NCAI 70th Annual Convention and Marketplace held in Atlanta, Georgia

The NCAI 70th Annual Convention and Marketplace was held in Atlanta, Georgia beginning on October 26, 2014. This annual convention also held various activities for Native youth.

Some members of the Red Lake Native Youth Council were there from Red Lake, along with some Tribal Council members.

The National Congress of American Indians holds in high regard the accomplishments, potential, and impact of Native Youth. As an important part of tribal communities, tribal leaders have, for time immemorial, strived to ensure that youth have the tools and resources to positively impact their communities. In addition to implementing a number of year-round, ongoing programs, NCAI strives to support events which bring youth together on a National scale and celebrate youth achievements.

Sessions at the Convention will focus on the following themes:

 Strengthening governance – the Convention represents NCAI’s 70th anniversary in the 40th anniversary year of the self-determination act. General assembly speeches, pre-conference trainings, and breakout sessions will focus on promising strategies to strengthen tribal governance.

 Protecting cultural legacy – cultural patrimony links the past to the future for Indigenous peoples and we must be vigilant and endeavor to protect and restore sacred places, seek return of confiscated and stolen remains and artifacts and monitor laws and policies that impact our lifeways.

 Investing in youth – NCAI and our partners will launch the First Kids 1st initiative to focus on building the strong future for Native youth that the delegates who founded NCAI dreamed of. Sessions will focus on equipping Native youth to build a bright future for tribal nations for generations to come.

 Preparing for the future – tribal nations are America’s first governments and America does best when we have access to the tools of 21st century governance. From trust modernization to tribal technology, the Convention will focus on strategies to position tribal nations and Native peoples for success.

NCAI was established in 1944 in response to the termination and assimilation policies the US government forced upon tribal governments in contradiction of their treaty rights and status as sovereign nations. To this day, protecting these inherent and legal rights remains the primary focus of NCAI.

NCAI Mission

• Protect and enhance treaty and sovereign rights.

• Secure our traditional laws, cultures, and ways of life for our descendants.

• Promote a common understanding of the rightful place of tribes in the family of American governments.

• Improve the quality of life for Native communities and peoples.

Native youth under age 25 make up 42 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native single-race population, while youth only make up 34 percent of the US population.

There are 1.2 million American Indian and Alaska Native young people under age 25.

There is a large bubble in the 15-19 age group for the AI/AN population.