National Congress of American Indians

☀️ Didn’t get a chance to listen to the latest episode of The Sentinel over the long weekend? Join NCAI’s deep dive into the devastating impacts that dam construction has had on tribal communities for generations, from the flooding of sacred sites to the disruption of ecosystems. 🏞️🌎 Tune in as we discuss our long-standing advocacy against dam construction. Hear from Corrine Sams, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, who shares critical insights on recent victories in the fight to remove dams and restore salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest, highlighting the historic acknowledgment by the Biden administration of the damage inflicted on tribal lands. Don't miss this powerful discussion on the intersection of environmental justice and tribal sovereignty. 🎧📲 Listen now: https://blog.ncai.org/

As we mark the beginning of Suicide Prevention Month, we are reminded of the critical need to address mental health within our communities. NCAI Secretary Nickolaus D. Lewis of the Lummi Nation speaks powerfully to this in his message: "If we are to heal as a people, we must work effectively to break the cycles of trauma and strive for a better future for the generations that we will never see." Mental health is often a difficult topic, especially in our Tribal Nations, where the weight of intergenerational trauma is heavy. Yet, it is a conversation we must have. We must create safe spaces to discuss and destigmatize mental health, for in healing ourselves, we also heal our ancestors and our communities. Let us take this month as an opportunity to uplift those who are struggling, to offer support, and to reaffirm our commitment to breaking the cycles of trauma. Together, we can build a future where every generation thrives. #SuicidePreventionMonth #NCAI #NativeMentalHealth #BreakTheCycle

Te Hui Taketake a Te Puna Tahua Toa Rotorua July 2024 Language revitalization Speakers: Anaha Hiini Dan Brant PhD Tania Tapsell Dylan Berger Melanie Benjamin (National Congress of American Indians) Ko te reo kia tika, Ko te reo kia rere, Ko te reo kia Māori Recognise the aspects of learning the language around grammar, pronunciation, flow and think from a Māori / Indigenous perspective. The ways to reclaim your language will vary from person to person, but in summary just SPEAK IT: · Space: Make space for language in your home (and or workplace), either a room or a time of the day where only that language is spoken.  · Person: Find the right person to learn your language, find a person you idolise and can follow., find your person / people that you will only speak that language with and someone · Easy: Make learning easy for you, everyone is different, find how you learn best and use that method.  · Active: Actively find resources in your preferred medium of learning, don’t wait for it to be handed to you. Watch, listen, read more language content and have the courage to be confidence and speak the language, take it from the page and bring it to life. · Keep: Keep going, learning is a life long journey, if you stop learning then you stop! · Intentional: We all have great intent to do things, but make intentional decisions in your life about using the language, e.g. a time and place where you will only speak your language. · Time: Don’t find the time, make the time and commit to that time Language revitalisation across the worlds is at different stages of reclamation and all efforts to teach and learn need to be invested in, community driven and recognised a valuable to the country. It will be hard, and you will be confronted with resistance and racism from those who fear what having language will do. But just SPEAK IT. You don’t need money to revitalise the language, you just need the people, yes funding helps but if you find the people the movement will come. Some communities are now reaping the benefit of reclamation programmes with the children now speaking languages almost lost. However, some communities are not as fortunate with language speakers dying before it can be passed on. We must act now to stop more loss. When you have language, you need to share the responsibility of using language with others and not bear the brunt of the workload that comes with having the language. If people want ceremony, then teach them the ceremony and have them do it. So be courageous, be a leader and SPEAK IT

Registration is now OPEN for the 81st Annual Convention & Marketplace, happening from October 27 to November 1, 2024, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas! 🗓️ This year’s event is more important than ever as we unite to amplify our voices ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Join tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth, and allies from across Indian Country for a week of workshops, strategic discussions, and advocacy efforts aimed at strengthening nation-to-nation relationships. Don’t miss out on the NCAI Marketplace featuring booths from Native artists, federal job recruiters, and more! ✊🏽 👉🏽 Register now and be part of shaping the future! https://buff.ly/3Aze12A

