Champions for Change
Remembering Our Sisters
Brave Heart
California Native Youth Collective
Building Communities of Hope
Creative Native
Democracy is IndigenousIlluminating female & femme youth passionate about advocating and raising awareness for the MMIWG2S+ epidemic.
APPLICATIONS OPEN: Apply to be a 2026 CNAY Fellow in the Remembering Our Sisters Cohort by January 14. 2026!
About the Program
Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people experience violence, sexual assault, go missing and are murdered at the highest rates of any ethnic group. This epidemic of injustice has become known as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ (MMIWG2S+) crisis. We will never forget our sisters who have been lost.
The Remembering Our Sisters track of the CNAY Fellowship program provides a platform for young Indigenous women and femme-identifying leaders (ages 18-24) to honor our relatives through is a virtual storytelling and digital arts. Our goal at the Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) is to equip Fellows with tools, resources and a platform to advocate for:
1. Increased visibility and action to end the MMIWG2S+ epidemic
2. Policies that seek to end violence against our Indigenous sisters
Get Involved
Applications for the 2026 CNAY Fellowship are now open! Apply by January 14, 2026.
The CNAY Fellowship is a program for aspiring Native youth leaders looking to make an impact in their communities. CNAY provides tailored sovereignty, leadership and advocacy trainings, unique opportunities for education and knowledge sharing, and micro-grant support to complete a community action project of Fellows’ choosing.
The program will run from March 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. We invite femme-identifying Native youth (18-24) to apply.
Each year, a small group of femme-identifying Native youth embark on a collective healing journey in support of our stolen relatives. Selected applicants will receive micro-grants and technical assistance to micro-grants and technical assistance to create digital art pieces that advance the MMIP movement, which can include toolkits, murals, websites, published work and more. CNAY also provides peer-to-peer learning opportunities, mentorship and a platform to share and elevate their projects. NEW in 2026! Members of the Remembering Our Sisters cohort will also become part of the larger CNAY Fellowship program, engage in a shared, core curriculum & convene in community as one.
To be considered, you must respond to two short answer questions and submit a video response for the Remembering Our Sisters cohort. Applicants must submit their completed 2026 CNAY Fellowship Application no later than January 14, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. Late submissions will not be considered.
Eligibility Requirements
- Self-identify as Native or Indigenous AND female or femme;
- Are between the ages of 18 and 24 years old on March 1, 2026; and
- Currently reside in the United States.
Expectations
In addition to completing projects, Fellows are expected to commit time to various related activities, including:
- In-Person Kickoff Convening (late March, 2026): Fellows from all three cohorts will come together in California to build community and kick off the program in a good way. CNAY will pay for all lodging, travel and food costs associated with the event. Attendance is mandatory.
- Monthly Zoom Sessions: All selected Fellows are requested to attend monthly 60-minute Zoom meetings where they will network with one another, learn from leaders and activists in their field(s) and receive support for their projects.
- Project Presentations: Fellows from all three cohorts will present their final projects before the end of the year.
After an extensive review process, selected CNAY Fellows will be notified by early February 2026. The Fellowship period runs from March 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
Questions? Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or contact cnayinfo@aspeninstitute.org. We also have a printable flyer available to share in your community.
Learn More
CNAY Fellows become part of an engaged network of like-minded leaders, including issue-area experts who serve as mentors in spaces of policymaking, cultural knowledge and communications. The curriculum is culturally responsive and includes an Indigenous evaluation process. Fellows participate in qualitative interviews, which inform methods for improved outcomes, community impact and addressing the epidemic.
Remembering Our Sisters was truly one of the best opportunities I have been a part of. I was given a platform that encouraged my voice, ideas and well-being.
For me, it was a space of not only advocacy and fellowship, but of sisterhood and healing.
Narrative Change
Remembering Our Sisters provides a platform for CNAY Fellows to share their work in their own voice, furthering the narrative and discourse surrounding Native American youth and MMIP. We encourage Fellows to approach these conversations from a Native perspective and provide unique opportunities to highlight their efforts and experiences through local and national media outlets.
Learn more about the 2025 Cohort:
- Young Indigenous Women & Femme Leaders Speak Out Against Epidemic of Injustice
- Find Grounding in Advocacy with the 2025 Remembering Our Sisters Fellows [INSTAGRAM]
- Native Youth Shine at Inaugural Rising Generations Summit
- Committed to Our Relatives: Remembering Our Sisters Fellows at the Women Are Sacred Conference
- 2025 Remembering Our Sisters Fellows Convene in Washington, DC
Project Spotlight
Additional information and complete projects from former Fellows can be found under each individual bio below.
McKaylin Peters (2024) directed Fighting the Fight – a mini documentary that features Menominee activists, affected family members, educators and elders. As a gesture of gratitude, she also presented each interviewee with a red ribbon skirt in honor of a missing or murdered Menominee citizen.
Danielle Fixico (2023) developed Beyond the Veil – a project that includes an audio recording and sharable stickers – to tell a powerful story of how butterflies represent Indigenous women, “carry[ing] future generations of change makers that are often only seen for their beauty, which could ultimately be their curse.”
Evynn Richardson (2022) created Using Art for Activism – a toolkit in which she provides resources for others looking to use art to uplift our stolen relatives and spread awareness of the injustices they face, while remaining respectful of Native cultures and peoples.
Become an MMIWG2S+ Ally
MMIWG2S+ impacts Indigenous people in urban, rural, village and tribal communities across America. Many factors leave our relatives vulnerable, including invisibility, discrimination and racism. Other contributing factors are lack of awareness, accurate data collection, media coverage, policy and legislation, and respect for tribal autonomy and sovereignty. Thus, ending this crisis requires advocates, allies and community support:
- Donate or volunteer for to Indigenous-led organizations working on this issue, such as the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women and the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
- Call your representatives and tell them to make addressing MMIWG2S+ a priority!
- Seek resources on MMIWG2S+
- Support legislation, lawmakers and leaders addressing MMIWG2S+
- Uplift voices – share on social media and inform your communities
We must continue to raise awareness and take action to end the MMIWG2S+ epidemic for our future generations to fully and safely live and thrive.
Meet the Fellows
