I am the water. I can be gentle, but strong, because fire can’t hurt me I am the water. I could fall, but once I hit bottom I begin to rise. I am the water. I could be stilled by a wall, but I only find another way to move. I am the…
NYLA is honored to present at the Northwest Area Foundation ‘Grassroots and Groundwork’ conference in June! www.grassrootsandgroundwork.org *Special thanks to Susan Buckles from the Northwest Area Foundation for writing these spotlights. The majority of the population in many Native American communities is under the age of 18, which presents a prime opportunity to capture the…
“In my short life journey thus far, I have developed an interest to create positive and sustainable social change in my community,” said Johnny Buck, a Native Youth Leadership Alliance (NYLA) Fellow. A descendent of the Wanapum tribal leader bearing his same name, Johnny Buck grew up near Priest River Dam on the Columbia River…
Amy Stiffarm is not content with the phrase “That’s just the way it is.” The Native Youth Leadership Alliance (NYLA) Fellow has a vision for change, fueled in part by training and support the program provides. “Before, I never questioned things,” she said. “People would say diabetes and obesity are common health problems for Native…
The NYLA Community Reflects… If there was one word to describe a leader, what is that word? Confident Humble or Unselfish Balanced Listener Respectful… Learner Humble Fearless Understanding 🙂 Genuine honesty and positivity 🙂 Mindful Resilient Faithkeeper or Honundiohn, in the Onundowaga (Seneca) language, is the closest term I’ve come across recently that captures all…
Life has changed so much this year. I am a new mommy to a beautiful baby boy, Lloyd Brown III. Being a new mom has brought a lot of changes and I see life in a different way. Being with my son brings me a lot of happiness and hope for the future of our…
Everything is new again. Spending this semester in the Native American Political Leadership Program through George Washington University put me into a new world in Washington, DC. I’ve been impacted by challenges and opportunities, and grown from being open to learning and stepping outside of my comfort zone. My time here has transformed my…
This month our theme for the NYLA Blog is: What issue are you most passionate about right now as a leader? I am excited to share what I am most passionate about – my leadership ‘Spark!’. I fight for many causes and this is one of them: I was in class earlier and watched an…
The recent decision by President Obama to delay to the permit to build the Keystone XL was a welcome one, especially for our community because it would have a disastrous environmental impact on our community for generations to come if approved. As originally planned, the Keystone XL pipeline would have crossed numerous water tables and rivers…
Lance Hill is a proud member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Kiowa and Comanche Nations. Unemployed, possibly soon to be homeless, the thought of the opportunity to go to the White House for a discussion of current policy by Senior White House staff seemed like a world away. After having a couple of…