November brought a season of gratitude, reflection, and togetherness. From community gatherings to youth programs packed with creativity and culture, our teams and young people continued to show up with so much heart. This month reminded us how powerful it is when we come together to support, celebrate, and uplift one another.
Here are some highlights from a month filled with connection, growth, and meaningful moments.
Chekws Counseling Services November Data
November was a busy and impactful month for our counseling team at Two Feathers! Our clinicians and interns provided 355 hours of individual support across 198 enrolled clients throughout Humboldt County — from Eastern Humboldt to Northern and Southern Humboldt. With 16 dedicated staff and 2 amazing interns, we also welcomed 9 new clients into our circle of care. Every hour spent represents a moment of connection, healing, and growth for our Tribal youth and families.
Social Justice Academy
Two Feathers partnered with the California Native Vote Project to host 47 incredible Native youth for a two-day Social Justice Academy — a weekend grounded in leadership, voice, and community change.
Throughout the Academy, youth dug into the strength of Native youth advocacy and explored what it means to create meaningful change in the places they live, learn, and gather. They practiced how to build and lead their own campaigns, shared big ideas around community wellness, and spent intentional time on a core theme for the weekend: destigmatizing mental health.
We are grateful to Calvin and Sequoia from CNVP for bringing teachings, energy, and real guidance to our youth.
Our hearts are full after witnessing the leadership, creativity, and courage from every single participant. We’re proud of this group and excited to see how their ideas continue to grow in their communities.
Fall Break Fun Wrap Up
Fall Break was such a blast! We kicked things off on Monday, November 24 at Sumeg, where more than 85 youth joined us for a full day of cultural fun — traditional gambling, regalia sharing, weaving, and a delicious salmon lunch to wrap things up.
On Tuesday, we picked up our amazing Hoopa kiddos after school and headed straight to the brand-new Willow Creek Skate Park. Charlie from Skatepark Collective spent the afternoon teaching balance, ramp riding, and helping create a whole lot of laughter.
Wednesday rounded out the week with our biggest Fall Break group yet — 50 youth from Hoopa and 40 coastal youth coming together at the Arcata Pool. We love watching friendships form and grow when our youth from different regions get to spend time together.
We’re already excited for Winter Break. Stay tuned for a lineup of cozy, fun activities coming soon!
Partnership Highlight: KTJUSD
Our Hoopa Group has been such a bright spot this year. Every Wednesday, our team spends the day with two 5th grade classes and two 6th grade classes. This rhythm has given us the chance to build real relationships, learn alongside the youth, and show up for them in meaningful ways.
Each week brings something new. We have had plenty of exhilarating outdoor adventures, from games that get everyone moving to activities that help youth challenge themselves and support one another. Indoors, we have focused on hands-on projects and conversations that spark creativity, teamwork, and confidence. It has been a joy watching this new group open up, find their voice, and get more comfortable with one another and with us.
We are also excited to see so many of the Hoopa youth joining our out-of-school activities. This shows that they are not only having fun during programming, but also choosing to stay connected beyond the classroom. That continued engagement is powerful, and we are grateful for the trust families place in us.
We cannot wait to see what the next month brings. This group has so much energy, kindness, and potential, and we feel lucky to be part of their journey.
Staff Anniversary Celebration
Today we’re celebrating another group of amazing Two Feathers team members whose dedication, passion, and heart continue to uplift and support our Tribal youth and families.
✨ Shaylynne – Mental Health Clinician | 7 years of service
✨ Yvonne – Youth Leadership Program Coordinator | 7 years of service
✨ Rudy – Youth Development Specialist | 3 years of service
✨ Kimberly (Not pictured) – Senior Administrative Assistant | 2 years of service
✨ Holly – Outreach Specialist | 2 years of service
Thank you all for the incredible work you do each day. Your commitment to culture, community, and youth wellness strengthens everything we do at Two Feathers. We’re grateful to celebrate these milestones with you!
Affirmations from the Rivers
Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often you can make lasting positive habits. You might consider affirmations to be unrealistic “wishful thinking.” But try looking at positive affirmations this way: many of us do repetitive exercises to improve our physical health, and affirmations are like exercises for our mind and outlook. These positive mental repetitions can reprogram our thinking patterns so that, over time, we begin to think – and act – differently. We are more open to seeking new company and trying new things. We are more open to challenge, change, and healthy relationships.
Affirmation statements usually target a specific area, behavior or belief that you’re struggling with. The following points can help you to write the affirmation statement that best fits your needs:
✨ Think about the areas of your life that you’d like to change.
✨ Be sure that your affirmation is credible and achievable (don’t wish to be a trillionaire or to fly for example).
✨ If you are struggling with negative self-talk, choose an affirmation that is the opposite of that thought and belief.
✨ Speak in the present tense and with feelings. You got this!
Note: Affirmations are not about only thinking good thoughts/positive vibes and never feeling angry, sad, nor do they replace planning for the future and good worry and stress. They are for those who have habits of negative outlooks and have low self-esteem in certain areas of their lives. These do not replace work with a mental health clinician.
Thank you Maymi Preston-Donahue (Two Feathers Mental Health Clinician) for taking lead in this project and a huge thank you to the Karuk, Yurok, and Hupa Language teachers for helping us with this campaign. For more language resources, please feel free to follow their social media pages!
In Northern California, Tribal Youth Services Programs Meets Young People ‘Where They’re At’
“Aided by state funding announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom in May, Two Feathers will expand its offering in the new year, opening two new “wellness centers” in Northern California that will address mental health and substance-use among tribal youth.
The centers will also help young people approaching adulthood find jobs and stable housing, said Virgil Moorehead Jr. a Yurok and Tolowa tribal citizen and executive Director of Two Feathers.”