Tag Archive for: Training
Our Commitment to the Next Generation
Native youth are a vital part of grassroots organizing. That’s why this summer, we participated in different opportunities that gave some from the younger generation the opportunity to learn about the tools necessary to engage and organize in their communities.
National UNITY Conference in San Diego
We brought 20 Native youth from 9 Tribal Nations and villages across 9 states to this year’s National UNITY Conference in San Diego! This cohort had a wonderful time being around other Native youth leaders while also participating in the workshops (including the one we facilitated!)
Here are a few testimonials from those in attendance:
Maia (Arizona) YOUTH PARTICIPANT
“My favorite part of attending UNITY was seeing how small and powerful Indian Country is. I found new relatives in each workshop and saw that we all share similar goals for our communities. One thing I learned about myself at UNITY was discovering a deeper perspective on advocacy — balancing when to step forward and how to do it well. Since coming home, my favorite tools to use have been creating more spaces for youth to speak up and be heard.”
Neezhoni (Alaska) YOUTH PARTICIPANT
“The time I spent with NOA was nothing short of amazing. To have people who want to hear and listen to your voice and what you have to say is so crucial as an Alaska Native youth. Being with other Native youth from all over was such a feeling of accomplishment. I’ve always wanted to see Native youth gathered to learn, to listen, and to speak without fear of being unheard. Learning about other cultures was amazing, and sharing mine was too.
After my time at UNITY with NOA, I went back to my little village in Alaska and shared what I had learned. I learned to be brave, to remember that sometimes you might be the only person in the room representing your people, to be more understanding, to remember that there will always be people out there rooting for you. Connecting with other people as a Native person is fundamental in the way we move forward, and it’s important to share your knowledge with others. Thank you to NOA for rooting for me!!!”
Star (Oklahoma) NOA STAFF
“NOA took a group of 16 youth from our key states, ages 14–21, to San Diego for UNITY 2025 “Voices of Hope.” For the diverse group we hosted, some had only ever experienced Indigenous peoples from their own community or had limited access to other Native peoples in general. All of them were amazed by the opportunity to connect with Native youth from all over, as well as to step up to the table and truly be part of discussions about Indian Country.
NOA also facilitated a session of our own called “Buffalos in the Storm,” where we discussed effective/ineffective and violent/nonviolent tactics and forms of protest in the current political climate, and how best we as a community navigate the political storm ahead.”
Wolf (Michigan) NOA STAFF
“I learned a lot at UNITY, but my favorite part had to be the Northern Tribes Games breakout room. It was so cool, and I had a lot of fun there. I also learned that when I’m invested, I can really put myself out there and grow a lot. I also learned how I can start my own youth council so I can use what I learned to help others or build something new in my community.”
Protect the Sacred Youth Summit 2025
We were invited by our friends at Protect the Sacred to lead a training during their annual Youth Summit. NOA is honored to lead workshops with young organizers and establish that initial introduction to Indigenous grassroots strategies.
This year we gathered Shiprock, New Mexico, at the brand-new Shiprock E-Ship Hub. The summit was led by Change Labs.
NOA’s Recent Trip to Wind River
The Native Organizers Alliance Training Team recently traveled to Wind River Indian Reservation to conduct a pre-training visit in preparation for the upcoming May training session in partnership with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. This visit is an integral part of our protocol, aimed at engaging with the community to better understand local issues and how we can tailor our training to meet the specific needs of the community.
Judith Le Blanc (Caddo) and Lonnie Provost (Dakota) have worked with Wes Martel at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition for numerous years on issues around water and land protections, Tribal sovereignty, and allowing Native voices to have a say in National Parks such as Yellowstone National Park.
Last November, Wes reached out to NOA. He updated the team about the Pilot Butte Conveyance Act that was being introduced by Wyoming Senator John Barrasso. The community formed a coalition to address the issue and organized meetings and protests at Senator Barrasso’s office.
The visit yielded valuable insights into the dynamics of the unique ecosystem, culture and protocols of the Wind River community. Feedback from local community members highlighted the importance of incorporating treaties, sovereignty, Tribal governance, advocacy and organizing tools into our training.
The team also learned about the significance of buffalo in Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe culture, emphasizing the need for a respectful and informed approach to conservation that honors traditional practices. This aligns with our commitment to ecological efforts but also acknowledges the cultural identity of the community.
These upcoming trainings, starting with the first later this month, will be a series of trainings that Native Organizers Alliance will hold in partnership with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the community on Wind River Indian Reservation to further support the community’s efforts to organize.
This pre-training site visit was a crucial step in building trust and understanding with the Wind River community. Moving forward, it is essential that we integrate the feedback and perspectives gathered during this visit into the training. By doing so, we can ensure that our initiatives not only support ecological objectives but also empower indigenous voices and enhance cultural resilience.
Native Community Organizer Training Participant Q&A
For the Native Organizers Alliance National Native Community Organizer Training in May, 19 participants were brought together in Federal Way, WA for a week of sharpening grassroots organizing skills using traditional Indigenous values. The curriculum is designed to create a foundation for Native power building for social change and strengthening sovereignty.
We’ve asked April Fournier (Navajo), Program Manager at Advance Native Political Leadership, to share her reflections and learnings from the week with us.
NOA: What was your level of understanding of organizing prior to the training? How familiar were you with grassroots organizing prior?
AF: Going into the training I would say that I was fairly informed, but didn’t have a lot of depth in my knowledge of organizing theory and strategy. I had been involved with different movements, but not enough to have deep knowledge. I would say a little more than a surface understanding.
