After nearly a year of fundraising, the early morning of Thursday, July 9, 2026, finally arrived for Waaban Ogimaawag (Tomorrow’s Leaders) to pile into the American Indian Family Center (AIFC) van and begin their highly anticipated journey to Oklahoma. Waaban Ogimaawag, meaning “Tomorrow’s Leaders” in Ojibwe, is AIFC’s Youth group, made up of urban Native Youth ages 11 to 24. Waaban Ogimaawag gathers for activities such as field trips to powwows and learning about car maintenance with Jake, one of our Healing Generations Youth Therapists. On that day, they traveled to the Oklahoma City Convention Center for the 50th Anniversary National UNITY Conference.
The National UNITY Conference is a Youth-led, five-day annual event held in July at a pre-selected location, where Indigenous Youth come together in a good way to attend workshops, enjoy fun evening activities, and meet and connect with other Native Youth across Indian Country.
This past year, leading up to the conference, Waaban Ogimaawag spent months working toward their goal of attending the conference through fundraising. As soon as the Youth expressed interest in going to the 2026 National UNITY Conference, Gina shared with them that they would need to commit to fundraising since they didn’t have funds available for this trip. The Youth committed by brainstorming fundraising ideas, while both Pam and Gina helped them identify fundraising opportunities and supported the ideas the Youth generated, such as selling Youth-made ribbon skirts and shirts at the 2026 AIFC Annual Open House in May. Some of the other fundraising efforts included serving food at Culver’s and bagging groceries at Kowalski’s Market for tips.
Many of the Waaban Ogimaawag Youth were really looking forward to meeting Youth from other Tribal Nations and learning about their cultures. In preparation for the trip and conference, another Youth shared, “I don’t get opportunities like this, and I think it’ll be a great learning experience.”
This year at the National UNITY Conference, there was a “Spirit Week,” where attendees could participate in different themed days. One of the days was “MMIW/MMIP Awareness Day: Wear red in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People” for the theme of social development. Red is worn to remember the missing or murdered Indigenous relatives. The Waaban Ogimaawag Youth wore matching skirts and shirts that they created in preparation for the conference. They selected names of missing relatives from the Minnesota MMIWR Office website and carried those names on their shirts to honor missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. In addition to wearing red, the Youth listened to keynote speakers Dallas Goldtooth and Paulina Alexis and had the opportunity to watch a mother and daughter sing a song together for everyone.
Annessia Valtierra, Waaban Ogimaawag Youth and AIFC Youth Outreach Specialist, especially liked the “25 Under 25” awardees showcase. “I liked that they showed me that there are other Native professionals. One of the ‘25 Under 25’ helped open a veterinarian clinic on her rez since some reservations don’t have close and affordable veterinarian care … Seeing the ‘25 Under 25’ inspires me to do more,” Annessia shared.
A staff member also observed another Youth complimenting others on their regalia and connecting with people outside their group.
Upon returning from the trip, the Youth reflected on what they learned and shared new experiences. One of the Youth attended “Youth Voices in Tobacco Prevention: Reclaiming Traditional Knowledge and Advancing Commercial Tobacco Education,” a workshop focused on commercial tobacco education and prevention. “I learned that I want to be just like my dad: a chemical health advocate and a grass dancer,” the Youth concluded.
Another Youth shared what they learned from one of the conference workshops. A veteran asked the group, seated in a circle, about the pros and cons of being Native American, and at the end of her group, about the negative situations that Native American people are going through. The discussion helped this Youth recognize shared experiences with other Native Youth and to take pride in who they are as Native people. “I felt like I had people that understood my experiences. This trip has taught me to embrace being Native American, to embrace being me. I love you all. Thank you, guys, for everything.”
Since returning home, Waaban Ogimaawag has been resting before preparing to kick off their fundraising for next year’s National UNITY Conference in Florida. Through experiences like the National UNITY Conference, Waaban Ogimaawag Youth have opportunities to build relationships with other Native Youth, strengthen pride in who they are, see Native leadership modeled in many different ways, and imagine new possibilities for themselves and their communities. Those experiences can stay with Youth long after the conference ends and help shape how they understand their own roles as tomorrow’s leaders.
Rayette Peltier is the AIFC Marketing and Communications Specialist. She has been working at AIFC since 2022.
To support Waaban Ogimaawag in their future endeavors, visit www.aifcmn.org/donate and stay tuned for more information on Waaban Ogimaawag’s next National UNITY Conference fundraiser on our website or on our Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.