41st Annual Statewide Elders & Youth Conference | October 13-16, 2024
Join us for our Elders & Youth Conference in Dgheyey Kaq’; Dena’inaq ełnen’aq’ qilan (Anchorage, Alaska; lands of the Dena’ina) at the Dena’ina Center from Sunday, October 13 through Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The conference will provide a unique space for our communities to come together and learn about a variety of topics such as traditional and subsistence practices, arts, advocacy and more. It's a valuable opportunity for intergenerational learning during our Native New Year celebrations.
This year's langauge we will be highlighting during Native New Year is Dinjii Zhuh K’yàa - the language of the Gwich’in peoples. After many conversations with our 2024 Elders & Youth Council discussing pertinent issues in our communities, they have helped create this year's E&Y Conference theme. The E&Y Conference theme chosen in the Gwich'in langauge is
"Dinjii Zhuh K’yàa Zhit Gwarandaii,” which beautifully translates to “Our Land Our Food - We are Living Our Indigenous Ways of Life.”
Mahsi' choo (thank you in Gwich'in) to those who helped create this year's theme. If you are looking for a list of accommodations during the duration of both First Alaskans Institute's Elders & Youth and Alaska Federation of Natives, find accomodations during October 10-22, 2024.
We can't wait to see you all there!
We invite schools, dance groups, artists, families, and all community members to participate in Elders & Youth (E&Y). We encourage School Districts across the state to join the movement in ensuring students and teachers can fully participate in the conference, as a part of their daily school attendance. We work with school staff and boards to help with enrollment and so that this unique, critical learning time at Elders & Youth is credited to each student and teacher. Association of Alaska School Boards and the E&Y Conference participants passed a resolution many years ago to ensure attending E&Y does not count against their in class learning or against their attendance. Join by registering today!
We're excited to provide a list of workshops that will give opportunities to learn, share, and connect through a variety of engaging sessions designed to inspire and empower.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be aware that our schedule and workshop offerings are subject to change. Rooms, times, and specific topics may shift.
Workshop Schedule:
Monday & Tuesday, October 14 + 15:
Lunch & Learns: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Afternoon Sessions: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM & 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding or learn new teachings, our workshops offer something for everyone. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]
As a small nonprofit organization, our values-driven commitment to serving our community is inherent in all we do, including continually Indigenizing the operations of our work. Sponsorships are vital to ensuring a successful convening of our precious E&Y and provide a meaningful way for organizations and businesses to support this important annual gathering.
Our E&Y would not be possible without the help of our many volunteers. Volunteers help make E&Y run smoothly at each stage of the process. To volunteer or support E&Y events with volunteers from your organization, please register here.
Connecting our Elders and youth is imperative to knowing who we are, and how to work in good relationship together.
About the conference
The Annual Statewide Elders & Youth Conference is hosted by FAI in partnership with our community. Elders & Youth provides a special opportunity to live and love who we are as Alaska Native peoples, build strong relationships with one another, identify and advance solutions for the challenges and opportunities facing our communities, explore our creative worlds, and contribute to the greater community through the transference of knowledge between our generations.
2024 Elders & Youth Conference
Late Ugiaqtag Wesley Aiken (Iñupiaq) was the 2018 Elders & Youth Conference Elder keynote speaker. He advocated for higher education and talked about strong ancestors, respecting animals and land, and living our ways of life.
Elders and Youth past conferences
Another component of First Alaskans Institute’s Leadership Development Initiative is the Elders & Youth Conference. The Institute has sponsored and hosted the event since 2004 at the request of the Alaska Federation of Natives.
Elders & Youth Conference History
In 1984, the first Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Youth Conference, attended by 54 high school students, convened in response to a resolution passed by delegates to the previous AFN Convention. By allowing Alaska Native students their own gathering, modeled on the main Convention, the conference was a training ground in advocacy, collaboration, and leadership development.
