United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) is excited to announce a special collaboration with RIVERSPORT in Oklahoma City, offering conference attendees and youth participants an opportunity to enjoy outdoor adventures at a significantly discounted rate. Located just a short distance from the conference grounds, RIVERSPORT is known for its exciting outdoor recreation experiences, including […]
UNITY proudly recognizes the first five of the 2026 UNITY 25 Under 25 Native Youth Leaders class. These young leaders are creating meaningful change through education, advocacy, culture, research, and service in their communities and beyond. Aliyah Atencio (Santo Domingo Pueblo) earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of […]
A Legacy 50 Years in the Making: UNITY Celebrates Its Golden Anniversary Mesa, AZ — United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY), the nation’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to Native youth leadership development, today announced two inspiring keynote speakers for its 2026 National Conference, taking place this summer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NBA athlete Lindy […]
UNITY’s 50th Anniversary Open House stood as a meaningful and intentional celebration of five decades dedicated to uplifting Native youth, strengthening cultural identity, and cultivating the next generation of leaders. This milestone reflected not only UNITY’s long-standing legacy, but also the ongoing commitment and collective effort that have carried its mission forward for 50 years. […]
SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 – MESA, AZ – More than 40 Native youth and adults gathered last Saturday at the UNITY headquarters in Mesa, Arizona for a special evening that coincided with World Suicide Prevention Day. The UNITY Fire gathering, led by Sheldon Smith, Navajo, and Ron Interpreter, Navajo, offered prayers and explained the importance of […]
Shoshone Paiute tribal youth leaders in Nevada hosted and participated in a Prayer Fire to address a rash of recent suicides in their tribal community. Marco Ovando, a member of the UNITY 25 Under 25 Leaders and members of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribal Youth Council teamed up to address three suicides within a two-week period along […]
The National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) will now have a “UNITY” Fire burning at its conferences for spiritual and community building purposes. NICOA liked the idea of the UNITY Fire so much they invited UNITY youth and others to take part in a ceremonial lighting of the fire to kick off its conference earlier […]
Thanks to funding provided by Freeport McMoran Inc., UNITY youth leaders, advisors and elders were able to experience the UNITY Fire ceremony and learn about fire keeping duties at the UNITY Midyear Conference held last February in Tempe, Arizona. The UNITY Fire program began in the 1990s at the National UNITY Conference. A Seneca elder, […]
Nearly all our ceremonial ways are centered around the use of air, water, plant life, animal life, and the use of fire. For this reason, a member of the 1995 Executive Committee of the National UNITY Council by the name of SleepyEye LaFromboise (Seneca/Dakota) asked one of his grandfathers, Warren Skye (Seneca) pictured, how UNITY […]
Photo: The late Grandpa Warren Skye, former Conference Elder, Fire Keeper Nearly all our ceremonial ways are centered around the use of air, water, pant life, animal life, and the use of fire. For this reason, a member of the 1995 Executive Committee of the National UNITY Council by the name of SleepyEye LaFromboise, Seneca/Dakota, […]
