine Native Health Iniative to start a morning running program for all their students and staff. The initiative provides students the opportunity to begin their day being physically active and connecting to each person’s spiritual and cultural views through that physical activity every single day. Our NB3FIT team joined the school for the kickoff assembly to introduce the running program to the students. NB3FIT coaches Autumn Quiver and Jennie Holmes spoke with the students about the importance of being physically active, then led the school through a dynamic warm-up.

For 20 minutes everyone at the school was moving; students and staff ran and walked at all paces. There were many smiles and lots of encouraging words being shared. At the end of the session, the students said goodbye to the NB3FIT coaches and were sent to their classes full of energy. The NB3FIT team is looking forward to continuing to be a part of the local initiative in the future!

Letter from Principal of Algodones Elementary School (Courtesy Running Medicine Facebook):

“We launched Running Medicine yesterday and it was powerful. The entire school, staff, and students assembled on the large, grassy playground. After a prayer from a respected elder, we warmed up with NB3 team members and then took off running. The energy was incredible as our whole school came together to enjoy the spiritual, psychological, and physical sensations associated with the medicine of running!

At the end of the day at our staff meeting, every single faculty member reported that their students were more focused and there was less random misbehavior. My favorite statement was when someone said, “It felt like we’ve been doing this all the time! It just seemed so natural”

I have never in 29 years of this work seen an entire school cone together in such unison and with such powerful energy. I am so excited for the good this will do for our community!!!”

Ben Talbert, EdD

Principal

Courtesy: Running Medicine

 

Courtesy: Running Medicine

The Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation is excited to announce the release of Keeping Track: A Toolkit for Indigenous Youth Program Evaluation.  The youth program focused toolkit is aimed at providing resources and information that will assist anyone involved in a youth project, program or serving at a youth-centered organization create an evaluation approach that reflects and supports their community’s needs and strengths.

In 2019, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians awarded a grant of $167,394 to the NB3 Foundation to fund this innovative toolkit to help enhance the overall health of Native youth. The toolkit is designed to facilitate an Indigenous evaluation process that can help determine what is important to community stakeholders; what needs to be measured to satisfy stakeholders; what is feasible and appropriate to measure based on community values and norms; how to measure these items in a way that emphasizes Indigenous ways of being and knowing; and how to report, and use the evaluation findings to further promote Indigenous systems and organizational and programmatic sustainability.

From an Indigenous perspective, using this toolkit is a continuation of the knowledge handed down through generations of learning.“Evaluation has a history. What the Keeping Track Toolkit provides is a way of understanding the positive history that Indigenous communities have as evaluators. That is powerful! The Toolkit also provides a foundation of knowledge for evaluation and practical strategies for building an evaluation system that fits your specific situation,” peer reviewer of the toolkit, Director of Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, Joseph Claunch, Ph.D. said.

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Chairman Ken Ramirez says mapping the progress of health is the key to guiding the youth into a healthier future.

“Our youth need educated advisors who know how to serve every level of their health needs,” Ramirez said. “The Tribe is proud to increase the resources given to both the youth and those serving them daily to ensure they activate every level of wellness available to them.”

In this toolkit you will find resources that range from theory to practice. Each section building upon the work NB3 Foundation has done with community partners and stakeholders. Sections include:

  • What Is Evaluation – Outlines the history of Indigenous and Western evaluation and how it can be used in your community.
  • Foundations – Provides an overview of the underlying fundamentals and values that guide the toolkit and Indigenous evaluation systems
  • Indigenous evaluation systems – Outlines the process to develop an Indigenous evaluation system for your own organization, project or program.
  • Evaluation Resources – Provides several approaches, strategies and lessons that can be used to help develop your own evaluation systems.
  • References 
  • Glossary of Terms

To embrace new challenges and opportunities, the toolkit is designed to be an evolving resource. The NB3 Foundation will continue to build and improve upon the current version to meet the needs of Indigenous communities.

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT HERE