Brave Heart Fellowship
Champions for Change
CA Native Youth Collective
Remembering Our Sisters
Building Communities of Hope
Creative Native
Democracy is IndigenousFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2023
Washington, D.C.: The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY), United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) Inc, and the White House, are excited to announce the third annual White House Tribal Youth Forum.
The 2023 Forum will build off the Biden-Harris’ first tribal youth forum in 2021, continuing an important dialogue around key policies and issues facing Native youth and their communities throughout the country.
“The Center for Native American Youth is excited for this incredible opportunity for our Native youth to work alongside the Administration on issues they care about,” said Nikki Santos, Executive Director for CNAY. “Native youth from across the country are uniquely positioned to bring impactful and informed change to policies that impact their communities and their futures, and the White House Tribal Youth Forum is an opportunity to voice their solutions.”
During the Tribal Youth Forum, Native youth will be in discussion from leaders in the Biden-Harris Administration on topics including mental health, climate, boarding schools, Indian Child Welfare, substance prevention, and more. CNAY and UNITY are proud to work together to bring Native youth to our nation’s capital.
“We’re thrilled about our Native youth leaders, who are poised to have meaningful dialogue with leaders at the White House. Our Native youth are passionate about their fellow youth and their communities,” said Mary Kim Titla, Executive Director for UNITY. “They’re enthusiastic about not just expressing their primary concerns but also offering solutions. Elevating the youth voice benefits everyone involved, creating a mutually beneficial outcome.”
Learn more about CNAY and UNITY and their work with Native youth at CNAY.org and UNITYInc.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.
About UNITY:
UNITY’s Mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native youth, and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement.