Native Foster Youth Rewrite Their Stories
Native foster youth in the Portland metro area can find stability, cultural practice, and community connection at NAYA.
As we commemorate National Foster Care Awareness Month, we spotlight NAYA’s Foster Care Support program and the remarkable achievements of foster youth finding their way with cultural connection as their compass.
For Indigenous youth aging out* of foster care, the transition to independence can be intimidating. NAYA’s Foster Care Support program offers crucial services for Indigenous youth transitioning from the foster care system, especially those who may not qualify for other programs but still need support.
Foster youth receive critical support through Foster Care Services until age 23, ensuring they have access to culturally appropriate assistance as they gain life skills.
Culture remains at the heart of NAYA’s work, providing a foundation where Native American traditions and practices create a respectful and inclusive vision for the future. Through this comprehensive cultural framework, youth receive wrap around support with housing, education, employment, and cultural reconnection.
For many participants, these services have been a lifeline during critical transitions. Sage Clubfoot Jr’s path to becoming a firefighter included some challenging financial obstacles. NAYA helped provide financial support to purchase the gear to keep Sage safe in the field.
Beyond that practical assistance, Sage values guidance from his advocate, Kahlea Phar: “My advocate, she’s really cool, and she gives me a lot of advice… definitely a mother figure to me.”
“If I ever need anything, my advocate is always there to just help support me,” echoes Sage’s brother, Natista Clubfoot. Recently, he has been pursuing higher education with program support. “I’m working on my application to PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art), an art school downtown. I’m working on my artist statement right now. I finished my portfolio.”
The impact of these programs extends beyond immediate assistance. For Gloria BigBack, NAYA’s educational support helped her earn a GED in under two months. “Right now, I’m on track to get my MSW… thanks to the college and career program, I was able to write for a scholarship that I ended up receiving through NAYA,” she shared. This stability allows her to focus on building futures for herself and her family.
Many youth like Gloria have faced challenges maintaining cultural practices. “We were stripped from our culture, our cultural identity.” Through NAYA’s programs, youth find ways to reconnect: “I’m learning how to make moccasins and ribbon skirts, and I’m trying to relearn how to dance so that I can dance with my daughter, and just like our cultural background, for our tribe, I’m trying to learn the language so that my daughter can learn it.”
Beyond practical support, NAYA provides something equally vital: community. “I think it’s really nice being around a lot of Native people,” reflects Natista. ” It’s comforting; even though I don’t really know anyone here, it’s still pretty cool to be in this community. Everyone supports each other around here, and everyone’s there for each other.”
These educational achievements create ripple effects for future generations. Through NAYA’s early childhood program, participants can pass cultural knowledge to their children: “There’s weekly events where the kiddos can come together so that they can stay in tune with their cultural heritage,” shared Gloria.
As we honor National Foster Care Awareness Month, NAYA’s Foster Care Support program provides a foundation of services. It connects youth to culture while preparing them for independence, ensuring no young person ages out without support.
“If you go to NAYA, you’ll have a good time, meet new people, and have new experiences that you might never have had before,” advises Sage. “There are a lot of opportunities here for Native people.”
*”Aging out” is the process of leaving the foster care system upon reaching age 18 or 21 without being reunited with birth families or being adopted.