University of Washington and area tribal leaders will gather to discuss issues of importance to indigenous communities at the sixth annual Tribal Leadership Summit to be held Fri., April 19, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center.
The annual meeting highlights successful partnerships involving the UW and tribes, while envisioning future opportunities to collaborate on education, economic development and research programs. Elected council members and representatives from tribal nations in Washington, Montana, Oregon and Idaho are expected to attend.
This year’s agenda will include perspective and input from tribal chairs on proposed activities to strengthen UW and tribal partnerships, as well as an update on Wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, the longhouse-style facility to be built on the UW campus. UW President Michael K. Young will offer opening remarks.
Tribal Leadership Summit host committee members are W. Ron Allen, chair of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe; Bill Ayer, member of the UW Board of Regents; Fawn Sharp, chair of the Quinault Nation; John McCoy, Washington state representative from the 38th legislative district; Sonny Sixkiller, Husky Hall of Fame Athlete and UW alumnus; and Patricia Whitefoot, chair for the UW Native American Advisory Board.
New to the summit this year will be a series of morning working sessions with tribal representatives that will address specific topics of K-12 education, access and online learning, and leadership training. These sessions will be presented by the College of Education, Educational Outreach and the Michael G. Foster School of Business.
The UW Tribal Leadership Summit was instituted in 2007 within the framework of the Washington State Centennial Accord, which recognizes tribal sovereignty and calls for government-to-government conversation around issues facing tribal communities.
For more information, visit the Tribal Leadership Summit web page.