We are the Center for Native American Youth

Our Vision is for all Native American youth to lead full and healthy lives, to have equal access to opportunity, and to draw strength from their culture and inspire one another.

Autumn McMillan

23, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
The picture is my youngest sister. She is too young to understand her heritage, yet she sees how beautiful she is. It is important to me to instill the beauty of our culture in each member of my tribe. I want the kids to continue wanting to learn more about who we are, and to be proud of where we come from. I want each member of my tribe to be happy and prideful about our culture. I want to be able to give them a spark so they can ignite the world with being who they are.

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"Losing or not having tradition leaves an empty space that gets filled too often with poor choices. If we are listening to our elders, dancing, drumming, hunting, and picking berries, we are not drinking or doing drugs, and our traditions stay strong."

-Samuel Schimmel,

Kenaitze/St. Lawrence Island Siberian Yupik, 2017 Champion for Change