Investing in Our Future: The Youth Leadership Council
Meet our five youth officers, see how the program is funded, and follow the Council to Oʻahu in November and Washington, D.C. next spring.
Our young people will one day make the decisions about our Tribe’s future. The Youth Leadership Council is how we start preparing them today.
We started the Council this summer through our Education Department. It is a year-round program, not a summer activity. Our youth learn how Tribal government works, build leadership skills, strengthen their cultural connections, and get experiences that prepare them for what’s ahead.
Meet our Youth Council
- ChairmanFerrill JohnsonLeads our meetings
- Vice ChairmanLoki TorsetSteps in to lead when needed
- SecretaryBraelynn MurphyKeeps the meeting minutes
- TreasurerJoanah RosanderLearns budgeting and stewardship
- Member-at-LargeBrooklyn BlakeSpeaks up for all our youth
Officers are chosen the way real leaders are: applications, campaign speeches, and a secret ballot. Youth ages 13 to 20 can run, and kids 5 and up can vote. Throughout the year, the Council works on:
- Monthly after-school meetings
- Tribal governance
- Public speaking
- Budgets and meeting minutes
- Cultural learning
- Mentoring from leaders, elders, and professionals
- Tribal Council meetings
Our Youth Treasurer learns how budgets work, but grant money is still handled and approved only by authorized Tribal staff.
Where we’re headed
These trips are for learning, so every one follows the same three steps:
- Prepare. Learn about the issues before we go.
- Take part. Watch, listen, ask questions, and join in.
- Report back. Share what we learned with Tribal Council, families, and our community.
Tap a stop to see the plans.
Hawaiʻi Youth Leadership & Cultural Exchange
Our youth, joined by an elder, staff, and chaperones, will meet Native Hawaiian communities dealing with the same kind of shoreline erosion we face at home, and bring new ideas back to Tokeland.
- Cultural exchange
- Youth leadership
- Shoreline resilience
- Prevention
- Healthy living
- University of Hawaiʻi Sea GrantShoreline erosion and coastal protection around Waikīkī
- Hina Mauka Teen CAREYouth substance-use prevention and healthy choices
- Mauliola KeʻehiHawaiian identity, community wellness, and positive youth programs
- Polynesian Cultural CenterA full day of Pacific Island history and traditions
- Native Hawaiian community membersHow culture and traditional knowledge guide their planning
Back home, they will compare our two shorelines and present what they learned.
Some visits are still being confirmed, and there will be time to have fun too. The trip is part of our HCA prevention program, subject to grant rules and Tribal approvals.
Washington, D.C. Leadership Trip
Tribal leaders regularly go to D.C. to advocate for our community. I want our youth to see that work up close and understand sovereignty and our government-to-government relationship with the United States.
- U.S. CapitolPossible meetings with congressional offices
- The White HouseA tour, if it can be arranged and approved
- National Museum of the American IndianNative history and how our people are represented
- Ford’s Theatre, monuments, and memorialsAmerican history, seen in person
- How decisions reach homeHow federal laws and funding affect Tribal communities
Final plans depend on scheduling, funding, and approvals.
Tribal leadership gatherings
Our youth will attend sessions at gatherings like these, meet other Native youth leaders, and watch Tribal governments work together on education, natural resources, public safety, and sovereignty.
- ATNIAffiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
- NCAINational Congress of American Indians
- Centennial AccordWashington State’s yearly meeting with Tribal Nations
Afterward, they report back to Tribal Council, their families, and our community.
How it’s funded
Youth Council activities are grant funded, through a prevention grant from the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA).
Why it counts as prevention:
- Healthy choices and sober living
- Culture, elders, and identity
- Positive friendships
- Real responsibility
- Substance-free activities
- Skills for school, work, and leadership
Prevention is not just about telling young people what to avoid. It’s about giving them something positive to work toward.
Chairman Quintin Swanson
Built to last
My priority is keeping the Council going all school year as a lasting part of our Education Department, with regular meetings, involved families, and new funding sources. Over time, our youth will take more ownership: leading a community project, presenting ideas to Tribal Council, or speaking at a conference.
The young people in this program today may one day lead our relocation, our government, and the protection of our culture. I’ll share photos, highlights, and their presentations as the Council grows.