We Want To Protect Our Youth And Also Empower Them


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Indigenous Youth Voices in Partnership with Right Relationship Boulder
Northern & Southern Arapaho Unity Encampment. Arapaho Youth Reconnecting to Culture, Homelands, & One Another Camp.  June 14 - 19th, 2026 | Boulder, Colorado

The Northern & Southern Arapaho Unity Encampment is a week-long cultural and leadership gathering, made possible by Right Relationship Boulder in partnership with Indigenous Youth Voices, a program of Not Our Native Daughters, this gathering brings Arapaho youth together for a week of language, culture, leadership, outdoor recreation, and connection.Created to reconnect Arapaho youth to one another, our homelands, language, and traditions, this gathering brings together Northern and Southern Arapaho youth ages 13–25 for a meaningful week of cultural revitalization, leadership development, outdoor recreation, and community building within our ancestral homelands in Colorado.

Youth will stay in mountain lodging while participating in a variety of immersive experiences, including a cultural tour of Rocky Mountain National Park led by Arapaho elders and knowledge keepers, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, water recreation, visits to the National Eagle Repository, Arapaho language activities, storytelling, arts and cultural projects, and daily discussions focused on leadership, wellness, and personal growth. Traditional camp spaces, including tipis and gathering areas, will provide opportunities for learning, reflection, and relationship building throughout the week.

The encampment will be led by respected Arapaho cultural leaders, including Fred Mosqueda, Arapaho Language and Culture Program Coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, and Harvey Spoonhunter, former Northern Arapaho Chairman, ceremonial/cultural knowledge keeper. Together, they will guide youth through language learning, cultural teachings, storytelling, history, and traditional knowledge while helping strengthen relationships between Northern and Southern Arapaho relatives.

More than a camp, this gathering is an opportunity for Northern and Southern Arapaho youth to come together on the lands of their ancestors, strengthen connections across generations, and build lasting friendships rooted in culture, community, and shared identity.

For questions or additional information regarding Indigenous Youth Voices, please contact AJ Hudson, Indigenous Youth Voices Program Director, at aj@notournativedaughters.org or Lynnette Grey Bull, Executive Director of Not Our Native Daughters, at lynnette@notournativedaughters.org.

Sign-up Here - Arapaho Unity Camp 2026

All Nations Battle of the Greasy Grass Victory Day Celebration | June 22-26, 2026

All Nations Battle of the Greasy Grass Victory Day Celebration

Indigenous Youth Voices, a program of Not Our Native Daughters, is honored to attend the All Nations Battle of the Greasy Grass Victory Day Celebration this June. This gathering commemorates the historic victory of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors who united to defeat Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Greasy Grass in 1876.

This year, Indigenous Youth Voices will bring Native youth from Denver, the Wind River Reservation, and Pine Ridge Reservation together to participate in this powerful cultural and educational experience. Youth will have the opportunity to learn about the history, leadership, courage, and unity demonstrated by our ancestors while connecting with Native youth, elders, leaders, and communities from across Indian Country.

Through cultural activities, historical education, community engagement, and firsthand experiences at this historic gathering, participants will deepen their understanding of Indigenous resilience, intertribal relationships, and the enduring legacy of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people.

Sign-ups for the Indigenous Youth Voices delegation will open soon. Stay tuned for additional details regarding participation, travel, and registration opportunities.

Upcoming Indigenous Youth Voices Events & Opportunities

Indigenous Youth Voices Colorado Summer Experience

July 13–17, 2026
Location: Colorado

Join Indigenous Youth Voices for a week of outdoor recreation, cultural teachings, wellness activities, leadership development, and community building. Youth will connect with peers, mentors, and cultural leaders while exploring Colorado's landscapes through a Native lens and strengthening connections to identity, culture, and the environment.

áyA Con & Indigenous Youth Voices Youth Leadership Encampment

July 26–30, 2026
Location: Colorado

Indigenous Youth Voices and áyA Con will bring Native youth together for a multi-day leadership and wellness encampment focused on cultural identity, healing, leadership development, environmental justice, creativity, and community building. Participants will engage in workshops, cultural teachings, outdoor recreation, mentorship opportunities, and activities designed to inspire the next generation of Indigenous leaders.

Annual Jackson Youth Experience

August 3–7, 2026
Location: Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

One of Indigenous Youth Voices' signature annual programs, this experience provides Native youth with opportunities to explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem while participating in outdoor recreation, conservation education, cultural teachings, and career exploration. Youth will engage with conservation professionals, public land partners, and Indigenous leaders while learning about environmental stewardship and pathways into conservation and outdoor careers.

