On November 15, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration held the Fourth Annual White House Tribal Youth Forum. At the Forum, over 100 Native American youth from across the country engaged with Administration officials on key issues impacting their communities, including food sovereignty, climate change, mental health, and missing and murdered Indigenous persons. Discussions touched on themes youth leadership, preservation of culture, and destigmatizing mental illness. Youth were also given a presentation from the White House Internship Program to learn about opportunities available to them within the White House Office.
The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to strengthening the relationship between the Federal Government and Tribal Nations to advance opportunity for Indigenous people, which includes empowering the future leaders of Indian Country. For the past four years the White House Tribal Youth Forum has provided a unique opportunity for Tribal youth to share their ideas and provide input on policy decisions that impact their communities and future generations.
Tribal youth participants heard directly from Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, White House Internship Program Associate Director Jasmin Chavez-Cruz, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary Sonia Chessen, Administration for Native Americans Deputy Commissioner Hope MacDonald Lone Tree, and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland. In addition, the Forum included senior White House officials and senior Administration officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the White House Domestic Policy Council.
