Greetings! Parents, guardians, relatives and friends,

Although 2020 will be here soon, 2019 has been a good year here at Kinlani. Looking back over the fall semester, we should all be proud of our many accomplishments. My staff and I are pleased at all the services we were able to extend to our students. From the food services department, to residential, facilities, academic, recreation, behavioral health and administration we have worked diligently with your children to keep them positive, healthy, and safe while providing academic and other extracurricular/recreational services.

There were at least 80 (67%) students who earned a 3.0 GPA or higher roll during the first quarter of 2019. These students were treated out to Oreganos. Students participate in one hour of study hall per day and an additional hour for those who require additional support. Three part-time tutors provide tutoring services along with college students who volunteers from Northern Arizona University.

Five students attended the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The AISES conference is focused on educational, professional, and workforce development. Our students interacted with mentors, peers, and professional in STEM fields.

CULTIVATE students spent three months tending their crops at the Colten Garden on the campus of the Museum of Northern Arizona.  Students learned about composting, planting, nutritional value, seed saving, and marketing their produce. Students earned a small internship stipend for their efforts.

Native Foods students prepared and cooked lots of delightful dishes and shared their knowledge at the Food for Medicine one-day, community event on November 16, 2019. They also shared a short video that they starred in to promote plant-based diets. World renown chefs Dr. Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater spent three days sharing their expertise with Kinlani students. The following plant-based dinner was served to students and received two thumbs up from most students.

Healthy Garden Salad

Featuring baby salad greens, fresh arugula, fresh blueberries and toasted New Mexico pecans in a raspberry jam, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard vinaigrette

Enchilada Lasagna

Featuring mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, baby spinach and green chile perfectly layered together with corn tortillas and green chile sauce

Green Rice

Featuring jasmine rice with sautéed garlic and sweet onions and cooked together with fresh cilantro, green onions, and green chile

Bean Hummus

Made from a pinto bean and roasted red bell pepper, with roasted garlic and served with Farmer’s market baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber wedges and radishes

Sliced Fresh Oranges

Featuring fresh oranges slices garnished with cinnamon

During the Know Your CLAN conference on November 13, 2019 students assisted with sheep butchering and making dough and bread. All parts of the sheep were prepared. Others learned how to make baah doot[‘7z7 (blue bread) and facials cream out of natural plants and oils. These lessons were held to honor our Native American heritage and teachings.

During the Fall semester, Talking Circle sessions were held biweekly for students. It is part of the Native American wellness program under the 21st Century grant. The goal of Talking Circle is to help individuals heal from inside-out. Most of the time, an individual may be living with hurtful feelings and/or experiences that have not fully healed so talking circle helps in those areas. We do our best to restore balance or Hozh0 Philosophy.

An average of 6-8 students attended biweekly. Instruments introduced were a talking stick or eagle feather. We would use this tool when the students shared. Each session would have various topics: four sacred directions, four sacred elements, the clans and the opportunity to be smudged with cedar. The process teaches boys and girls to respect one another while an individual is talking. The motto is "what you hear and who you see in the circle, stays in the circle." Last, students were given a pre-survey and post-survey of what they have learned in Talking Circle.

Talking Circle will resume in the Spring 2020 with new topics and eventually students will learn to use talking circle anytime with their peers. Parents/guests are welcome to participate. The sessions are scheduled Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 pm; or, on a Thursday evening at 8:30 pm (depending upon group's request). Thank you.

Wellbriety Warriors group facilitator: Michael Little Owl

Fall 2019, a small group of students attended a Wellbriety Warriors’ group on Thursday’s at 6 PM. This is a newly implemented group at FBD with a cultural bend to address daily stressors and angst.  These students with varied backgrounds created a sense of trust and respect amongst each other in what resembles a talking circle fused with opportunity in art expression, and cedar smudge. When we end each participant has a closing remark of gratitude. We average 6-8 participants with four core members who attended since the first sessions. The students are guided to simply to honor confidentiality of others expressed words, and to be themselves. We will continue to maintain this group into the spring semester with a drum making activity in January and we will likely schedule another painting session as our last one was well received. We adhere to an open-door approach to the group, no requirements needed, and participation is voluntary based. This spring we look forward in creating new ideas and being seen as a viable sources of peer support in the dorm. As the counselor, I facilitate and admire the level of leadership and integrity these students demonstrate.

During the upcoming spring semester other activities planned include the Close Up Flagship program where four students will attend an all expense paid trip to the Nation’s capital and NYC. They will learn about our democratic system first hand, participate in monument studies, debates, and leadership opportunities. They will visit museums and famous sites in both Washington DC and New York City. 

Students will get to visit local colleges, universities and technical training schools.  Students will visit local colleges including Yavapai College, Universal Technical Institute and community colleges such as South Mountain, Chandler, and Phoenix Community Colleges.

We encourage students to participate in the many extracurricular activities held here at the dorm.  As always, academic preparedness is a must.  Studying, being present and putting forth your best effort will earn you good grades.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and Happy New Year with many blessings/

Respectfully,

Theresa Boone-Schuler, CEO