The National Congress of American Indians has named the former tribal chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Larry Wright Jr., its new executive director. Wright will manage day-today operations of the organization and create a strategic pathway to long-term success for NCAI and the NCAI Fund. NCAI President Fawn Sharp said Wrights experience advocating on behalf of Tribal Nations coupled with his unique understanding of the critical role NCAI plays to protect and advance tribal sovereignty make him the ideal candidate to lead this organization forward.
California is launching an initiative to bring more tourism to native communities. It’s funded by a $1 million federal grant aimed in part at tackling the pandemic’s economic impact. Called Visit Native California, the program will market museums and cultural centers important to California tribes. The state is home to 109 federally recognized Indigenous tribes. California’s tourism industry lost a projected $72.8 billion in spending in 2020, and the initiative is one of the latest programs aimed at bringing back visitors.
This summer the Cheyenne River Youth Project hosted its first ever Summer Lakota Camp in partnership with Generations Indigenous Ways. The camp took place early in August near Green Grass. It was the second installment in CRYP’s seasonal Lakota Camp program on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. This new program gives young people vital opportunities to strengthen the connections they have with their traditional culture as well as with the natural environment. Spring Lakota Camp, the inaugural event, took place in April.
