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UAII Campers Return Safely in 2021
The American Indian Clubhouse recently finished wrapping up the 31st Annual Robert Sundance Summer Camp. This year’s camp was located at the Haramokngna American Indian Cultural Center in the Angeles National Forest, just north of Los Angeles. With the overwhelming support of the parents of our youth, the Clubhouse began planning a memorable, outdoor experience. Facing the reality of COVID-19, the staff first created a safety plan to keep all our campers, staff, and volunteers safe. For one, all staff and volunteers selected were vaccinated. Additionally, all campers and staff had to submit a negative COVID-19 test on the first day of camp. Other general rules like masking and social distancing were encouraged at camp. We were able to hire an American Indian catering company (KORE Meal Prep) to bring in delicious pre-packaged meals, and hired additional staff to wipe down surfaces and keep our areas clean. The UAII Community Clinic supported the camp by offering camp physicals to all campers during their back-to-school drive.
With these safety measures in place, we were able to serve 46 youth at camp. There were 3,440 hours of culturally-based, outdoor recreation, and team-building activities provided over the two weeks. Some culturally-based activities included clapper stick making, traditional jewelry making, tobacco pouch making, and storytelling. Outdoor recreation activities included zip-lining, hiking, archery, and pinewood derby.
Our teen leadership development program (Counselor in Training) provided our teens with a variety of leadership experiences like leading our group in prayer, managing social media platforms, working with our younger campers, and assisting in the kitchen. The A.C. Green Foundation kindly donated toys to each child in attendance at camp.
The American Indian Clubhouse would like to thank Lorence Orosco of Haramokngna, Pukuu Community Cultural Services, the Forest Service, The A.C. Green Foundation, and the UAII Workforce department, for contributing to the success of our camp. With this event we were able to bring our community together, reform friendships, create new memories, and foster a feeling of hope to battle some of the anxiety caused by the recent pandemic. This year, our camp truly lived our camp motto of “Different Clans, One Nation, Our Dream of Future Alcohol-Free Generations”.
The SAGE Project Sails into the Sunset
Over the past year, the SAGE Project has worked with the American Indian Clubhouse and the UAII Health Project to provide healthy activities for our youth, families, and seniors. Through the Walking Club, the SAGE Project encouraged family-based healthy activities when COVID-19 restrictions prevented gatherings. Opening again in Summer 2021, the SAGE Project met regularly as a small group at Echo Park to engage in walks around the beautiful lake and gave out incentives to encourage healthy activity. Some UAII staff members were able to join and engage in a healthy activity – taking a well-earned break from their normal desk-bound schedules. In September, the Walking Club came to a close, but not before going out with a bang. The SAGE Project provided a memorable day by renting Swan Boats for all in attendance. This iconic Los Angeles activity was a great way to end the program and provided a great workout on the water. Visit the SAGE Project Facebook page to see the short video produced about the event @SAGEProjectUAII
Finally, we want to thank all the families and seniors that came out to the Walking Club activities both online and in-person over the past year. For many of us, being able to get together in a small group again lifted our spirits, and helped us better deal with the anxiety so many of our members talked about during our meetings. Stay healthy, stay safe, and see you all next year!
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