Hearts on Fire youth program set at Rocky Boy

A Grammy Award-winning artist will perform this week at Stone Child College on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation as part of Hearts on Fire, a two-day camp to educate teenagers about how to talk through visual and social media about of drugs, suicide prevention, bullying and sexual assault.  

“It’s empowering them to tell their own story,” said Meth and Suicide Prevention Initiative program coordinator and state Rep. Bruce Meyers, R-Box Elder. “So if they are empowered to tell their own story then they will be empowered to say no to drugs, no to bullying, no to sexual assault or no to dating violence.”

The event will take place Thursday and Friday at the John “Cubby” Morsette Vocational Center on the Stone Child College campus.

Meyers said Star Nayea, a Native American musician and wellness advocate, will open the activities 9 a.m Thursday with a concert open to the community.

Meyers, who faces Democrat Frank Smith in the race for Montana Senate District 16, said that Nayea has traveled to reservation schools across the U.S. for about the past 20 years performing and talking to youth about these issues.

“So she is inspirational, she knows how to talk to kids and so they will be acting out some of their stories,” Meyers said.

The first day, students grades seven through 12 from Box Elder and Rocky Boy Schools will be divided into four groups. They will engage in teambuilding and brainstorming sessions and take part in workshops where they will learn how to use video cameras, editing, graphic design and social media tools to talk about those issues.

Meyers said the four groups will include one made of students who will take part in videography and production. Another will learn about acting, musical performance and songwriting. A third group will do scriptwriting, storyboarding, editing and directing, while a fourth will do graphic art design for online and social media.

He said students filled out applications choosing their groups ahead of time. Applications are still being accepted through today.

Four graphic arts students at Stone Child will be in attendance to teach the students how to use equipment and produce media.

Participants will then record music, shoot and edit video, create digital content and come up with stories for videos and public service announcements about drugs, sexual abuse bullying and suicide.

The videos and graphic content will then be displayed on the overhead television screens in the school hallways starting next week and continuing throughout the school year.

“So, in effect, those kids will see themselves telling other kids about these experiences. So it’s more personal, and it will be more effective to them when they hear another peer stepping up and telling their story,” Meyers said.

Given the emotional nature of the topics discussed, counselors will be on scene, he addded.  

In all, 30-50 students are expected to take part, Meyers said.

Money for the camp comes from Generation Indigenous, a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he said

Applications for the camp can be picked up in the front offices at Rocky Boy and Box Elder junior high or high school offices, where they should be filled out and returned by late today.