SPIRIT OF THE SUN INC

Description

Spirit of the Sun’s strategy is to support, empower, and uplift Native youth by giving them the skills they need to succeed while maintaining strong cultural connections. Our strategy emphasizes the need for programs to not only teach valuable life skills but to do so in a way that builds the resilience of Native youth. The youth who participate in our programs come away with new skills, a supportive network of peers, adults, and elders, and a drive to better their communities. We work to change current social systems, as our network of youth collaborates and builds relationships with people from a variety of tribes. Additionally, we change economic systems by providing skills to help youth avoid the cycle of poverty. Lastly, we change the cultural systems of urban Native youth by ensuring economic resilience and a strong cultural connection to their roots are not mutually exclusive. The vision of Spirit of the Sun, Inc. is that Native youth of today will become the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and skilled professionals who will help guide their communities toward wellness, prosperity, and cultural revitalization. As a result of our work, Native youth in the Denver region will open businesses and maintain a strong connection with their culture. Long term, we hope that our programming will produce a truly strong and supportive Denver Native community, where people are able to thrive both as participants in the modern economy, and as tribal leaders.