Native American and Alaska Native youth continue to face severe and disproportionate challenges, including high rates of suicide, violence, addiction, and mental health struggles. Recent federal funding cuts have further strained already limited resources, deepening isolation in many Native communities at a time when cultural connection, self-expression, and community support are especially critical for youth wellbeing.
Vision Maker Media addresses these challenges by shifting the focus from statistics to solutions rooted in storytelling and cultural empowerment. The organisation believes that when young people are given the tools to tell their own stories in their own voices, grounded in Indigenous knowledge and values, storytelling becomes a powerful pathway to healing, leadership, and mental resilience. Early outcomes from these efforts show promising improvements in youth confidence, creative expression, and mental health.
Central to this approach is the iNative 7G movement, a set of interconnected initiatives inspired by the Indigenous principle of considering the impact of decisions on the seventh generation. Through this framework, Vision Maker Media invests in today’s youth storytellers with the long-term goal of cultural continuity and community healing. Training is delivered directly within Native communities through partnerships with local organisations and professional Native filmmakers, ensuring that learning remains accessible, culturally relevant, and sustainable.
Participants receive hands-on filmmaking education, long-term mentorship, and age-appropriate opportunities to engage with media. Emerging filmmakers are supported through intensive mentorships that significantly strengthen their technical, creative, and professional skills, while younger audiences are introduced to positive representations of Native languages, traditions, science, and everyday life. Together, these experiences counter harmful stereotypes and replace them with authentic reflections of Native identity.
Beyond skill-building, the programs create a clear pathway from creative exploration to community leadership. Youth move from learning and producing films to sharing their work publicly, engaging in dialogue, and passing knowledge across generations. Many participants go on to mentor others, lead arts initiatives, and contribute to community education, reinforcing cycles of empowerment and connection.
Since 2020, nearly 500 young people have been trained or mentored through these initiatives, supported by partnerships with Native health providers, schools, and community organisations across the United States. These programs build safe spaces where youth practice cultural values, strengthen identity, and develop career-ready skills while addressing wellness on their own terms.
Building on a decades-long legacy of Native storytelling through public broadcasting, Vision Maker Media is now centring youth voices as a core strategy for community wellbeing. As financial pressures grow and support systems shrink, these storytelling initiatives offer a vital source of healing and hope, demonstrating that when Native youth are empowered to tell their own stories, those stories can heal individuals, strengthen communities, and reshape how Native life is understood.
