2021 October Training Reflections

In October, Native Organizers Alliance (NOA) brought together 23 amazing Native community organizers from 14 different tribes, working in 9 different states and 10 organizations. NOA selected the 23 organizers from over 200 nationwide applicants to attend our National Training held in Dumas Bay, WA.

Over the course of seven days, our training focused on sharpening the grassroots organizing skills of our participants with a curriculum that is rooted in traditional cultures and practices. Using Indigenous history as a guide for action today, we focused on the crucial struggles for sovereignty and environmental justice. We took deep dives into:

• The practices and history of Native community organizing,
• Spiritually directed Native power building for social change, and
• Designing Native community grassroots campaigns.

Through this training, our participants have been given the tools necessary for increasing the power of Native communities to take on the issues that impact them and build a movement for long-term transformational change.

This year we had one of the largest number of applications in the 10 years that we have held this training. Every year we continue to add to our training circle cohorts, made up of grassroots Native activists, tribal leaders, and community organizers from across Indian Country. We have come away from the week together inspired and energized by the passion and drive of our participants. We look forward to continuing our work with them by bringing them into our growing circle of cohorts and future partnerships.