This celebration was definitely one for the books! The White House recently hosted a special reception in honor of Native American Heritage Month – spearheaded by First Lady Jill Biden.
Some of the most influential Native American leaders were invited and among them were Akwesasne community members Isaiah Cree and Logan Lebehn, joined by fellow Haudenosaunee Dr Rodney Haring (Seneca Nation), Yanenowi Logan (Seneca/Akwesasne) and Tadodaho Syd Hill (Onondaga Nation).
The two young Mohawk men both received their invite through the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club (ABGC) after the White House reached out to Executive Director Jessica Cree Jock.
“I got invited through the ABGC, — their Indigenous representative contacted my mother to get me to come out”, said Cree. “I was very excited because this was the first time they had Indigenous representation in the White House under the Biden administration”.
As an ABGC ‘Precious Youth of the Year’ representative, Lebehn says he saw it as a great opportunity to learn more about other Indigenous communities and himself. “I had a great time; I met many Indigenous Influencers. I thought that both the youth forum and White House reception are the first steps to bringing change to the long existing dilemmas for native communities across the country and possibly internationally”.
With a wide spectrum of Indigenous representation at the event, it was easy for the pair to cross paths with some of Turtle Island’s top influencers representing important areas of work from philanthropy, medicine, artists, storytellers, athletes, activists, community leaders, to name a few.
“I enjoyed meeting famous actors Amber Mindhunter and D’pharoah Woon-a-tai’, said Lebehn. And while Cree shared similar sentiments, he did mention that crossing paths with US Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, was equally exciting. He went on to say that he hoped this event will lead to more Indigenous inclusion on every level. “I would like to see them include Indigenous groups when it comes to policy-making and increasing sovereignty rights over all traditional lands throughout the country”.
Yanenowi Logan, Seneca Nation, said she was invited on behalf of the National Congress of American Indians. “Two weeks ago, I was elected as the National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission Co-President. I previously served as the co-VP and with this opportunity our commission is regularly invited to events around Indian Country to advocate for the youth voice and speak on behalf of the youth on issues like climate change, climate resistance, policies like ICWA and VAWA, mental health resources, and general youth advocacy. I am mobilizing my platform around advocating for land grant reparations, abortion access/women’s health care, and movement through medicine, and I had some interesting conversations surrounding those issues while I was at the Tribal Youth Forum”.
Logan, who spent a great deal of time in Akwesasne because of close connections to her dad Brad Bonaparte, says while it was an immense honor to be invited to this forum and celebration, she was able to see the power dynamics in government that showcase the commitment to Indigenous people without providing a product. “What stood out to me was that all the Indigenous leaders in the room; athletes, cooks, politicians, models, actors, etc., were all advocating for themselves and their communities. They were the impetus for change that we see in representation, support, and accessibility, not the government programs,” she said.
Aside from the small but mighty representation from in and around the Iroquois Confederacy, there were about 400 Native people from all over the country attending the inaugural event.
