Champions for Change
Remembering Our Sisters
Brave Heart
California Native Youth Collective
Building Communities of Hope
Creative Native
Democracy is Indigenouswritten by CNAY Program Coordinator Neely Bardwell (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians)
After rescheduling their final convening due to the federal government shutdown at the end of last year, 2025 California Native Youth Collective (CNYC) Fellows were finally able to close out their cohort’s programming with a convening in Washington, DC. From January 21-23, 2026, the class engaged in cultural sharing, learning, connection building and reflection. Their packed schedule included a meeting with the office of Senator Alex Padilla (CA-D), taking a tour of the U.S. Capitol, guided by former Champions for Change Samuel Hiratsuka (2023) and Jazmine Wildcat (2020-21), and visiting the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).
After an informal dinner and outline of the days to follow on Wednesday evening, we began formal programming on Thursday morning at the Aspen Institute. As with every convening, we began our time together with a cultural grounding. Smudging to help to cleanse any negative energy felt especially critical given the unrest experienced in each Fellow’s home community. After the grounding, Fellows had the opportunity to re-introduce themselves and share what they want others to know, including the gun violence epidemic plaguing Sacramento, homelessness in Round Valley and feelings of disconnection in Los Angeles.
To ensure they were prepared for their Hill Day meetings, Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives Christina Kracher then led a session helping Fellows tailor their messaging into concrete asks. Their first conversation – with Sen. Padilla’s staffer, Jacob Hulls – centered around access to healthcare in Indigenous communities, especially in emergency situations.
Fellows subsequently met with two staffers from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), again discussing healthcare and how youth can get involved in testimonies. After the meetings concluded, Fellows shared that they were pleasantly surprised at how welcomed and understood they felt. During the Capitol tour, Jazmine took us on the train that connects the Senate office buildings to the Capitol building underground. We got to see the old Supreme Court room, the first stone laid by George Washington and even cat prints forever memorialized in the concrete floor.
On their second day, Fellows met virtually with Joey Williams about joining the California Boards and Commissions before departing Aspen to NMAI. After lunch, the group engaged in a discussion with NMAI staff members Elayne Silversmith, Renee Gokay and Kendall Tryhane about how exhibits come to be, where artifacts and pieces are sourced, and the unique relationship between Indigenous communities and the museum. The Fellows were impressed with the intentionality when it comes to the sacred items held within the museum and archive center. After the panel, we were able to freely explore the museum.
The 2026 California Native Youth Collective concluded their time with a dinner at Founding Farmers Fishers & Bakers on the Potomac Waterfront in Georgetown. We are so grateful to have sat in community with these Fellows and are thrilled to officially welcome them into the CNAY Alumni network. Special thanks to our partners at The California Endowment who make this programming possible.