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| National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission |
| Formation | 2013 |
| Type | Youth advisory body |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Parent organization | National Congress of American Indians |
| Region served | United States |
National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission
The National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission is a youth advisory body within the National Congress of American Indians that engages Indigenous youth in tribal policy, sovereignty, and civic leadership. It works alongside tribal nations, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations to elevate priorities of Native youth in forums including the United States Congress, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The Commission convenes youth delegates from diverse communities such as the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, and Tlingit to coordinate policy positions, leadership development, and cultural preservation efforts.
The Commission was established amid broader movements following resolutions at plenary sessions of the National Congress of American Indians and advocacy campaigns linked to the Native American Rights Fund, National Indian Education Association, and American Indian College Fund. Early milestones included collaborations with the Department of the Interior, the Indian Health Service, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. Influential moments in its history intersect with landmark actions by tribal leaders such as Ada Deer, Wilma Mankiller, and Walter Echo-Hawk, and with legal frames like the Indian Child Welfare Act and United States v. Kagama. The Commission’s development paralleled youth engagement trends seen in organizations like the National Congress of Black Women, the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, and the YouthBuild movement.
The Commission's governance comprises elected youth delegates, an executive committee, and liaison roles that coordinate with the National Congress of American Indians Executive Council, tribal councils of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and elders’ advisory panels such as those associated with the Hopi Tribe. Membership selection processes reflect tribal enrollment practices of nations including the Ojibwe, Lakota Sioux, and Pueblo of Laguna, and draw on networks like the Native Youth Leadership Alliance and United National Indian Tribal Youth. Roles often mirror leadership structures in organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the YMCA, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, enabling engagement with institutions like Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford Law School, and the University of New Mexico.
The Commission advances objectives that align with tribal sovereignty advocates such as the National Congress of American Indians leadership and policy priorities advanced in forums like the White House Tribal Nations Conference, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Key aims include promoting cultural revitalization exemplified by work with the Endangered Language Fund, supporting mental health initiatives reflected in collaborations with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and fostering educational attainment through partnerships with the Bureau of Indian Education, tribal colleges like the Navajo Technical University, and scholarship programs connected to the American Indian College Fund.
Programmatic work includes leadership academies modeled after curricula used by the Presidential Youth Fellows and youth summits similar to those hosted by the National Youth Employment Coalition. Initiatives focus on public health campaigns in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, environmental stewardship projects tied to the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Sierra Club, and cultural programs partnered with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Native American Rights Fund. Other signature efforts replicate successful frameworks from the Obama-era Generation Indigenous initiative and collaborate with media outlets such as Indian Country Today and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian for storytelling and archiving.
The Commission engages in advocacy before legislative bodies like the United States Congress and policy arenas including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency, advancing priorities rooted in cases like McGirt v. Oklahoma and statutes such as the Violence Against Women Act reauthorizations. It submits testimony and tribal youth policy recommendations alongside organizations like the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, the Native American Rights Fund, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. The Commission also participates in international advocacy at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and partners with advocacy coalitions including the Indigenous Environmental Network and Amnesty International on human rights and environmental justice campaigns.
Annual events include youth summits timed with the National Congress of American Indians Mid Year Conference and Annual Convention, parallel gatherings similar to the Native Youth Leadership Summit and the Tribal Youth Gathering. The Commission organizes workshops featuring speakers from institutions such as the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Ford Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and academic centers like the Native American Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School. It also coordinates cultural exchange programs that convene delegates from regional entities such as the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council.
The Commission has influenced policy outcomes on tribal youth mental health, education funding, and environmental protections, contributing to advocacy wins alongside the National Indian Health Board and tribal advocates in cases like United States v. Lara. Notable alumni have gone on to leadership roles within the Cherokee Nation, Navajo Nation President’s offices, the Department of the Interior, academia at institutions such as the University of Arizona, and nonprofit leadership at organizations like the National Congress of American Indians, Native American Rights Fund, and Indian Law Resource Center. Alumni networks maintain collaborations with fellowships and programs including the Truman Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, and the Kellogg Foundation to advance Indigenous youth leadership.
Category:Native American youth organizations