As a child, Nathan Solorio routinely faced bullying on his bus rides to school because of his long hair. Other children pulled on his braids and used slurs against him. His mom, Misty Solorio, tried to alleviate that a little by driving him to school.
The one good thing that came from COVID: Virtual learning cut down on the abuse he faced from classmates.
“Growing up Native, you get picked on for the way you look and by your hair,” the 15-year-old said.
But the West Shore School District student kept his head up and always told his mom, “I don’t have the problem — they have a problem.” After everything he went through, however, he decided to put that experience to use.
Nathan created a virtual program called Heart Medicine to help other Indigenous teens who also experience bullying and other hardships. Heart Medicine, which creates a place for young people to come together and share their feelings, started July 10 during the United National Indian Tribal Youth’s national conference. Nathan worked with 28 young people, ranging in ages from 14 to 24, in his first two sessions.
For his work, Nathan was recently named as one of the United National Indian Tribal Youth’s 25 people under 25.
Misty, an Indigenous woman registered with Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and the Roseau River Anishinabe Nation, was talking to one of her friends one day. The friend mentioned that Nathan would be a good candidate for the UNITY awards.
UNITY is an organization that tries to help build the “spiritual, mental, physical and social development of American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native Youth.”
Before the award ceremony, Nathan’s family surprised him with an outfit that represented his Native American heritage. He was in shock and almost cried. He wore the blue shirt, vest and bear-print medallion proudly as he accepted the award.
His mom recorded the ceremony on her phone like a proud momma bear.
Nathan was happy to help other young people, many of whom have experienced bullying in school. He and his mom agreed Native Americans need to take care of each other.
“Not many of us left,” she said, adding there is a need in the community as Native Americans are a very underrepresented group.
