Brave Heart Fellowship
Champions for Change
CA Native Youth Collective
Remembering Our Sisters
Building Communities of Hope
Creative Native
Democracy is Indigenouswritten by CNAY Program Coordinator Neely Bardwell (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians)
From June 8-11, 2025, several Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) staff and two of our remarkable Champions for Change – Katie Lynch (Potowatomi) and Sage Phillips (Penobscot) – attended the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid Year Conference at the Mashantucket Pequot Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
CNAY Executive Director, Tracy Canard Goodluck, played a pivotal role in connecting our young leaders to some of the most influential voices in Indian Country, including former Secretary of the Interior (Auntie) Deb Haaland, former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland and the first Native U.S. Treasurer and lifetime Chief of the Mohegan Tribe Lynn Malerba. These moments of mentorship and relationship-building exemplify the goal of CNAY: to uplift Native youth and ensure their voices are heard in rooms where decisions are made.
On the second day of the conference, Goodluck had the opportunity to address the NCAI General Assembly and call on Tribal leaders to act on behalf of our Native youth. “There is no tomorrow without our youth,” they are our future and we need to engage them now – not later – in Tribal politics and governance. Goodluck strongly urged the leaders in the room to bring Native youth into meaningful conversations and to invest in their bright futures.
Goodluck and our Champs also had the chance to connect with other Native youth leaders during the Youth Fireside Chat, where they heard about the issues that matter most to the NCAI youth and the communities they represent. The youth discussed issues of mental health and high suicide rates in Alaska Native communities, as well as an overall general concern for the health and wellbeing of youth on reservations. Goodluck shared her journey – from a Native youth to a shining leader in Indian Country – and gave advice on how to stay focused on the future and find strength in each of their histories, cultures and communities.
This experience not only strengthened CNAY’s partnerships across Indian Country but also reinforced the importance of investing in Native youth leadership. We’re grateful to NCAI and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation for hosting such an impactful event, and look forward to seeing the seeds planted here continue to grow.