Friends of the Children-Flathead Nation Celebrates New Clubhouse

POLSON — Friends of the Children-Flathead Nation held an open house on June 11th to celebrate the opening of their clubhouse at 2 6th Ave. E and to share information about their Indigenous-led program with the community. The event featured a prayer and words of encouragement by Vernon Finley, a smudging ceremony by Loretta Hoots, and a ribbon cutting by Program Manager Nicole Callahan and a couple of young helpers.

Friends of the Children is a national nonprofit that is committed to impacting generational change by providing children and their families the opportunity to “forge a path that would meet their ancestors’ wildest dreams.” Over the past 10 years, the organization grew from five to 36 locations across the United States-including establishing a partnership in the spring of 2023 with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Tribal council passed a resolution to support Friends of the Children-Western Montana’s opening of a location to serve tribal youth on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Callahan was hired as the Program Manager in September and went to work doing community outreach, establishing partnerships, creating an advisory board, hiring professional mentors, training at the Missoula location, finding a location for the clubhouse, and furnishing the clubhouse. The clubhouse was recently acquired in April and work with the youth began.

Along with CSKT, Tamarack Grief Resource Center, Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead Indian Reservation, Snqʷeyłmistn-The Place Where You Do Your Best, Ronan School District, and Polson School District are partnering with Friends-Flathead Nation to provide opportunities for youth who will benefit from the service provided. Both school districts send referrals that are followed up with six weeks of observation by the staff at Friends-Flathead Nation. Participation is voluntary.

“These kids have really awesome, amazing stories and really incredible strengths. But they also deal with the biggest barriers and obstacles like those systemic challenges we see in foster care. Their parents are very young, there’s health and educational disparities, and they just don’t have the same opportunities and privilege as other children in our community,” said Callahan.

There are youth in foster care who are raised by grandparents, family members, or non-Indian foster families. There are youth whose parents are deceased or struggling with addiction who need an extra boost of support. The program is intended to lift those children up and support them by making a commitment to them for 12 plus years.

The program achieves this goal by using a two-generation model, walking alongside them, wrapping around them holistically, and pairing children facing the greatest obstacles with a long-term, paid professional mentor called a Friend. The two-generation model aims to include the parents and siblings of each child.

Professional Mentors or Friends spend four hours a week with each child. During the school year, two of the four hours are spent at school and two hours in the community. Throughout the summer, plans to attend language and culture camps, swimming lessons at the Aquatic Center, and trips to the library are in progress. The program aims to support the children from pre-K through high school graduation and beyond as well as expose the youth to language and culture.

“The cool thing and beneficial thing about our program is once these kids are in our program, we follow them. Our kids move schools a lot and if they’re in foster care, they might move foster homes on or off the reservation. That’s the reality of it and we will continue working with them and follow them where they’re at,” said Callahan.

Friends-Flathead Nation is unique from the other chapters located in western Montana as it serves youth from the Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai Tribes. There are currently 11 children ages four to seven who are being served. The goal is to enroll and serve 16 children. Understanding that the reservation has rich diversity and representation from at least 64 tribal nations, Friends-Flathead Nation opened enrollment up to all tribal youth living on the reservation.

“I had a mentor of mine a few years ago tell me that an Indian child is an Indian child regardless of where they’re from and I agree with that. As tribal people, we take care of one another and we’re not going to turn someone away if they’re not from our tribe,” said Callahan.

Adopting the tribes’ Indian preference hiring standard was also important so that there are people who look like the kids they serve. Callahan wanted the youth to have staff who make them feel comfortable. She recalled one of the kids in foster care who is placed with a non-Indian family opening up to the staff about being Native. There were moments when Callahan felt that she and her staff being Native helped them connect with the child in ways his foster family couldn’t connect.

“It’s meaningful to have people that look like you and understand where you come from.,” said Callahan.

A major part of the Friends-Flathead Nation is an advisory group consisting of Loretta Hoots, Lucinda Michel, Patty Stevens, Michelle Mitchell, and Lisa Bruggeman. Their role is to direct how the work looks, how the program grows, provide feedback, and connect with the community.

“You’re there to help guide them and to help shape them, that’s our responsibility. We should take that responsibility very serious, because we want our future generations, our tribe, to be here for another 1000 years,” said Hoots.

Although the program is small, the staff and advisory group believe it will grow in the future. Callahan knows firsthand that there are a number of youth who could benefit from the program. The idea is to start small and build a strong foundation. Plans to hire a male mentor are underway, but it’s been a challenge to find men. The mentor positions are not voluntary and are paid positions with benefits.

Friends-Flathead Nation is also requesting donations from the community, as it is a nonprofit group. There is an Amazon Wishlist available online for anyone to purchase items for the clubhouse. They are seeking items to foster the youth’s creativity with games, books, toys, art supplies, snacks, and more to create a cozy and welcoming space. Items can be sent to the Clubhouse at 2 6th Ave. E. in Polson.

For more information, visit friendswesternmt.org or contact Nicole Callahan by email ncallahan@friendsmontana.org or by phone at (406) 258-8081.

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