The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) at the Aspen Institute is proud to release Center Us: A Native Youth Survey Report, published in celebration of Native American Heritage Month.

Throughout 2023, CNAY gathered data from approximately 1,000 Native youth participants to better understand their needs and priorities in areas including culture, resource access, mental health and civic engagement. Eight focus groups with 65 youth from different regions of the United States helped to center their perspectives and voices in the development of the report.

“During a time when we honor Indigenous history and celebrate the diverse cultural identities and continued resilience of Native peoples, it’s important to remember that Native youth perspectives are rarely prioritized in data collection and analysis,” said Katy Stewart, lead report writer and programs manager. “With this report, we attempt to do both.”

Center Us is an important step in preparing the next generation to be data sovereign, prioritize Indigenous-led research, and utilize Indigenous research methodologies to assist in the preservation of culture and identity. The data collected throughout this process helped to shed light on the cultural strengths, resource access and priorities of Native youth across the country.

Key Report Insights:

• Native youth who feel culturally educated are four times more likely to see themselves as capable of making a difference than those who do not.
• Lack of trust and a feeling that “nothing ever changes” leads to apathy towards voting in U.S. elections.
• Native youth in rural communities struggle to receive the funding resources necessary to make higher education seem plausible.
• Healthcare in tribal communities is preferred to healthcare in non-tribal communities.

“These findings emphasize the ongoing need to support Native youth through cultural engagement and improved access to resources in community, both of which are essential for fostering positive life outcomes,” said Cheyenne Brady-Runsabove (Sac & Fox Nation), report writer and associate director of youth programs. “It is our hope that all those whose work directly or indirectly influences Native youth will leverage this data to make informed, impactful decisions that benefit them and their communities.”

Download the full Center Us report and learn more about CNAY’s efforts to decolonize data.