Pathways for native youth

No longer left behind: Honoring Native youth with the care and community they deserve.

 
 
 

Project Avary is honored to walk alongside Native youth impacted by parental incarceration, recognizing the deep intergenerational trauma caused by both the carceral system and centuries of systemic oppression. Native American children experience parental incarceration at higher rates than any other group in the U.S., yet they are often left out of conversations around youth support and healing.

In response, this deepening of our work is guided by the lived experience of one of our counselors of Yurok descent. She walked this path as a child and now returns to support others impacted by parental incarceration  (read her story here). Through relationship-building with tribal people, educators, and community members, we are expanding our outreach and adapting our programming to better serve Native youth. At the heart of this effort is a recognition of the resilience, brilliance, and strength Native youth carry, along with the support they deserve.

This community-led approach is essential not only to addressing systemic trauma, but to ensuring Native youth feel seen, valued, and empowered in their healing journey.

Community Collaborators
We are honored to be building relationships with organizations and community leaders working to support Native youth and families. Our outreach and programming are shaped in collaboration with the following groups:

  • Klamath River Promise Neighborhood – Yurok Health & Human Services

  • True North Organizing Network

  • Kee Cha-E-Nar Yurok Reentry Program

  • Humboldt County Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission

  • Project Rebound

  • Native Like Water

  • STAY in The Community – Division of Indian Work

  • University of Montana Native Child Advocacy Resource Center

  • County of Del Norte Department of Health & Human Services

  • Eureka City Schools – Community Schools Liaisons

Interested in collaborating with us?
We’d love to connect. Please reach out to our Outreach Specialist, Karinne Dadigan, at karinne@projectavary.org.

 
 

Key Statistics

20% of Native American children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives, the highest rate among all racial and ethnic groups.

Source: The Sentencing Project

Native people are incarcerated in state and federal prisons at a rate of 763 per 100,000, which is more than four times higher than the rate for white individuals (181 per 100,000).

Source: Prison Policy Initiative

Culturally rooted, community-led support is key to healing historical trauma among Native youth.

Source: Garcia, 2020; Storck et al., 2009

 
 

Honoring Indigenous Lands and Communities
Our work with Native youth is grounded in respect for Indigenous sovereignty, history, and place. We invite you to read our Land Acknowledgment to learn more about the original stewards of the land and the values that guide our commitment.

To begin exploring whose land you live on, visit Native-Land.ca.