Community Engagement

Nihikeyah is already sharing food and medicine crops with local families and clans. As our work expands and increases, our capacity to help provide food and water to our community will also increase.

Nihikeya’s Community engagement process uses our Hooghan Dialogue approach to help family and clans express their experiences, concerns and needs safely, and build trust. Our work sessions engage Cultural Teachers, Healers and Knowledge-Holders, and mentor youth participation.

Activities include:

• Sharing teachings of the Diné Fundamental law, and Diné perspectives on Land Stewardship; presenting traditional Diné Planning models and their congruence with western Conservation and Water Planning processes;

• Sharing and exploring on maps the narrative of the land - ecological literacy --  including place names; historical events; cultural land uses, our responsibility to steward Wildlife and culturally important plants; our Clan histories and land use; Wildlife and ecosystem protected Areas;

• Watershed Mapping -- identifying existing infrastructure and water systems; areas needing rehabilitation (dams, fields, roads, springs, rangelands/ forest, wildlife/ riparian habitats; identifying areas for new development and restoration; identifying housing settlements within each drainage and who will participate in project development; identify watershed and groundwater protection/management/restoration processes and needs.