4KINSHIP Diné Skate Garden Project

Join 4KINSHIP and Grammy Award Nominated Singer/Songwriter and activist Jewel, her Inspiring Children Foundation along with Wonders Around the World (WAW) in building a transformative space for Diné youth and their families on Navajo Nation.  Our goal is to support an indigenous community, by providing a safe and inclusive public skatepark to empower strength and resilience after the hardships faced during this pandemic. 

“Growing up here in the community all my life we never had something like this. This project sends the message to our youth that you are not alone. This is your home and there are people in the community and world who want to help. “ 

 - Kerby Johnson, Two Grey Hills/ Toadlena | Chapter President

The Diné Skate Garden is a project of love for the community of Toadlena or rather “Tóhaaliní” (Where the Water flows Out) located in the Two Grey Hills chapter of the Navajo Nation. This is a remote community nestled in the Chuska Mountains between Shiprock and Gallup, that has no outdoor sport recreational facilities.

With your help, this fall*, the dream of building a skate park begins and will honor and respect Diné culture, the land, and the community.  Toadlena/Two Grey Hills Chapter Officials and community members will work alongside a build team guided by the expertise of internationally renowned Wonders around the World construction team.  Afterwards, the community will plant seeds of the future and expand the space with a community garden practicing traditional agriculture and harvesting which promotes food sovereignty and reintroduces ancestral crops in a healing gathering space for the community. The landscape architecture will reflect the rich heritage this community has, as the most celebrated area of Navajo Weaving. 

The Diné Skate Garden Project will:

• Bring the positive impact of skateboarding to indigenous youth in remote communities
• Create a skatepark environment that strengthens the connection between Diné youth and their commUNITY. 
• Promote physical health and wellness within a communal recreational space
  
• Connect a community through traditional planting and harvesting practices, recognizing history and tradition
  
• Serve as a sustainable project that will be used by current and future generations

4KINSHIP (formerly Orenda Tribe) has partnered with Jewel and the Inspiring Children Foundation to fundraise for this project. Donations will be used to fund construction which is scheduled to begin next spring. Phase One will construct the skatepark and Phase Two will incorporate the garden. The community focused design will be completed by a professional team of volunteers provided by Wonders Around the World.

The Inspiring Children Foundation inspires and guides children to be their best selves. Not simply the best athlete, or the best student. Their sole focus is to inspire a child to become well-rounded, and happy. Learn more via inspiringchildren.org

Wonders Around the World is an international and independent non-profit organization built to help make skateboarding accessible worldwide, mainly by helping to develop skateparks in areas of the world where theare not present and support the communities pivoting around the facilities.  Learn more via www.wondersaroundtheworld.org

*This project is currently scheduled to break ground Fall 2022, after delays due to the COVID 19 on Navajo Nation.