The So’oh-Shinálí Sister Project is a Native women founded and led nonprofit created to promote culturally-grounded education and wellness services for Indigenous community members in Los Angeles County. The organization was created in reverence for the founders’ grandmothers which is represented in its name. So’oh translates to “grandmother” in the Hopi language, and Shinálí refers to paternal grandparents in Diné. The organization’s work is anchored in four pillars: wellness, education, leadership, and resources.

In partnership with First 5 LA, the organization has built the Sacred Little Ones Narrative Campaign, a project for Native and Indigenous children from prenatal to age five and the families raising them. Building on an annual early childhood development program that centers Indigenous core values, sensory learning, and books by Native authors – the campaign pairs a three-part video series with a Birth to Five resource guide.

The organization describes the first five years for a child as foundational, and maintains that stable housing, food security, early learning, and culturally affirming care are all integral in helping children grow up with a sense of safety, connection, and belonging.

The campaign sets out three goals: spread awareness and increase accessibility to existing resources so that they reach more families, celebrate and amplify the importance of culturally affirming services, and urge policymakers to advocate for services and funding tailored to Native and Indigenous families.

The video series

The video series features Indigenous cultural knowledge keepers, educators, parents, and caretakers who share their reflections on why culturally relevant programming and resources matter for Native and Indigenous children. All video participants attended the Sacred Little Ones early literacy sessions developed by So’oh-Shinálí Sister Project to increase cultural awareness and social development, engage in hands-on learning, and promote caregiver/child bonding.

Fun with the Drum: Benefits of Creative Expression, a drum circle with Elder Sewa Valencia (Yaqui, Yoeme), founder and director of Sisters of the One Drum.

Memory and Nourishment: Exploring Indigenous Foods, a tactile foodways session guided by Mariah-Rose Marie (Afro-Indigenous, Cherokee, Saponi), a writer, artist, and educator.

Nurturing Creative Expression: Benefits of Art, a clay session with ceramicist and artist Tekenya Sanchez (Diné), the series finale.

The Birth to Five Resource Guide

The guide covers more than 25 pages and highlights childcare, parenting support, early education, special education, financial support, food security, and healing. It is built as a tool for families and both Native and non-Native educators, case managers, and social service providers to challenge structural inequities and elevate existing cultural services that may aid the families they support in L.A. County and beyond.

Read the Birth to Five Resource Guide

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