100 Years of Resilience, Sovereignty, and Change 🪶 One hundred years ago, the Snyder Act granted citizenship to Native Americans born in the U.S. While much has changed since 1924, our unwavering commitment to sovereignty, treaty rights, and shaping a better future remains strong. 📜🛡️ ✊🏽Today, more than ever, our voice is essential to protect tribal sovereignty and ensure the U.S. upholds its trust and treaty obligations for future generations. Join our regional webinars this week to learn how to better mobilize Native voters and champion the "Sovereignty Ticket." Let's make a powerful impact this election season! 🦅 Visit nativevote.org for regional registration links, more information on registering to vote, and special toolkits for voting in #IndianCountry. It’s our right to be heard. 🗳️ It’s your right to vote. #NativeVote #TribalSovereignty

Registration is now OPEN for the 81st Annual Convention & Marketplace, happening from October 27 to November 1, 2024, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas! 🗓️ This year’s event is more important than ever as we unite to amplify our voices ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Join tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth, and allies from across Indian Country for a week of workshops, strategic discussions, and advocacy efforts aimed at strengthening nation-to-nation relationships. Don’t miss out on the NCAI Marketplace featuring booths from Native artists, federal job recruiters, and more! ✊🏽 👉🏽 Register now and be part of shaping the future! https://buff.ly/3Aze12A

🚨 NCAI is launching a National Native Get Out The Vote (#GOTV) Campaign! As we approach the 2024 federal elections, we're empowering Tribal Nations with resources, toolkits, and support to amplify voter turnout. Join our regional webinars starting August 26 to mobilize Native voters and champion the "Sovereignty Ticket." Let's make a powerful impact this election season! 🗳️ 📅 Monday, August 26 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT: Western and Southwest Regions Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regions: 1 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. MT Pacific Region: 4 p.m. PT 📅 Tuesday, August 27 Alaska Region: 4 p.m. 📅 Wednesday, August 28 Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast Regions: 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET Great Plains, Eastern OK, and Southern Plains Regions: 2 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. CT 🔗All regional webinar links are available at nativevote.org/#about.

Tune in to Episode 15 of The Sentinel podcast: "Empowering Tribal Nations in the 21st Century: NCAI and the Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty." As technology continues to evolve, so do the challenges and opportunities for Tribal Nations. This episode explores the newly launched Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty, a groundbreaking collaboration between NCAI and Arizona State University’s American Indian Policy Institute. Join experts Geoff Blackwell and Matt Rantanen as they explore the unique hurdles Native communities face in governing their own data, information, and technology, and discuss why Tribal Digital Sovereignty is critical to the future of Indian Country. 🎧 Listen now on all streaming platforms or visit blog.ncai.org.

🌟 Calling all Native Youth leaders! 🌟 Are you between the ages of 16-24 and passionate about making a difference in Indian Country? NCAI invites you to apply for a position as a NCAI Youth Commission officer! This is your chance to lead, inspire, and represent your peers at a national level. 🚀 Applications are now open! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to shape the future of Native youth leadership. 🔗 https://buff.ly/3WVkNYb

#Artificialintelligence, occupational heat illness, legislative advocacy—all sessions from San Diego’s Heat and Human Health Summit at UC San Diego School of Medicine. This weekend’s event is SoCal Heat Hub's second H3SD event and likely to grow as the region and planet continue to heat up. The silver lining is meeting and hearing from a number of experts across the health sciences and related disciplines who are committed to education, advocacy, and pragmatically addressing the health impacts of climate change. A note of appreciation to Drs. Enrique Medina, MS, CIH, CSP, FAIHA, Will Tseng, and Karandeep Singh, plus the others who shared their knowledge and ideas. Many young aspiring scientists and advocates also contributed, including local SanDiego350 Youth4Climate volunteer and poet, Daniel Hernandez. #extremeheat #climatechange #publichealth