President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama met with youth from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in June 2014. Photo from Center for Native American Youth / Facebook
President Barack Obama plans to speak with Native youth during the White House Tribal Nations Conference on Thursday. Ever since his visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in June 2014, Obama has put more focus on issues affecting American Indian and Alaska Native youth. He launched Generation Indigenous and drew more than 1,000 young tribal members to Washington, D.C., for the historic White House Tribal Youth Gathering in July. The goal of Generation Indigenous is "to make sure the voices of Native American young people are heard in our policies on education, on jobs, on the environment, housing and juvenile justice," Vice President Joe Biden said at a reception for Indian artists at his official residence last Tuesday.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have lunch with youth from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in Washington, D.C, in November 2014. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Obama's "conversation" with Native youth will come in the afternoon on Thursday. He's also due to address tribal leaders at the event, according to the tentative schedule. The Interior Department hosted the first five conferences at its headquarters in D.C. but renovations at the building pushed last year's event to a hotel near the White House. The work won't be done until 2016 so this year's conference is being held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, also near the White House. The opening and afternoon sessions will be broadcast live at www.whitehouse.gov/live. The tentative schedule follows:
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Opening Session and morning plenary with White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, and Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom Remainder of morning session closed to press 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Arm Chair Session with Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates, and Delegated Deputy Secretary of Education John King 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
Arm Chair Session with Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, Acting OPM Director Beth Cobert, and Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Arm Chair Session with Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Dr. John Holdren, CEQ Director Christy Goldfuss, and Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior Mike Connor 4:15 PM
President Obama will deliver remarks to tribal leaders and take part in a conversation with Native youth
Related Stories
Obama issues proclamation for Native American
Heritage Month (10/30) Vice President Biden reflects on triumphs of key Indian policies (10/28)
White House Tribal Nations Conference on November 5 in D.C. (10/20)
Join the Conversation
