More than 875 Native American youths from across the nation are gathering Thursday in Washington, D.C., for a first-of-its-kind summit called by the White House.
The teens, who represent 230 tribes, will meet with first lady Michelle Obama and cabinet members to discuss a range of topics, including economic opportunity, education and cultural issues.
It’s part of Generation Indigenous, or Gen-I, a White House initiative that kicked off earlier this year with a brainstorming session in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The initiative stems from a visit last year by the Obamas to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, which straddles the border between North Dakota and South Dakota. Meetings followed, cabinet members conducted listening tours, tribal youth were chosen as ambassadors and a national network was formed.
The goal: to remove barriers that stand in the way of tribal youth reaching their potential.
Cecilia Munoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said the president was moved after hearing about the challenges faced by children in North Dakota.
“He knows that the issues that he heard about are not isolated to Standing Rock,” Munoz said. “He was also really inspired by the talent and the courage of the Native youth he met to overcome their circumstances.”
