AIFC’s Youth Services’, Waaban Ogimaawag (Tomorrow’s Leaders), Gabe-Nibwaakaa: Entrepreneurship Youth group attended the 2024 UNITY Midyear Conference, a three-day conference in Phoenix, Arizona, the first weekend in February 2024. UNITY stands for United National Indian Tribal Youth. UNITY is a National Network Organization promoting personal development and leadership among Native American Youth.
To break the ice before the conference the youth group did several activities such as riding scooters, biking, and hiking to the top of Piestewa Peak, which was very challenging for some of the Youth, but they did it! We also did a little history tour and toured the Heard Museum in Phoenix.
This conference was very intense [because it was filled] with workshops for our Youth. Our Youth met with other Youth that were from across the country even as far as Alaska! The Youth attended various workshops among other Youth to talk about different subjects within their communities such as Environmental, Wellness, Cultural, and Mental Health. They brought all of this knowledge that they learned together and brought what they learned [in the conference] home to better things and a way of life in their community.
The Youth had awesome keynote speakers to get them motivated, such as Christian Parrish AKA “SupaMan”, award-winning actor, Kiowa Gordan, Tomas Amaya, and Charley Hogan AKA Frybread Face from Netflix’s “Frybread Face and Me”!
Our Youth showed some of their entrepreneurship skills and made beaded earrings, ribbon skirts, aprons, and other types of jewelry to sell at the UNITY Conference among other tables.
“My favorite part of the trip was the Round Dance. All of the Youth participated in the Round Dance. We were honored to see different tribes sing and dance. Our Youth group had matching Ribbon Skirts and Shirts; some made their own Ribbon Skirts for this Round Dance. To watch our Youth come together like this as one was a blessing to witness,” said Gina Carlson, Youth Empowerment Specialist.
The next upcoming trip our Youth would like to take is a Glacier International Park trip, so they graciously ask for donations for this trip. If you want to help donate to the Youth Services for their next trip, please go to https://aifcmn.org/getinvolved/donate/ and write, “Attention: Youth Services” in the comments section. Wopida/wopila/miiwech for your consideration!
Written by: Gina Carlson, Youth Empowerment Specialist
Edited by: Rayette Peltier, Marketing & Communications Specialist