2018 Gen-I Native Youth Reception Speakers

Each year, the Gen-I Native Youth Summer Networking Reception connects DC-based Native youth, ages 14-24, with other local indigenous youth and professionals. Here’s a list of this year’s featured speakers.

Sedelta Oosahwee (Three Affiliated/Cherokee) currently serves as a Senior Program/Policy Analyst/Specialist (American Indian/Alaska Native Liaison) with the National Education Association (NEA). In this role she serves as a team lead on racial justice in education, manages national partnerships, and advises on American Indian and Alaska Native issues. Prior to NEA, Sedelta served in the Obama Administration as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary at the United States Department of Agriculture and as Associate Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education at the United States Department of Education. Before moving to Washington DC, Sedelta worked for the Cherokee Nation, Ietan Consulting, LLC, and Northeastern State University. Sedelta has worked on behalf of tribes in various capacities at the tribal, state and national level. She is from Tahlequah, OK and earned a B.A. in Public Affairs and Administration and a M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education from the University of Oklahoma.

Naomi Miguel Ba’ag Nei’dam O’ks (Eagle Singing Woman) is from the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southern Arizona. Ms. Miguel is the Staff Assistant/Legislation Correspondent for Congressman Raul Grijalva. She served on the founding interim Board for the Congressional Native Staff Association, and is a former Udall Foundation Native American Congressional intern. Ms. Miguel received her Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Political Science with minors in Pre-Law and Art from Mount St. Mary’s University, an all-women’s college in Los Angeles, CA. As an undergraduate student, she interned with the Tribal liaison at the Federal Communications Commission, and the Office of Inspector General at the National Science Foundation. Following college, she worked as a field organizer for Arizona’s Coordinated and Congressional District One campaigns. She worked six years at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) in Los Angeles, CA. She served four years as a Board Member and one year as Board Secretary for Pukúu, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing cultural community services for Native Americans in Los Angeles County. Ms. Miguel received her Master’s in Public Administration and Policy degree from American University in Washington, D.C. With her education and Congressional experience, she would like to bring to light Native women and youth issues. While working in Congress, Ms. Miguel once had a person tell her “Native people could be really great if they were educated”.’ This experience solidified her belief that we need more Natives and staffers with knowledge about Native issues on Capitol Hill.