Me n’Ki Hi n’he wa

The Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma’s project Me n’Ki Hi n’he wa (pronounced mee n’kah hah n’hee way) – Seed to Success, aims to equip youth with practical agricultural skills, career exploration opportunities, and financial literacy training. This program strengthens youth readiness for future employment and access to capital as emerging producers. Me n’Ki Hi n’he wa provides hands-on workshops that cover gardening, harvesting, canning, and culturally-significant food preparation. These workshops ensure that the youth gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire food cycle, from planting to preservation. To enhance career readiness, the program collaborates with the Tribal 477 program to place youth in paid agricultural work experience positions within the Tribe’s Agriculture Department. These placements offer real-world exposure to Tribal agriculture operations, food sovereignty initiatives, and natural resource management. Additionally, youth receive workforce readiness training through Tribal Education and Workforce programs, which includes resume building, workplace expectations, and safety training. A core component of the program focuses on addressing access to capital by preparing youth to understand how capital functions in agriculture and how to access it responsibly. In partnership with All Nations Bank, the program offers youth-friendly financial literacy instruction that covers budgeting, credit, savings, and financial decision-making. Participants will complete personal budgets, create mock agricultural enterprise budgets, and engage in record-keeping exercises that reflect the financial responsibilities of real producers.