NOA: What were your key takeaways from the training that you feel can be applied to your work?
AF: SO MUCH! Being able to put into words the way in which we operate from an Indigenous Model of Teaching and Organizing. We operate knowing all things work in relation. We have to recognize where power and influence exist in order to understand where power can be shifted. We also have to be strategic and engaging with our communities and come at this work in a good way. When we come into this work with our ancestors on our shoulders, our community in our heart, and the generations who come after us in our minds we change the game.
NOA: What tools or resources do you feel were most beneficial to you and your work?
AF: The Power Mapping activity was so powerful, being able to understand who we should spend our time on when we’re engaging with decision-makers was a really important exercise. It shapes the whole campaign and how we think about energy investment. If someone is a low-impact non-decision maker, why spend time and energy engaging them. We have finite resources, invest them accordingly. Bringing it all together in a group to develop a strategy was also really great, we have to do that regularly so flexing those muscles and putting the learning into action really helped cement what we spent the week learning.
NOA: What was your overall experience of the training? Any particular aspect you enjoyed the most?
AF: I’ve not ever had the chance to sit in community with so many Native leaders. Spending a week in this space, connecting, learning from and teaching, laughing and feeling. It was incredible. It also allowed us to really focus on the work and the content. So often we don’t have the time or space to remove distractions and really sit with information or each other. Taking the time and honoring this space felt really special.
NOA will be holding an additional National Training from November 13-19 along with several state-based trainings later this year. Watch our website for application announcements.
2022 Native Community Organizing Training
November 13 – 18, 2022
Federal Way, Washington
Native Organizers Alliance is excited to announce that applications are open for the second 2022 National Native Community Organizing Training in November!
Our national training is rooted in Indigenous values and traditional knowledge, framed in a way that will help to sharpen the skills needed in create effective grassroots movements today.
Applicants will join Native leaders and organizers from across Indian Country for a week of skill-building, connection, and learning.
Agenda
The seven-day (five full days, two half/travel days) agenda includes:
- Practices and history of Native community organizing
- Spiritually directed Native power building for social change
- Designing Native community grassroots campaigns
Who should apply?
We encourage the following to apply:
- Native leaders from reservations, rural, or urban communities;
- Native community organizers
- The staff of Native nonprofits and Tribal entities.
Applications are due by 11:59 PM EST on October 27, 2022.
The cost of housing, transportation, and most meals are covered by the Native Organizers Alliance. Participants are responsible for additional costs. Organizations, tribal governments, groups, or individuals who can contribute to defraying the costs of this training will provide the opportunity to go beyond 25 participants.
Space is limited and unfortunately, not all applicants will be accepted.
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.
Native Organizers Training 2016
The Native Organizers Alliance will hold our 5th annual Native Organizers Training in August 2016.
APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED FOR 2016!
Signup for updates so you don’t miss upcoming training opportunities
The training is geared to Natives organizing in Indian Country, in rural, reservation or urban communities. It is a four-day intensive workshop that covers building people-power, campaign planning, community led policy change, and how to use our stories to win struggles, all through the lens of our Native cultural traditions. This training is an opportunity to strengthen Indian Country’s organizing infrastructure through relationship building, peer support and coordination with other Natives who are doing community organizing. This workshop prepares organizers for leading a community-driven campaign on the issues and concerns that are relevant to Indian Country.
This workshop is for Native people involved in social justice efforts in Indian Country — tribal leaders, community organizers and staff of native-led nonprofits — folks who want to work to make transformational change in Indian country.
The training is free for participants. Cost of housing, transportation and most meals are covered by the program. Participants are responsible for additional costs. Space is limited to 20 participants. Unfortunately, not all who apply will be accepted.
Participants in the 2015 Native Organizer Training
Thanks to the financial support of the Communities Creating Healthy Environments, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
WHEN
August 06, 2016 at 1pm – August 10, 2016
CONTACT
October 2015 Alaska Native Organizers Training
Sponsored by Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL), the Indigenous Leadership Institute (ILI) and the Native Organizers Alliance (NOA).
Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL), Indigenous Leadership Institute (ILI), and Native Organizers Alliance (NOA) will host the first ever Alaska Native Organizers Training this fall in Anchorage! This is a four day intensive workshop on community organizing that covers building and leveraging people-power, campaign planning, community led policy change, direct action and how to use our stories to win battles.
This workshop focuses on skill building while recognizing the particular aspects of organizing in Alaska. Community organizing is needed more than ever here in Alaska. This training is an opportunity to bolster community organizing efforts through relationship building, peer support and coordination with other Natives who are doing community organizing.
This workshop prepares organizers for leading a community driven campaign on the issues and concerns that are relevant to Alaska.
When: October 12- 15, 2015
Where: Anchorage, Alaska
Who: This workshop is for people involved in social and environmental justice efforts in Alaska – such as community volunteers, Policy Directors, Executive Directors, Community Engagement Coordinators, Community Organizers, folks who want to work to make change for and with their people!
How to participate: Space is limited. Those interested should complete the short (& simple) application form http://goo.gl/forms/5e7ff41KDv by October 1.
Cost: Free to all selected to participate! Travel, housing and some meals are included.
For More Information: Contact: Enei Begay (Indigenous Leadership Institute) at eneibegaye@gmail.com or call (907) 374-5950
The training is sponsored by REDOIL https://www.facebook.com/redoilalaska, ILI www.indigenousleadership.org and NOA http://www.nativeorganizing.org/
Thanks to the Chorus Foundation for its generous support.
