Tribe receives Federal approval of 323 acres for reservation

Left to right: Brian Weeden, Sassamin Weeden, and Keturah Peters of Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Brian and Sassamin are the first-ever brother and sister National UNITY Council Co-Presidents. Keturah Peters is the National UNITY Council Northeastern Representative and a UNITY 25 Under 25 award recipient.

September 23, 2015 – Mesa, Arizona — In a historic decision last week, the U.S. Department of Interior approved the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s land into trust application, establishing its initial reservation. Mary Kim Titla, Executive Director of the United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) shares sentiments on behalf of the organization.

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UNITY announces its #IwillLive initiative during National Suicide Prevention Week and call for moment of silence on World Suicide Prevention Day

September 4, 2015 – Mesa, Arizona — United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) is encouraging all Native youth to participate in its #IwillLive campaign during the National Suicide Prevention Week, September 7-13, 2015. At the National UNITY Conference in Washington, DC,  the National UNITY Council (NUC), comprising of Native youth representatives from across the United States, passed the National Suicide Prevention Initiative resolution, later renamed the “I Will Live” Initiative, in an effort to further bring attention to the suicide epidemic among Native youth in Indian Country, and to save lives.

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Free training offered for up to 120 youth!

Mesa, AZ—Free leadership training for up to 120 American Indian youth is available on a first come first serve basis from November 6-8, 2015 in Spokane, Washington. United National Indian Tribal Youth, also known as UNITY, in partnership with the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is hosting the “Today’s Native Leaders” (TNL) youth leadership event at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park. 

This TNL training focuses on culturally relevant leadership development and will include:

• Team building activities
• Action planning & event promotion
• Developing community service projects
• How to create a UNITY youth council
• Opportunity to present at a national conference Read More

1,800 attendees represented more than 200 tribes and Indigenous communities; traveled from 40 states, New Zealand, Taiwan and Canada

July 27, 2015 – Mesa, AZ – The nation’s oldest and largest Native American and Alaska Native youth organization, the United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY), held its 39th annual national conference July 10-14, 2015 in Washington DC with a record breaking turnout, the largest participation in its conference history. More than 1,800 attendees converged at the nations Capital representing over 200 tribes and Indigenous communities; traveling from more than 40 states and internationally from New Zealand, Taiwan and Canada. Participants at the annual youth and leadership-focused conference were immersed into a five-day agenda that included: internationally renowned speakers and trainers; physical fitness activities led by Nike N7; and youth-led discussions and initiatives.

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July 9, 2015 – Washington, DC – First Lady Michelle Obama addressed more than 1,000 Native American Youth at the first-ever White House Tribal Youth Gathering held at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel as part of President Obama’s Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative and his commitment to improve the lives of Native youth across the country.

UNITY’s Northwest Area Representative Hamilton Seymour had the honor of introducing the First Lady. Seymour is a descendant from the Nooksack Indian Tribe and also serves as the Vice President of the Nooksack Teen Council.

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Mesa, AZ – The United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) has announced the first thirteen members of its re-established UNITY Earth Ambassadors Leadership Program. The environmental stewardship program was started in the 1990’s, but due to funding challenges, was suspended until this year when the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community agreed to provide partial funding for its return.

The new class will attend training sessions and informational workshops to increase their knowledge of environmental issues affecting Native America, learn to serve as an ambassador to increase awareness of the issues affecting the environmental quality on Native lands, and promote the efforts to address environmental concerns within the nation’s Native communities. Topics will focus on, but not limited to, recycling, conservation, regeneration, and restoration.

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NEWS RELEASE

Mesa, AZ—Six Native American youth groups have been selected to share their service projects in Washington, DC during the Today’s Native Leaders National Summit on July 9, held in conjunction with the White House Tribal Youth Gathering. UNITY partnered with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in 2013 for the Today’s Native Leaders (TNL) program. This exciting four-year initiative offers Native youth the opportunity to participate in trainings throughout the country that provide a plan for developing and implementing service projects in their communities.

In the past year, trainings have been held in Arizona, Florida, and South Dakota. Over the next couple of years, TNL staff and trainers will host events in five additional locations throughout the country including Washington, Minnesota, Oklahoma, California, and Massachusetts. A schedule of the remaining sites are available on the UNITY website at www.unityinc.org.

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