18^th Annual Pipe Ceremony To Honor Veterans Of All Conflicts & Active Duty Personnel

Arlington National Cemetery

Sunday, 17 of November 2013

at 12 Noon

About the Veterans’ Pipe Ceremony

We come together at this time to pray for all those put themselves in harm’s way in defense of the People: the Veterans of all conflicts and all active duty personnel. In 1996 the originator of this pipe ceremony, Dick Baker of the Isleta Pueblo and a Marine Corps Veteran, approached the Spiritual Advisor to NYA upon his completion of a four day fast on the ellipse in front of the white house; In a sacred manner requested that he accept the honor and responsibility of continuing this pipe ceremony. It is conducted each year on the Sunday after Veterans’ Day in Arlington National Cemetery at the site of the Tree of Life and the Native American Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is the only national monument in DC honoring American Indians.

NYA welcomes all people of all beliefs to witness this Indigenous Ceremony whose roots pre-date written history. All Pipe Carriers, Eagle Staffs, Color Guards, Veterans and those who wish to participate please RSVP to      NativeYouthAlliance@gmail.com

Or

For more info, call 202 423 6679

Spring Renewal

Rebooting NYA.blogspot.com

“NYA announces a spring renewal”

Native Youth Alliance is going through extensive changes. We had a tough winter. At our weakest point for whatever reasons, our family was hit by series of unfortunate events.  If you would like to receive emails regarding events or changes, also quarterly updates, please simply send us a message and we will add you to the new list of supporters and interested parties. We are sending out mass emails right now. Due to the extensive email list NYA has compiled over the several decades of its existence we will have to remove those who do not reply. Thank you each and every one regardless of your choice to stay connected to us. We have great plans ahead of us. We want to work with people who genuinely want to be involved. There is a lot to do. We wish you all the best.

Happy Spring Cleaning,

nativeyouthalliance@gmail.com

Want to donate to our cause?

We are grateful to be 

Fiscally Sponsored by the Mutual Aid Network of Ypsilanti. Which makes your contributions tax deductible while helping NYA with our work. Your sponsorship will help us to continue our youth activities and our many other projects and campaigns. With the help of the MANY and folks like you NYA will be able to continue provide our communities with emergency help and basic needs. 

Thank you!

NYA Veterans Day Weekend Events in Washington, DC

We would like to invite you to attend and/or support events that are being held by Native Youth Alliance in Washington, DC, on Veterans Day weekend. All these events are open to all Veterans and the public, with a special invitation to War Mothers and Active Duty Personnel.
On Saturday, 12 November, we will begin at sunrise at Upper Senate Park on the north side of the US Capitol grounds. Following this there will be a brunch. At noon we will begin a series of Native American Victory Songs and dances at Upper Senate Park. Regalia is encouraged but not required.
On Sunday, 13 November, we will gather in the morning on the National Mall. We will then proceed to Arlington National Cemetery, where at noon we will conclude our prayers with our 16th Annual traditional Native American Pipe Ceremony to Honor Veterans of All Conflicts & Active Duty Personnel.
We have heard that there will be at least three color guards and 3 Ni^n’iba (“Pipes”) and one confirmed Drum from Nebraska so far, and all Drums, Pipe Carriers, and Color Guards must Pre-Register to have access to participation at these sites. We hope for some press, both Native and non-Native. We have also invited various US Government offices to send representatives.
We ask those who can help to sponsor a Veteran with a donation of $500 for room and board for the weekend at our host hotel. This can be done easily on our website with the Donate button in the left-hand column. Although we will be accountable for the expenditure of all funding, all donations to Native Youth Alliance are tax-deductible through our Fiscal Sponsor, the Washington Peace Center, which is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Any funds raised above and beyond our projected expenses of $6000 will be donated to our Heritage of Healing Indian Child Cancer Relief Program.

Pipe Ceremony on Thursday, 16 December

On Thursday, 16 December, Native Youth Alliance will be facilitating a pipe ceremony at sunrise across from the Department of Interior Building, the site of the White House Tribal Nations Summit. We open this ceremony to include the prayers others would like to see included. Please contact us with your prayer request. We hope to see you there on Thursday morning. If you wish to make a monetary contribution to help us make this happen, please call us at 734-323-0762.
We are also accepting letters expressing concerns to be included in the Prayer Bundle that will be presented to White House and other government representatives in conjunction with the Presidential Pow Wow, which will be held in Washington, DC, on 15 January. Watch this space and call us for more info.

About Native Youth Alliance

Native Youth Alliance was founded in 1990 as a religious organization and has been incorporated as a non-profit since 1993. We strive to ensure that traditional Native American cultural and spiritual ways continue for the coming generations. Since its founding, NYA has maintained ongoing programs which provide children and youth the opportunity to observe and participate in the ceremonies, gatherings and culture practiced by members of their families and Nations for generations.
Native Youth Alliance and its members share a common belief in the need for a balance between spiritual, physical, mental and emotional development; and the necessity of a healthy environmental, cultural, linguistic, governmental, and economic foundation.
Working in defense of our People and our lands has led us to ally ourselves with many grassroots Native communities and to work on a number of issues of concern to Indigenous Peoples; this includes all the stages of the nuclear cycle, as Native lands have been affected from mining to power stations to waste sites to nuclear bomb testing. We have worked in support of the Gwich'in Nation on ANWR, the Dine of Big Mountain, and in support of political prisoner Leonard Peltier. We have also worked on the passage of the Indian Religious Freedoms and Indian Child Welfare Acts. For 8 years begining in 1993 we held the Healing Global Wounds Pow Wow for all those affected by the nuclear cycle. Every November from 1999-2002, NYA put up tipis and held 30-day vigils on the grounds of the Washington Monument for Native American Heritage Month; in November of 1999 we held the first Native American Church service ever held on the National Mall. In October 1996 we worked with the EPA to host a youth conference where Native Youth from communities experiencing difficulties came and had the opportunity to be heard on these issues.