The Native American Development Center of North Dakota (NADC) announces its inaugural Native Youth Suicide Prevention Camp (NYSP Camp being held on Friday and Saturday at the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC).

The NYSP Summit theme is “Keep Going” (“Kihelakayo” in Lakota). The program will begin at 1 p.m. outdoors near UTTC’s Co-ed Dormitories proceeding lunch held at the campus Cafeteria. “The purpose of this summit is to bring awareness for the need for suicide prevention efforts specifically designed for the prolonged disproportionate rates of suicide amongst American Indians and Alaskan Natives across the country” explains Lorraine Davis, Executive Director of the Native American Development Center.

“This event will provide a place for Native American youth living on or off tribal lands to access a culturally responsive venue to learn skills on how to engage one another through healthy interactions and build healthy relationships. Our hope is to encourage breaking down lateral oppression that has been prevalent amongst Native American populations stemming from a history of oppression.” Native youth and tribal program directors of Suicide Prevention were involved in planning the program, which will include cultural activities and Native youth role models. This event is made possible through a grant from the ND Department of Health, and a sponsorship from Indian Health Service, Aberdeen Area Office (IHS, AAO), and our partnerships with the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, UTTC, and ND Department of Public Instruction.

Registration begins on Friday, May 31 from 8 a.m. – noon p.m. at the co-ed dorms on campus.

To learn more about this event, please go to https://ndnativecenter.org/. For updates about this event, please go to our facebook page @ndnadc. For further inquiries, you may contact Lorraine Davis at (701) 595-5181, dial 4 or email at lorraine@ndnadc.org. To make donations towards the ongoing promotion of Native youth suicide prevention, please go to: https://ndnativecenter.org/.