CNAY welcomes young leaders to Tribal Nations Conference

Native youth from across the country, including Center for Native American Youth’s Champions for Change, will participate in President Obama’s annual conference with elected tribal leaders.

WASHINGTON – The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute is welcoming a group of nearly 30 Native American youth to Washington, DC for the seventh annual White House Tribal Nations Conference today. These young leaders are serving as Native Youth Delegates at the conference and will join elected leaders of the 567 federally recognized tribes for nation-to-nation dialogues with members of the President’s Cabinet on critical issues affecting Native American tribes. These youth will have an important role in sharing Native American priorities, including a session where President Obama will sit down with Native youth to discuss how we can work together to help young people reach their full potential.

Rory Taylor, a 19-year-old Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) Youth Ambassador and 2015 CNAY Champion for Change from the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, will kick off the White House Tribal Nations Conference. In reflecting on his speaking role, Rory said, “There are over 2.1 million Native American youth in the United States and we are crucial to the future of Indian Country. It’s important for both the Administration and tribal leaders hear our voices on the issues we care about, and I’m very excited for this opportunity to grow as a leader.”

The invitation to include Native youth comes as part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous initiative, a broad government initiative which takes a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for Native youth. In partnership with the White House and US Department of the Interior, CNAY launched the National Native Youth Network, a component of Gen-I, to provide a sustainable platform to engage and provide educational, leadership, and funding opportunities to Native youth across the United States. The Native Youth Delegates attending the White House Tribal Nations Conference are all engaged in CNAY’s Network as Ambassadors and have each led positive change through community service projects.

For more details on this year’s White House Tribal Nations Conference, visit:https://cnayblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/30/cnay-welcomes-native-youth-to-dc-for-white-house-tribal-nations-conference/. 

“CNAY was created nearly five years ago today by Senator Dorgan who wanted to create a place that would turn all the spotlights onto one place – Native youth,” said Erin Bailey. “We are proud that in 2015 so many youth are being invited by President Obama and his Administration to the Tribal Nations Conference and that their priorities have been made central with Gen-I.”

Center for Native American Youth is dedicated to improving the health, safety and overall well-being of Native American youth through communication, policy development and advocacy. Founded by former US Senator Byron Dorgan in February 2011, CNAY is a policy program within the Aspen Institute, headquartered in Washington, DC. CNAY works to strengthen and create new connections as well as exchange resources and best practices that address the challenges facing Native youth, with a special emphasis on suicide prevention. Visit CNAY’s website for a comprehensive list of resources available to young Native Americans, tribes and the general public. For more information, visit www.cnay.org

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.