By Sadie Fonfara, Roosevelt High School
Additional reporting by Janya Dieringer (Johnson Senior High School), Alaia Scroggins (Wayzata High School), and Christopher Rosales (Roosevelt High School)
Several years ago, when Bryce Premo was going through treatment for alcohol abuse and suicidal ideation, he was introduced to a world of inspiring people.
“I saw the amazing work people were doing in suicide prevention, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Premo said.
Today, Premo, a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, is the suicide prevention coordinator at the Ain Dah Yung Center in Saint Paul’s Summit Hill neighborhood, providing free and permanent housing for Native American youth facing housing insecurity. He also takes part in leading the American Indian Metro Suicide Coalition, which he helped establish two years ago.
While Native people make up only 2% of Minnesota’s population, they make up a staggering 30% of Minnesota’s homeless population, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Nationally, Native youth die by suicide at rates much higher than any other ethnic group, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The high rates of homelessness play a significant role in their mental health struggles, Premo said.
Faced with these disproportionate challenges, the Ain Dah Yung Center, meaning “our home” in the Ojibwe language, provides support for Native youth grounded in Native traditions, like talking circles and smudging. And it seems to be working: In 2024, 100% of the 43 young people who stayed at the center’s emergency shelter stayed enrolled in school. The center’s work raises the question: are community and cultural connections key to healing Native youth?
The Ain Dah Yung Center provides housing for more than 40 people at any given time, but their support doesn’t end there. Annually, Ain Dah Yung serves about 3,000 youth, through various programs including emergency housing, afterschool programs and cultural events.
At the center, there is a traditional healing garden, a free food pantry and a kitchen where community cooking events take place. There is also a free clothing store for residents with clothing for any occasion. And at the heart of each floor there is a community room, each with a different mural, as well as multiple other community spaces throughout the building.
They offer frequent events, including powwows, ceremonies, art, music, and more. Ain Dah Yung values the healing strengths of community for both suicide prevention and healing during crisis and incorporates them into every aspect of their care.
“Suicide prevention is not just a crisis-oriented thing. It’s when we’re out there building community relationships, positive identity or empowering youth. That’s what suicide prevention is all about,” Premo said.
“Every time I do a community event it’s amazing to see the progress that can come in such a short time of just talking with somebody, and being there for them,” Premo said, “It fills me with joy to see other passionate members in the community.”
Tascha Just is the president of the Minnesota School Psychologists Association and a member of the Native community. Like Premo, she identifies community as a healing force in young people’s lives. “That’s where you get oxytocin, within the community,” Just said, referring to the hormone humans produce when they feel joy and love.
“Being able to have those traditional ceremonies was life-changing for me,” she said.
Research backs her up. According to an article in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy, community and culturally-responsive care is a very effective method of treatment and prevention for mental health struggles within Native communities. After centuries of historical trauma within Indigenous communities, the importance of cultural connection is proving vital to healing.
Premo says, “There’s been study after study showing that when we introduce more cultural prevention methods into the community, the stronger it can get.”
A strong community often helps young people overcome the stigma of mental illness – one of the main barriers to asking for and receiving help. Too often, young people are left to struggle with their mental health alone, and for many, asking for help can be half the battle. Community and cultural connection act as medicine. Practicing traditions helps to rebuild broken connections caused by generational trauma and fosters joy and connection.
Premo says, “There’s a lot of historical trauma, but focusing on the protective factors instead of the trauma can be more sustainable for the community. We have a lot of strengths in the American Indian community, and when we build upon them it really shows.”
Shinaana Secody is an actor and intern at the Indigenous Peoples Task Force who grew up struggling with shyness. The Native theater community, she said, helped her to overcome her challenges and helped her embrace creativity. “Thankfully, I grew up learning my traditions,” Secody said. “I carry them with me and practice them every day. It helps my mental health”.
For Premo, life is now filled with hope. He spends his time working to provide that same hope for young people by welcoming them into a loving community where they can heal. He wants Native youth to know they are not alone in their struggles.
“There is a community that loves and cares about you, and we are here for you day and night. I want to say that I’ll remember your name, and we have so many caring people out here, so Miigwech for coming,” he said, using the Ojibwe words for thank you.
“Miigwech for showing up.”
This story was produced by Minnesota teens through ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Multimedia Storytelling Institute, funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, as part of its commitment to investing in community-led solutions, so everyone has the opportunity to achieve their healthiest life.
