O
n the day The RESource
spoke to the staff of the
Navajo Nation Office
of Diné Youth (ODY), it was a
somber morning of shared hugs
and tears of remembrance for a
young student who had grew
up with their program and had
recently passed away. It was
clearly evident that each member of ODY is not only passionate about what they do for the
children of the Fort Defiance
Agency, but they are also committed to each young individual.
Several members of the staff
have been with the program
for well over 20 years and have
seen many changes with the
program. The RESource wanted to give each staff member
the limelight and acknowledgment they deserve according to
the years they have served.
Tina Tommy, Office Specialist
Tina has been with ODY for
almost 26 years. What started
out as a yearly summer internship has turned into a life-long
commitment to working with our
youth. She’s had many roles
from clerical/office duties, employment screening, coordinat-
6
may Volume 1 Issue 005
ing the Navajo Nation Spelling
Bee, recruitment for Navajo Job
Corp. to Acting Manager.
them live hard lives. Some get
through it and some don’t. You
want to see every child live a full
life.” She also stated all of the
kids who have come through
ODY the last 26 years have left
special imprints in her life.
When The RESource asked
Tina about the upside to her job
duties, she claimed that at first
it was a job, but over time her
commitment to the youth devel- Yvonne Kee-Billison,
oped. When the children grew Program Supervisor III
into
young
men
and
Yvonne start“When you watch
women
beed
working
a child grow before her eyes,
with the proshe became
fore your eyes, you gram at the
attached
to
age of 14 as
connect to them.
each of them.
a
summer
Many of them live
The first time
employee.
a
student
hard lives. Some get Summer after
thanked her
she
through it and some summer with
for being a
worked
don’t. You want to
part of their
ODY.
Then
life was the
after college,
see every child
most rewardshe
began
live a full life.”
ing and humworking fullbling experitime and is
ence, she stated. She is even now in her 21st year with the
called, “Grandma Tina” by program. She fondly rememthe young children of the now bers the first summer she was
grown students.
employed with the program
when it was called Office of
As for the downside of her job, Youth Affairs.
Tina said, “When you watch a
child grow before your eyes, That was one of the many
you connect to them. Many of names their department has
had over the last 42 years.
Some of the names include,
Department of Youth Development Services, Department
of Youth Community Services,
Department of Youth Services,
Office of Youth Services, Office
of Youth Development, and now
Office of Diné Youth.
Like Tina, Yvonne has also
seen their program go through
many adjustments including
building changes. From the
trailer behind the Water Resources Office to the old Butler
building near the Window Rock
Training Center. Then to the
old BIA building across the Fort
Defiance Chapter House and
finally to their present location
behind That’s a Burger in Fort
Defiance. This new location
houses their new buildings and
projects set to have a grand
opening celebration in August
2014.
All the details Yvonne shared on
how the program has evolved
could be written into a book.
She gave credit to the many
mentors who no longer work
continued on page 7
“believe you can and your half way there” - theodore roosevelt