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Remembering Our Sisters
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Democracy is IndigenousFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jamie Levitt, jamie.levitt@aspeninstitute.org
The Center for Native American Youth Welcomes New Executive Director
Tracy L. Canard Goodluck joins the national organization working alongside Native youth across the country to improve their health, safety and overall well-being.
Washington – March 25, 2025 – The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute is pleased to welcome Tracy L. Canard Goodluck as Executive Director. Tracy (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Mvskoke Creek) comes to CNAY with an extraordinary record of leadership in Indian Country and a strong vision for expansive and impactful contributions to Native youth. Most recently, she served as the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, a Presidential appointee at the Department of the Interior (DOI).
As Executive Director, Tracy will be responsible for working closely with Native youth, Tribal leaders and community stakeholders to implement programs driven by a collective vision rooted in the values of Native and Indigenous cultures. In collaboration with the Aspen Institute and CNAY’s Board of Advisors, Tracy will lead the CNAY staff to deliver on its mission to improve the health, safety and overall well-being of Native American Youth.
“We are excited to welcome Tracy to serve as the next Executive Director of CNAY,” said Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President at the Aspen Institute. “Her decades serving Indigenous communities as an educator, advocate, community member and program leader are an inspiration to Native youth and the Aspen Institute at large.”
“We are thrilled and honored to add Tracy to the Aspen team,” added Kaya Henderson, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Rising Generations (CRG) at the Aspen Institute. “I am excited that, along with CRG, Tracy and the team will help fulfill the Aspen Institute’s strategic priority of creating more leadership development opportunities for young people. I look forward to working with Tracy as she builds on the success of CNAY to reach a broader audience and deepen our impact.”
Tracy has devoted her career to serving Indian Country. She helped lead the Tribal Affairs policy portfolio at the Biden White House Domestic Policy Council and has held various other important positions relating to Native American issues since she began her federal service in 2014. In addition to working as a classroom teacher on the Navajo, Hopi and Tulalip reservations, Tracy also co-founded the Native American Community Academy and served as Director of Organizational Advancement and Youth Initiatives at Americans for Indian Opportunity, each in her hometown of Albuquerque. Tracy has a JD and a Certificate in Indian Law from the University of New Mexico, two master’s degrees in education and graduated from Dartmouth College in Sociology with an emphasis in Native American Studies.
“We are elated to welcome Tracy as the leader of the CNAY team,” said Allison Binney, Chair of the CNAY Board of Advisors. “Her wealth of experience and strong ties to Native communities make her an ideal candidate to strengthen our programming and elevate our youth leaders.”
CNAY’s staff is especially enthusiastic about working under Tracy’s leadership. A longtime collaborator and friend, Tracy first became acquainted with the program in 2015 during its collaborative work on Generation-Indigenous (Gen-I), headed by the Obama Administration. Since then, she has worked with CNAY youth on the White House Tribal Youth Gatherings, and as host of Champions for Change and Remembering Our Sisters cohorts at DOI.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve Indian Country in this new capacity, supporting Native youth at this critical juncture in our history,” said Canard Goodluck. “Investing in young people – uplifting their voices and advocating for their experiences through an Indigenous framework – is the best way to make progress on the issues that impact them the most. I feel energized by the outstanding staff, alumni and boards and look forward to working with them to continually elevate the profile of CNAY, providing our youth with the national platform they deserve.”
Tracy’s first official day with CNAY was Monday, March 24, 2025. Her recruitment was a collaboration between the Center for Native American Youth’s Board of Advisors, Aspen Institute leadership and the CNAY team.
To schedule an interview with Tracy, please contact Jamie Levitt: jamie.levitt@aspeninstitute.org
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About CNAY: The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute is a national organization that works alongside Native youth – ages 24 and under – on reservations, in rural villages and urban spaces across the country to improve their health, safety, and overall well- being. Rooted in culture, our vision is for all Native American youth to lead full and healthy lives, be honored for the leaders they are, and have the resources and agency to create the world Native youth are worthy of and deserve. Learn more: www.cnay.org.
About Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.