Media Mentions

Article / Interview, The Imprint

Two Former Foster Youth Are Among the Center for Native American Youth’s Annual Fellows

Two former foster youth, Christina (Mool-Mool) Kaltsukis of the Yakama Nation and Sunny (Puc) Wahquahboshkuk, of the Prairie Band Potawatomi and Muscogee Creek Nations, have received yearlong fellowships from the Center for Native American Youth to continue their advocacy work on behalf of tribal communities. The Imprint spoke with both recipients about their child welfare histories and what they hope to achieve over the course of the fellowship year.

Brave Heart Fellowship, Building Communities of Hope, Remembering Our Sisters, Fellows, Mvskoke Creek, Prairie Band Potawatomi, Yakama Nation

News Roundup, Ka Wai Ola, Hawaii

Toves Named a Champion for Change

News Briefs: Kaylah Toves from Oʻahu has been named one of six 2026 Champions for Change – a Native youth leadership initiative of CNAY designed to highlight positive stories of impact from Indigenous communities.

Champions for Change, Fellows, Acoma Pueblo, Kanaka Maoli

Newsletter, Knifemaneveryday Substack

First Light Forecast

NNO x CNAY Essay Contest featured as the “Cultural Highlight” of the day on Dallas Goldtooth's Substack (KnifemanEveryDay). "This might be one of the most important things happening right now — and it’s easy to overlook. Because this isn’t just a contest. It’s a shift."

Democracy is Indigenous, Partners

Press Release, Native News Online

Native News Online Launches “America 250: A Republic Built on Native Land”

One component of the initiative will include a National Native Youth Essay Contest. Native News Online, in collaboration with the Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute, is inviting Native youth to share their perspectives on the complex history of 1776 and challenge how America views its 250th anniversary.

Democracy is Indigenous

Article / Press Release, Native News Online

Rising Leaders: CNAY Unveils 2026 Fellows Cohort

CNAY has announced the 2026 Fellows. The co-hort of two dozen aspiring Native leaders, ages 18-24, will convene on Cahuilla land in Palm Springs, Calif., later this month.

The Fellows’ shared curriculum focuses on sovereignty and self-determination. Designed for Native youth who aspire to serve their Tribal Nations as future leaders, decision-makers, and Nation builders, sessions will focus on building a practical understanding of sovereignty not just as a concept, but as it operates in real life – legally, financially, and institutionally.

Brave Heart Fellowship, California Native Youth Collective, Remembering Our Sisters, Fellows

Article, Native News Online

Cheyenne River Youth Project Creates Leadership Pathway for Local Teens

Cowins is not the only young adult following the YEI pathway from internships to leadership roles. A fellow trainee from his cohort, Wambli Gleska Quintana, was selected from a nationwide pool of applicants to join the 2024 Champions for Change team — created by the Center for Native American Youth, a policy program of the Aspen Institute — and also won a prestigious Gates Scholarship.

Champions for Change, Fellows, Cheyenne River Sioux

Interview / Podcast, Native News Online

Language as a Lifeline: Moses Wiseman on Normalizing Yup’ik

Next on Native Bidaské, host Levi Rickert sits down with Moses Wiseman, a 24-year-old visionary recently named a 2026 Champion for Change by the Aspen Institute. As the Director of the Alaska Native Languages Program at the Alaska Institute for Justice, Wiseman is proving that language revitalization belongs in the ER just as much as it belongs in the classroom.

Champions for Change, Fellows, Village of Chefornak

Article / Interview, Native News Online

Cornell University told her Ōlelo Hawaiʻi did not meet language requirements to graduate. She pushed back, and won.

Kaylah Toves took her own advice and stood up for herself. The senior at Cornell University faced pushback when she recently petitioned the institution to accept Ōlelo Hawaiʻi as her second language required to graduate.

“I made sure to petition for why I believe I deserve to have Ōlelo recognized as my language proficiency here on campus. It ended up working, even though my advisors had told me otherwise,” she told [Cultivating Culture].

Champions for Change, Fellows, Acoma Pueblo, Kanaka Oiwi

Article / Interview, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska

From Chefornak to Capitol Hill: Moses Marr’aq Wiseman’s Journey of Advocacy

At 24 years old, Moses Marr’aq Wiseman is already a powerful voice for language access and cultural revitalization... He was recently selected as a Champion for Change through CNAY, a national initiative highlighting young Native leaders across the country. As part of the program, he traveled to Washington, DC, where he met with policymakers, participated in advocacy training and attended the 2026 State of Indian Nations address hosted by the National Congress of American Indians.

Champions for Change, Fellows, Village of Chefornak

Article / Interview, Tribal Business News

IN SERVICE | Tracy Canard Goodluck on sovereignty, water policy and elevating Native youth leadership

Tracy Canard Goodluck... has built her career around public service rooted in tribal sovereignty and community responsibility. In Haudenosaunee tradition, leadership carries an obligation to future generations — a principle that has shaped her work across education and federal Indian policy.

Today, Goodluck serves as executive director of [CNAY], as the organization approaches its 15th year supporting Native youth leadership and civic engagement.

leadership, Staff, Mvskoke Creek, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin