Portland Youth and Elders Council is a grassroots advocacy group housed at NAYA Family Center and is open to everyone interested in building a strong civic connection with the local Native American community.
Strengthening Community
The Portland Youth and Elders Council began as part of a regional effort to reduce poverty in urban Indian communities. The Portland urban Native American community used community-based research and inclusive input to develop greater community ties and advocate for improving the quality of life for Native Americans in urban areas.
Through the practice of traditional values, the Youth and Elders Council continues to address poverty and other community issues by focusing on community solutions to housing, employment, education, health, and racism while building on community strengths.
Our Mission
Strengthen the quality of life for the Portland American Indian and Alaska Native Community by encouraging local leadership, community development, and the practice of culture, values, and traditions.
Our Purpose
Unity: Bring Native American community, families, and organizations together.
Cross-generational conversation: strengthen ties between youth, adults, and Elders.
Advocacy: Making Native American issues a priority in our community.
Learning: Sharing and passing on tradition and history.
Council core values
- Balance
- Pride
- Giving
- Community
- Tradition
- Respect
- Kindness
- Accountability
- Diversity
- Leadership