Native News Online & CNAY Announce Winners of Native Youth Essay Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jamie Levitt, jamie.levitt@aspeninstitute.org

Native News Online and the Center for Native American Youth Announce Winners of America250-Themed National Native American Youth Essay Contest

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – July 1, 2026 – Native News Online and the Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute are proud to announce the winners of the National Native American Youth Essay Contest. This national competition invited Native youth to examine America’s semiquincentennial through a Native lens.

The contest was part of Native News Online’s ongoing “America 250: A Republic Built on Native Land” initiative, a yearlong editorial project designed to center Indigenous perspectives as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Open to Native American youth ages 18–24 from across the country, the contest challenged participants to reflect on the meaning of 1776, Tribal sovereignty, Indigenous identity and what Americans have yet to learn about Native history.

After reviewing submissions from Native youth representing diverse Tribal Nations and communities, a panel of impartial judges selected three winning essays based on creativity, originality, writing quality and relevance to the theme.

THE WINNERS ARE:

First Place ($300): Grace Fox
Tribal Affiliation: Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Age: 24

Essay: To Be Loved Is to Be Known

Second Place ($200): Makia Wilson
Tribal Affiliation: Navajo (Diné)
Age: 18

Essay: For the World He Loved Within It

Third Place ($100): Kamahao Halemanu
Tribal Affiliation: Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian)
Age: 19

Essay: Stand Tall My Hawai’i

The three winning essays will be published on Native News Online during the week of July 1, 2026, leading up to the Fourth of July holiday.

“One of the goals of the America 250 initiative has always been to ensure Native voices are part of the national conversation surrounding this historic milestone,” said Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), publisher and editor of Native News Online. “The essays submitted by these young writers demonstrate a remarkable understanding of history, sovereignty, identity, and the challenges facing Indigenous communities today. Their perspectives help broaden and deepen our understanding of what America 250 means.”

The contest was developed in partnership with CNAY, whose support included sponsorship of the contest prizes through the Democracy is Indigenous initiative.

“These winners are emblematic of the incredible leadership we see from Native youth all across the country,” said CNAY Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives Christina Kracher (Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians). “We are honored to uplift the essential voices of Indigenous youth as the carriers of Tribal sovereignty and drivers of a more just future for our nation.”

The Native American Youth Essay Contest is one component of Native News Online’s broader America250 initiative, which also includes podcasts, editorial coverage and a national livestream event scheduled for July 2, 2026, featuring Native leaders, scholars and community voices discussing the meaning of America’s 250th anniversary from Indigenous perspectives.

About Native News Online: Native News Online is one of the nation’s most widely read independent Native American news publications, providing daily coverage of Indigenous communities, Tribal governments, culture, business and public policy.

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.