One Day, 50 Youth, Big Possibilities
I spent a day with 50 hand‑picked young leaders at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. It was an all‑day training on economic development, organizing, entrepreneurship, and mentorship.
Why These Youth
These weren’t just any students — they were all youth who were employed for the summer by the Tribe across various departments. They are youth leaders and well on their way to becoming future change‑makers. You could feel their readiness from the moment we began.
What We Covered
- Economic Development: How economies really work and how Indigenous business can thrive.
- Community Organizing: How to map assets, identify challenges, and mobilize your community.
- Entrepreneurship: How to test ideas, build teams, and launch real projects. By the end, various groups pitched actual business ideas, RV mechanic repair services to retail space leased to entrepreneurs to incubate their start ups to an athlete training facility and community gym with elite personalized trainers.
- Mentorship: Each youth identified mentors they have learned from and younger peers that they could help guide.
What Inspired Me
Their ideas weren’t small. They talked about renewable energy projects, tech companies rooted in tradition, and intertribal business networks. They weren’t just learning, they were envisioning the future that they want to see become a reality and putting in the work to think through all the details that would be required to make those dreams become a reality — they were leading.
Gratitude
Thank you to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and its leadership for seeing the value in developing these 50+ youth as a core group of future leaders. This wasn’t an event. It was an investment.
The Ripple Effect
One day can spark generations of growth. These youth left with tools, confidence, and belief in themselves. I have no doubt that some will start businesses, others will teach, and all will lead in their own way.
If your community is ready for this kind of transformational training, reach out at Litefoot.com/booking.
Respectfully,
Litefoot