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 >
Return to Community NAYA serves a large and diverse Native American community–60,000 people representing more than 380 tribes. Each member of our community has a unique pathway to thrive and prosper, and NAYA is dedicated to be in service to all. Here’s a look back at some of our acheivements of the past year: View Article >
Ribbon Cutting celebrates NAYA’s third affordable housing development in Cully neighborhood The opening of Hayu Tilixam, meaning “Many Nations” in the Chinook language, was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony last month. The third time Community Development Partners (CDP) and NAYA have partnered to provide housing in the Cully neighborhood, Hayu Tilixam offers 50 affordableView 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 >
During National Native American Heritage Month we honor the gifts of our ancestors and celebrate our rich diverse cultures, traditions, and histories, while raising awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which Native Americans have worked to rise above these challenges. At NAYA,View Article >
As part of Portland City Council’s approval of clean energy grants this spring, NAYA Family Center is receiving a $3.69 million, 5-year grant from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund for renewable agriculture and green infrastructure. This significant infusion of funds will help NAYA realize its vision of creating a productive and welcoming spaceView Article >