PYEC is cancelled due to weather concerns

Want to be culturally empowered and civically engaged? Join us for a presentation and conversation with guests from the Oregon Zoo and the City of Portland. We’ll provide an update on last weeks’ Legislative Day of Action and Oregon House Bill 2625-Missing Indigenous Women. Of course, there will be community, a warm meal and lively discussion:

• Community Feedback about the Oregon Zoo: join Metro staff and community leaders as they discuss the partnership between the Oregon Zoo and local tribes. How do we honor the animals like the Elk, Black Bear, Otter, etc. after they pass away? What cultural protocols should they be aware of and how can they be good caretakers of our sacred animals?
• City of Portland Office of Community & Civic Life, Code Change Committee Update: Civic Life, in collaboration with our community partners, invites Portlanders to help create a road map of what communities need to grow and thrive. Conversations will center around our city today and the ways communities can help shape the work of city government. The feedback from these conversations will inform the process of revising City Code Chapter 3.96 that defines the work of our bureau.
• NAYA Legislative Day of Action Recap: On Feb 13^th, NAYA took 30 community members, staff, and students to the Oregon State Capital in Salem, OR. With 11 priorities and over a dozen meetings with Oregon Legislators we stared our 2019 state advocacy actions and priorities. Hear what we accomplished and what we need to do next.
• State of Oregon House Bill 2625- Missing Indigenous Women Update: HB2625 directs the Department of State Police to study how to increase criminal justice resources relating to missing Native American women in Oregon and to report to appropriate committee or interim committee of Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2020.

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. Our mission is to 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.

The purpose of these gathering are:

• 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