Youth Summit focused on culture, leadership skill development

Cherokee Nation is hosting the first ever Cherokee Nation Youth Summit on Saturday, Oct. 22, inside the ballroom at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.  It’s designed to ensure tribal youth have access to the tools and resources that will positively impact their families, schools and communities. The summit has about 150 allocated slots for teens and is free to any Cherokee or Native youth.

We have a responsibility to invest in our young people and give them every opportunity to succeed. We have a chance to build a brighter future, one that addresses the unique issues that challenge our young people day in and day out head-on.

Our Cherokee Nation Youth Summit is coordinated by the tribe’s My Brother’s Keeper task force in partnership with the Cherokee Nation Youth Council, and Cherokee Nation Businesses is the primary sponsor.  Our hope is that it becomes an annual event like our Elder Summit.

The Youth Summit’s primary objective is bringing together our young people to develop leadership skills through peer discussion, cultural activities and Cherokee history, which will highlight the tribe’s leadership from the past, present and future.  Additionally, we will be able to better connect attendees with critical resources and programs available to them from our government and outside networks. We can gain invaluable information from today’s youth on the things most important to them, where the gaps of unmet needs reside and how we can better fill those needs.  

The Cherokee Youth Council will help provide the point of view and discussion. They have been active in the planning and production of the summit.  One issue the Youth Council will advocate and discuss is the Generation Indigenous challenge, "Cherokee Language 2020 Challenge."  They will give lessons on the Cherokee language and ask attendees to start using simple Cherokee phrases throughout the event and the next four years.  

Other summit activities include information on educational resources and healthy relationships. We all know that navigating the balance between family, friends, school, community, technology and extracurricular activities can be a challenge for any youth today.

We hope to help our citizens develop goals, set benchmarks for themselves and learn new ways to reach those objectives. Growing skills they can use in everyday life will help them fully develop into the next generation of leaders for the Cherokee people. These efforts strengthen the individual, yes, but also our communities and tribe. Our hope is that our youth will be inspired and more connected with each other and their tribe, so that they return to their school and family with a stronger foundation of self and knowledge that they can make a positive change in the world.

We must build up our best and brightest kids so they believe they can achieve the great things God intended for them. This summit will connect them with similar young leaders, challenge them to strive for more and cultivate the skills that will allow for success.

For more information about the Cherokee Nation Youth Summit, call (918)453-5705. Or to register, visit cherokeenationyouthsummit.eventbrite.com