entering the building. As one staff quipped, “Having NAYA elders located in such a prominent space in the organization allows them to keep a close eye on staff and let us know when we need to do better.” NAYA works with families throughout the life course, using a holistic service model. Youth programming remains a central element to NAYA’s work. The Youth and Education Services (YES) department offers a variety of services focused on education, cultural arts, and recreation. A large part of NAYA’s campus is dedicated to the Many Nations Academy (MNA), a blended high school that integrates Native traditions and incorporates college and career readiness.xxii In 2021, MNA enrolled 56 youth. Additionally, NAYA offers early childhood programming, such as the Ten’as Sun Program for children ages three and under. The kitchen, located down the hall from the Elders’ Room, provides 2,000 meals a day to the community, in partnership with the Oregon Food Bank. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NAYA expanded its food pantry from a large closet to an entire conference room to meet the community’s high priority need for food. As one staff member put it, “Addressing food security is always a priority. The way that NAYA shifted into delivering food during the pandemic was amazing.” The rest of the main floor holds offices, a large college support services room, and a library of Native-authored books and resources. While NAYA today is an immensely successful, vibrant organization, with over 140 staff members, a 10-acre campus, ever-expanding services, and strong partnerships, the organization has faced its share of challenges over the years. NAYA almost permanently closed its doors several times. At one point, NAYA was under forbearance and organizational leadership
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considered selling its campus, with active buyers interested. It took 1.5 years of hard work by NAYA’s leadership to stabilize the organization’s funding and bring NAYA to a financially healthy place As an organization, NAYA has demonstrated incredible resilience over the years, showing a deep resolve to remain open for the sake of the Native community. As a local elected official pointed out, “[There’s] nothing worse than building relationships around a service area and then having the service area disappear due to lack of funding. That breaks trust. A strong financial foundation in an organization is crucial—NAYA has done that.” NAYA is more than a social service organization. It is a vibrant institution that draws on intergenerational reservoirs of strength and plays a key role in restoring balance and establishing well-being in Portland’s Native community. Consistent with the relational worldview model developed in the 1980s by the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), NAYA defines wellness as a harmonious balance between the four dimensions of body, mind, spirit, and social context in an individual or family’s circle of life.xxiii,xxiv The four dimensions of one’s life are in constant flux; if any quadrants are imbalanced at various times, the strengths and qualities of the others serve to rebalance the quadrants that are out of harmony. In the same way, NAYA’s structure and programs shift and adapt as the needs of the community change, with the ultimate goal of maintaining balance and wellbeing.
The Community Development Department Since its founding in 1974, NAYA has played a key role in growing a vibrant Native community centered on relationships and balance. Like many community-based organizations, one of NAYA’s goals is to generate resources and
Balance and Belonging: Empowerment Economics and Community Development at NAYA
