Yéego Init’i’ Shiyázhí: Positive Affirmations for Health and Wellness 

by Amanda Teller

Language has the power to shape how we view the world and how we view ourselves. Like most children in the United States, Native youth use electronics and social media to stay connected to the world. However, social media also has its drawbacks, and we have become desensitized to the negative messages being hardwired in our minds. A powerful way to combat those negative messages and to build resiliency in our children is to incorporate positive self-talk and phrases in their daily routine. Together, we can reinforce a much-needed balance and harmony (hózhǫ́) needed to thrive in a world that changes every day.  

Julia Clark, a school counselor at the Sanders Unified School District, knows that the success of her students is more than just grades. “In my line of work, it can’t just be about academics, we have to treat the social, emotional, and physical well-being of that child,” says Clark, who has worked as a counselor for 18 years.  

With the expansion of mass media and smartphones, the way children communicate, socialize, and interact with the world has changed. “Kids can really put each other down these days. Some kids are raising themselves and it’s sad,” said Clark. Now is the time to create that balance (hózhǫ)́ by speaking words of positive affirmations to our youth.