We are the Center for Native American Youth

Our Vision is for all Native American youth to lead full and healthy lives, to have equal access to opportunity, and to draw strength from their culture and inspire one another.

MAKA MONTURE

TLINGIT MOHAWK
AGE: 24

Maka Monture has been surrounded by Northwest Coast Art her entire life, starting from her early childhood in Britsh Columbia. She has practiced traditional Tlingit carving, weaving, beading, and painting her entire life from many incredible teachers. She is inspired by the artwork of Tlingit artists, Crystal Worl and Alison Marks.

Dig your Paddle Deep” depicts a Matriarch leading a young person to pull a canoe forward in the midst of a storm. The storm represents the collective obstacles that face indigenous people. They are guided by Constellations and the North Star used for navigation in ancient times. Below them, an ancestor does not leave them. The tentacle of a devilfish/octopus pursues them to depict our own traumas and fears that latch and pursue us. Traumas that we must not look back on, but use to power us forward.

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"I’m passionate about getting people excited about food sovereignty, but in ways that make it accessible. I think it’s important for indigenous people around the world to decolonize their minds, diets, and really think about wellness from a traditional perspective.”

-Mariah Gladstone,

Blackfeet Nation, 2017 Champion for Change