CNAY is excited to announce that applications for the 2026 CNAY Fellowship cohorts are now open! We are accepting applications for Brave Heart, Remembering Our Sisters and the California Native Youth Collective through January 14.
The Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) Fellowship is a program for aspiring Native youth leaders (18-24) looking to make an impact in their communities. CNAY provides tailored sovereignty, leadership and advocacy trainings, unique opportunities for education and knowledge sharing, and micro-grant support to complete a community action project of Fellows’ choosing.
CNAY supports youth-led change through a culturally-grounded, sovereignty-minded curriculum, intergenerational learning space and promotion of policy change at the tribal, local, state and national level. Fellows work alongside community members, like-minded organizations and peers to grow as individuals and in their cohorts – confident in their abilities, grounded in their culture, and rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
While all 2026 Fellows will engage in a shared, core curriculum – inclusive of trainings pertaining to sovereignty and governance, financial literacy, media and more – the bulk of their fellowship will be divided into three distinct cohorts, each focused on a different issue area:
- Brave Heart: providing pathways for Native youth leaders to enhance their skills as protectors of our lands, waterways and sacred sites, and stewards for food sovereignty.
- Remembering Our Sisters: illuminating opportunities for female & femme identifying youth passionate about advocating and raising awareness for the MMIP epidemic.
- California Native Youth Collective: creating a policy advocacy network and cross-sector platform for Native youth in California.
Visit the CNAY website to learn more and apply!