With the upcoming departure of Paul Lumley, CEO for the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), the Board of Directors is pleased to announce that current Director of Community Development Oscar Arana will serve as the Interim CEO while the Board conducts a national search for the next CEO. “During his tenure, Paul providedView Article >
Dear Friends of NAYA: It is with deep respect and appreciation that I inform you that after more than six years as the CEO of the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), I will be leaving to become the next CEO of Cascade Aids Project (CAP) and notably the first Native American andView Article >
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate and honor the LGBTQIA+ community. For Native American people, this month is also an opportunity to shine a light on our Two Spirit community members. Two Spirit is a term used by some Native American communities to describe individuals who possess both male and female spirits. TheseView Article >
An integral part of NAYA’s Foster Care Services is helping youth stay connected to their culture while in care. Native youth are deserving of a sense of belonging, and our programs aim to firmly establish feelings of self-worth. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, so we’re highlighting our culturally appropriate foster care support services. View Article >
(Pictured above: Past participant Elisha Big Back, Northern Cheyenne, in front of her new house) As part of our efforts to build vibrant and sustainable Native communities in the Portland region, NAYA is closing the homeownership gap and turning dreams into reality through our Homeownership Program. Let’s face it, the first-time homebuyers’ journey canView Article >
Native people use sports as an expression of identity and pride, and as a way to stay rooted in community. This is especially true for NAYA, which was founded nearly 50 years ago around youth sports. Today, NAYA recreation and outreach programs continue the tradition of sports, using basketball to teach life lessons that goView Article >
Empowering our communities to prosper and thrive through Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) Supporting community prosperity with a culturally centered approach is foundational to NAYA’s community economic development work. The Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) is one very effective program NAYA offers that addresses the complex financial challenges experienced by BIPOC communities. NAYA and nine other community-based organizationsView Article >
In 2018, a coalition of community-based partners in the Cully neighborhood approached Prosper Portland to explore the idea of creating a community-centered Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district that could lead to a new TIF model that centers historically underserved and underrepresented community voices in the design and decision-making process. Native American Youth and FamilyView Article >