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Who: Any student who has completed 9th-12th grade by June 2024. They can be current participants in the JYM or friends who haven't joined us yet.
What: We will travel together as the JYM to the Yakama Reservation and participate in a mission trip with SLAM....a Native run mission organization. We will have the privilege of working on homes that need repair, going to a pow wow, learning from tribal leaders, eating some of their cultural foods and more. During our travels to and from Yakama we will be planning some fun events just for our students too.
Where: Here is some information from SLAM about the Yakama People
"The Yakama Reservation lies along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountain Range and the Taptíil (Yakima River) in south-central Washington. There are fourteen tribes and bands that make up the Yakama Nation. More than 11,000 people are enrolled in the Yakama confederation of tribes, and there are more than 14,000 people living on or close to the 1.2 million acre reservation. The Yakama language is called Ichishkíin, and consists of several different dialects that are spoken by the 14 tribes as well as other tribes in the Northwest such as the Warm Springs people in Oregon and the Nez Perce in Idaho."
Why: Students grow emotionally and spiritually when we travel together. They move out of their comfort zone when they are in other communities and cultures to learn and see the world through a different lens. Students have skills to learn and to talents to give and we can use them to help repair homes and communities centers. They laugh and make friends and memories that are irreplaceable and hard to duplicate if we stay in San Jose and do day trips. They develop leadership skills, get motivated for service and begin a lifelong commitment to justice and advocacy.
More about SLAM:
"We are Native-American owned and operated. Something you won’t see very often!
- We immerse groups in our culture—not just talk about our culture.
- We offer an indigenous perspective on missions and Christianity vs. a Western perspective.
- All food, lodging, and programs are covered as part of the fee so that you don’t have to worry about it.
- You will receive cultural orientation from local Native people—not from non-Indian people who live on the reservation.
- We are a cross-cultural destination without your group ever having to leave the country—and for much less money!
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