Climate Week NYC Youth Delegation

September 2026
Location: New York City, New York

Selected Indigenous Youth Voices participants will travel to New York City to engage in Climate Week programming, environmental justice discussions, leadership development opportunities, and networking with Indigenous, national, and international leaders advancing climate solutions and community resilience.

Visit Our Indigenous Youth Voices Website

We are excited to share the launch of IndigenousYouthVoices.org, a dedicated platform highlighting the growth, leadership, and land-based learning work of our youth program. While Indigenous Youth Voices now has its own website to better showcase programming, events, and youth leadership initiatives, it remains a program of Not Our Native Daughters.

This expanded platform allows us to share more of our youth-driven work while continuing to operate under the mission, governance, and fiscal oversight of Not Our Native Daughters.

We invite you to visit www.indigenousyouthvoices.org to learn more.

Indigenous Youth Voices: Our Mission in Action

In 2022, NOND launched a transformative Native Youth Group on the Wind River Reservation, designed for Indigenous youth ages 14 to 27 interested in environmental justice, conservation, and meaningful outdoor experiences. What began as a local initiative has now expanded to include youth from the Denver metro area and Pine Ridge (Oglala Nation), creating a vibrant, intertribal community rooted in healing, leadership, and cultural connection.

Our partnerships allow youth to engage with public lands through an Indigenous lens—exploring land stewardship, environmental careers, and cultural identity.

Our seasonal programming includes annual snowboarding trips and immersive summer expeditions. Last summer, youth participated in a week-long journey that included white-water rafting, kayaking, hiking, and wildlife exploration. Elders and knowledge keepers guided the experience, sharing Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and oral storytelling passed down through generations.

As the program has grown, it has evolved into a year-round leadership and wellness model. We now host monthly youth healing circles, which provide ongoing spaces for cultural grounding, peer connection, and emotional growth. These circles center Indigenous approaches to wellness while addressing the modern-day challenges our youth face.

Our Mission is to empower Indigenous youth through culturally rooted leadership development, environmental engagement, and wellness education. A key part of this mission is to educate youth on trauma-informed care—what trauma is, how it can shape behaviors and identity, and how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healthy communication can support healing and growth. By combining traditional knowledge with practical tools, we help youth build the foundation to thrive in their personal lives, communities, and careers.

These transformative experiences are made possible through strong partnerships with national parks, community allies, and generous funders. We remain committed to uplifting Indigenous youth and creating safe, empowering spaces where they can connect to the land, their culture, and their leadership potential.

"Opportunities like this are rare for Native youth—many have never experienced these kinds of adventures on ancestral lands. Through Indigenous Youth Voices, we are not only creating memories, but also restoring joy, connection, and a sense of belonging where it has long been denied."

Our aim is to inspire Native youth to become independent thinkers and visionaries. Through partnerships with conservation and outdoor recreation groups that align with our mission, we foster diverse experiences. This approach not only broadens conservation efforts but also nurtures the upcoming generation of Indigenous environmental leaders, empowering them to enact impactful change in the world.

At NOND, we believe in the strength of community, the principle that “each one teach one,” and the power of prayer as foundations for healing and growth. We see nurturing community well-being as a core facet of leadership and recognize the responsibility it carries—to foster emerging tribal youth leaders with wisdom, purpose, and heart.

A key part of our work includes providing trauma-informed care education—helping youth understand how trauma shapes behaviors, relationships, and identity. Through talking circles, we create culturally safe spaces to explore real-life topics like healthy relationships, emotional regulation, self-awareness, and making grounded decisions. These circles are guided by elders, mentors, and peers to promote connection, healing, and personal responsibility.

Investing in our youth not only cultivates future leadership but also strengthens the enduring Indigenous values that form the bedrock of our heritage. By empowering Native youth to ascend to new heights, we affirm their sacred role within the tribe and the world. We ensure every Indigenous youth has the support, guidance, and spiritual grounding to flourish and realize their fullest potential.

Not Our Native Daughters strives for the growth of a future where Native Americans prevail in all the same areas where other ethnicities succeed.

Indigenous Conservation

Indigenous Conservation refers to the practice of preserving, managing, and sustaining natural resources by Indigenous communities using traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and holistic approaches. It involves a deep understanding and respect for the interconnectedness between humans and the environment, emphasizing sustainable use and protection of land, water, wildlife, and ecosystems. Indigenous Conservation integrates ancestral wisdom, passed down through generations, and aims to maintain biodiversity, ecological balance, and the well-being of both the environment and Indigenous communities.


