The White House Launches the “Generation Indigenous Tribal Leader Challenge”

The White House is announcing the next step in the Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative with a Gen-I Tribal Leader Challenge. This challenge comes on the tail of the February 12 launch of the Generation Indigenous Native Youth Challenge and is part of a series of challenges that encourage youth, individuals, tribal leaders, organizations, and other groups to support opportunity for Native youth.  

The White House is inviting tribal leaders to take concrete steps to engage with Native youth in their communities and help them complete the Gen-I Native Youth Challenge. To accept this challenge, visit www.cnay.org/Challenge.html, to sign up for the challenge and become a part of the National Tribal Network, a collaboration between the White House, The Aspen Institute’s Center for Native American Youth (CNAY), and the Department of the Interior. Then, take one or all of the following steps within the next 30 days:

1. Work with youth in your community to create a youth council.
2. Host a joint meeting between youth and tribal leaders in your community.
3. Partner with youth to plan a program to support positive change in their community.

Remember, by accepting the Gen-I Challenge, signing up for CNAY’s National Native Youth Network, and helping youth in your community complete the Native Youth Challenge, the youth in your community may be invited to attend the first-ever White House Tribal Youth Gathering in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2015!

The following tribes have already accepted the Gen-I challenge and we hope you will too!

• Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska
• Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
• Gila River Indian Community
• Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin
• Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
• Three Affiliated Tribes

Jodi Gillette is Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs in the White House Domestic Policy Council. Raina Thiele is Associate Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement.