FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 6, 2023
Contact: Ken Smith, Public Relations Director
kenneth.smith@klamathtribes.com; 541-783-2219 ext. 147
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Klamath Tribes Youth Council Attends National UNITY Conference in Washington, D.C.
CHILOQUIN, Ore. – Members of the Klamath Tribes Youth Council spent 10 days in the nation’s capital attending the United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) National Conference held June 29 to July 3. One of the tribal youth attending was Maggie Hicks, who provided a summary of some of their activities on their trip.
Tuesday, June 27, we started our day by attending a meeting with Senator Wyden’s staff and talked about our Sticker Shock Program and some working conditions and language learning. We then headed to meet with Morgan Saunders from Native American Rights Fund (NARF) where we toured their new building and met student interns where we talked about how NARF can benefit our tribe and other tribes. We learned that they would love to help youth get into law school and assist in our college application.
We then started our sightseeing. Our first stop was the National Museum of the American Indian where we viewed artifacts from indigenous tribes all over the country and saw walnut dice from our people. We then made our way to the Lincoln Memorial, where we took pictures and practiced our dance to share at Unity’s cultural night. We then made our way back to the hotel to rest and prepare for an early start to our next day’s activities.
Wednesday, June 28, we met with Congresswomen Suzanne Banamici’s staff and discussed the Sticker Shock Program and restoring natural diet and health, and helping with mental and physical needs. We then headed to the next meeting where we met with Congresswomen Andrea Salinas’s staff and talked about Sticker Shock, water rights, the impact of cows on river banks, the need for Sovereignty, and the shortage of staff in our medical facility. Next, we visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum where we learned from beginning to end about this tragedy and the things Jewish people went through. We then went to the White House and took pictures and our tribal chaperones Hannah Schroeder and Shayla Ochoa sang one of our traveling songs in front of the White House.
Thursday, June 29, we started the day by sightseeing, we went to the Washington Monument, and from there we walked down to the Veteran Memorial. Then we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for the pre-conference. During the pre-conference, we participated in a healing circle, and then we split off into groups and talked about problems in our community and who we could go to and talk to about these problems. Then we played icebreakers and said what we were grateful for and ended our day.
Klamath Tribes Youth Council members prepare for their grand entry on the first day of the United National Indian Tribal Youth Conference in Washington D.C. (Photo by Hannah Schroeder/Klamath Tribes. Image available for media use.)
About The Klamath Tribes
The Klamath Tribes primary mission is to “protect, preserve and enhance the spiritual, cultural and physical values and resources of the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin Peoples by maintaining the customs of our ancestors.” The heart of Tribal life is centered in the area of Chiloquin, Oregon and includes 12 Departments, Health Clinic, Childcare Center, Tribal Court, goos oLgi gowa Center, Research Station, and three tribal enterprises. The Klamath Tribes’ 12 departments facilitate service delivery to multiple aspects of tribal life, including health and fitness, education, economic development, social services, cultural preservation, natural resource protection and more. For more information visit https://klamathtribes.org/.