Raising Indigenous social identities that have been traditionally underrepresented in the environmental industry


One of the ways to cultivate knowledge is reducing barriers to outdoor recreation and with the partnerships of others build pathways to employment in the conservation community

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Annual Snowboarding Trip

    The Indigenous Youth Voices Group will be taking a trip to Snow King Ski Resort in Jackson, Wyoming. Snowboarding instructors will provide an in-depth introduction training to snowboarding.

  • Traditional Ecology Knowledge & Kayaking

    The NOND Native Youth Group champions Indigenous youth voices through immersive kayaking expeditions, intricately woven with wisdom from ecologists and Native elders. These transformative journeys extend beyond the thrill of paddling; they serve as gateways to embracing Traditional Ecology Knowledge (TEK). As these young minds navigate the waters, they absorb invaluable insights from ecologists, unlocking the intricate balance between ecosystems and Indigenous cultures. Alongside this scientific exploration, the voices of Native elders echo through these experiences, sharing oral traditions and deep-rooted ecological wisdom. This holistic approach intertwines adventure with ancestral knowledge, fostering a profound connection to nature and heritage, nurturing a generation poised to become stewards of both environmental preservation and Indigenous heritage.

  • Citizens for the Red Desert

    The Red Desert where wildlife thrive, undeveloped lands are connected, traditional and ancestral uses continue, histories are honored, and to it from the oil & gas industry. In the efforts of the preservation of the Red Desert— the Indigenous Youth Voices Group will take a day trip to the Red Desert and learn from experts the importance of conservation and the preservation of Indigenous cultural lands.

    Thank you to our partners, Citizens for The Red Desert and Wyoming Outdoor Council.

  • Learning from our Elders

    At NOND, amplifying Indigenous voices is paramount. We, as Indigenous People, treasure our ability to narrate our own stories. Our youth, equipped with educational expertise, are also enriched by the invaluable wisdom of our esteemed elders. In every Indigenous Youth Voices Expedition Trip, we ensure the presence and guidance of elders from diverse tribal communities. Recognizing our deep-rooted connections to these lands, we prioritize learning from a tapestry of tribes and revered elders, seeking to uncover the authentic history embedded within the landscapes and regions we traverse

  • Preservation of Ceremonial Plants

    Red cedar, sage, and red willows are some of the main elements utilized in our ceremonial way of life. The group will learn where these plants grow, how to cultivate more growth, how to harvest these plants, and why it’s important we promote the growth and preservation. Our Lakota and Dakota, Northern Arapaho & Eastern Shoshone ceremonial elders snd phyotologist will be the educators of this day trip of learning and oral story telling.

  • Teton School of Science

    The Indigenous Youth Voices Group, led by NOND, has forged a collaborative partnership with the Teton School of Science, embodying a visionary alliance that nurtures the voices and perspectives of Indigenous youth. This alliance is a testament to their shared commitment to education, empowerment, and the environment. Through this partnership, Indigenous youth are provided with a unique platform to engage in scientific exploration while embracing their cultural heritage. The collaboration between NOND and the Teton School of Science exemplifies a powerful synergy that bridges knowledge, culture, and conservation, fostering the growth of the next generation of Indigenous leaders.Description goes here

  • "When Native youth are on the water, they’re not just paddling — they’re reclaiming space, strength, and connection. Every stroke forward is a step toward healing, leadership, and remembering who they are."

  • "In this circle, knowledge is not taught—it’s shared. Our classrooms are filled with stories, healing, and cultural wisdom, where every voice matters and every lesson shapes a future leader."

  • "For many Native youth, this is a first. Snowboarding isn't just recreation—it's liberation. It’s a chance to experience joy, confidence, and the freedom to take up space in places they've often been left out of."

  • "When science meets tradition on the mountain, Native youth see what’s possible. Here, they’re not just learning about the land—they’re being prepared to protect it."

  • "In these circles, laughter, rhythm, and tradition come together. Through hand games, Native youth reconnect with culture, community, and the joy of shared identity and ancestral memory."

  • "Surrounded by healing waters and sacred land, Native youth learn from those protecting it. With every lesson from the ranger, they’re reminded that they, too, are stewards of these places."

  • "Together, these Native youth stand strong—connected by culture, empowered by community, and ready to lead with purpose and pride."

Contact us.

If you are interested in collaboration with our Wind River Youth Leadership Group, please contact us. We would love to hear from you!

notournativedaughters@gmail.com
307.438.0214

PO Box 1661

Fort Washakie, WY 82514