Nakia Zavalla: Chumash Tribe building sustainable community

In just a little over a month from now, The Native Learning Center will be holding a national gathering dedicated to the development of cultural and quality of life skills for indigenous people. The “Training for Building Sustainable Communities in Indian Country” conference will be held in Green Bay, Wis. The Native Learning Center program is sponsored by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

This gathering of Native people will provide a forum for “tribal communities to come together, stimulate ideas, establish collaborations, and initiate discussions surrounding the best approaches to strengthen our Native communities,” notes Georgette Palmer Smith, executive director of The Native Learning Center and a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma/Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Part of the program will highlight our efforts on the Santa Ynez Reservation to revive our Samala language. I and Chumash family member Kathleen Marshall will address “Preserving Language: Turning Speakers into Teachers.” Marshall serves on the California American Indian Education Oversight Committee, and last year was appointed to another term by the state superintendent of public instruction.