Apply now
to host a
Conversation
Project program
Courtesy photos by Cecelia DeAnda
Opposite page: Jessie Aguilar and Delores Case with Santa (Darin Rilatos)
Above: A group photo of those Elders in attendance
EldersChristmasGathering
Dec. 11, 2014
Siletz Tribal Community Center
Top right: Vera Lafferty
Bottom right: Kathy Ness
Below: Juanita Smith with Santa
Obama makes commitment to American Indian youth
WASHINGTON – President Barack
Obama hosted more than 300 Tribal gov-
ernment and youth leaders at the Sixth
Annual White House Tribal Nations
Conference on Dec. 3.
During sessions throughout the day,
10 Cabinet secretaries and the admin-
istration highlighted their deepening
partnership with Tribal nations, par-
ticularly on the critical matters of Native
youth, Tribal economic development and
climate change.
The president was introduced by
Terry Rambler, chairman of the San
Carlos Apache Tribe, who declared that
Obama “promised to meet with us annu-
ally and he has kept his promise. During
this time, we have accomplished many
things for our communities.”
Obama focused his remarks on Native
youth, building upon his summer 2014
visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe,
where he and the first lady visited with
a group of young people. He shared
how they stayed longer than planned as
the young people opened up about the
extraordinary challenges they faced.
Obama then made a series of concrete
commitments designed to create new
avenues of opportunity for Native youth:
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The release of the White House
Native Youth Report detailing the
realities that Native young people
face and offering recommendations
to address those issues
The launch of the Cabinet Native
Youth Listening Tour, through which
each Cabinet secretary will pay visits
to Indian Country in 2015 to hear
directly from Native youth
The establishment of the Generation
Indigenous (Gen I) national initia-
tive, which will seek to identify and
remove obstacles standing in the way
of Native youth success
The creation of Native Youth Com-
munity Projects, which will facilitate
collaboration between Tribes and
schools to support students in a range
of areas
The convening of the first White
House Tribal Youth Gathering in 2015
“The United States shares a sacred
bond with our Native nations,” said
Obama.” We have a sacred responsibil-
ity to all our young people, including
Native youth.”
He also pledged his continued com-
mitment and that of his administration to
promote economic growth in Tribal com-
munities, address the accelerating impacts
of climate change and submit a budget
to Congress that seeks smarter, stronger
investments important for Indian Country.
“President Obama has demonstrated
his commitment to ensuring a stronger
relationship for the next generation,”
said Brian Cladoosby, president of the
National Congress of American Indi-
ans. “He has committed himself and his
administration to building a bright future
for Native youth and a stronger tomorrow
for Tribal nations.”
About NCAI
Founded in 1944, the National Con-
gress of American Indians is the oldest,
largest and most representative American
Indian and Alaska Native organization in
the country.
NCAI advocates on behalf of Tribal
governments and communities, promot-
ing strong Tribal-federal government-to-
government policies and promoting a
better understanding among the general
public about American Indian and Alaska
Native governments, people and rights.
For more information, visit ncai.org.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon non-
profits, community groups and businesses
are invited to host public discussions
through the Conversation Project, which
offers humanities-based programs about
provocative issues and ideas.
The Conversation Project is a pro-
gram of Oregon Humanities.
Conversation Project programs are
opportunities for Oregonians to talk about
things that matter – things like food,
reading, religion, solitude, marriage or
the Second Amendment – in exploratory
and thoughtful ways, guided by trained
facilitators who connect the subject to
participants’ experiences and to the local
community, and challenge participants to
think in new ways without advocating a
particular perspective.
Conversations, which last between 60
and 90 minutes, are provided at low cost
to Oregon nonprofit organizations and
community groups.
The 2014-15 Conversation Project
lineup features 33 programs. Topics
include government surveillance, rural
and urban interdependence, the origins
and purpose of the Second Amendment,
rethinking downtowns, how gender
shapes our lives and many more. Three
programs are available in Spanish.
Since 2009, more than 200 orga-
nizations have hosted Conversation
Project events, including libraries, com-
munity colleges, hospitals, performing
arts groups, museums, hospitals and
groups devoted to environmental and
social justice.
Through Jan. 31, 2015, Oregon
nonprofits, community groups and busi-
nesses can apply to host Conversation
Project programs that take place between
March 1 and June 30, 2015.
The full program catalog, instructions
for host organizations and application form
are available at oregonhumanities.org.
Please see the website’s events calendar for
Conversation Project programs currently
happening in counties around the state.
The Conversation Project is sup-
ported in part by a grant from the Oregon
Cultural Trust: Oregonians investing in
Oregon’s arts, heritage and humanities.
For more information about the
Conversation Project program and how
to apply, contact Oregon Humanities
Program Officer Annie Kaffen at 503-
241-0543 or 800-735-0543, ext. 116, or
a.kaffen@oregonhumanities.org.
Oregon Humanities connects Orego-
nians to ideas that change lives and
transform communities. More informa-
tion about our programs and publica-
tions – which include the Conversation
Project, Think & Drink, Humanity in
Perspective, Idea Lab Summer Institute,
Public Program Grants and Oregon
Humanities magazine – can be found at
oregonhumanities.org.
Oregon Humanities is an indepen-
dent, nonprofit affiliate of the National
Endowment for the Humanities and a
partner of the Oregon Cultural Trust.
January 2015
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