Actor Chaske Spencer & Golfer Notah Begay to Appear at National Intertribal Youth Summit

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Chaske Spencer-Assiniboine/Sioux

SANTA FE - Chaske Spencer, Assiniboine/Sioux, a star of the highly-acclaimed "Twilight" movie series and Notah Begay, Diné, a four-time PGA Tour winner will appear at the 2011 National Intertribal Youth Summit in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

American Indian and Alaska Native youth will come to Santa Fe from all over the United States for the week-long summit begins on Sunday, July 24 and concludes on Friday, June 29.

Notah Begay-Diné

The 2011 National Intertribal Youth Summit is a youth leadership conference for tribal youth participants to meet other American Indian and Alaska Native youth through special sessions targeting leadership development and critical youth issues such as healthy relationships and lifestyles, education, substance and alcohol abuse, cultural preservation, community development and protecting the environment.

Spencer will be the special guest at the opening session on Sunday and will co-facilitate a session on Monday, entitled, "Civic Engagement: Strengthening Youth Voices" The session is seeks to empower American Indian and Alaska Native youth to plan and implement activities in their respective communities to ensure that their tribe is represented in a national arena, while preparing for a lifetime engagement in civic participation.

The summit also provides an opportunity for Obama administration officials to hear directly from youth in Indian Country. The administration and federal agencies have made a commitment to building healthier and safer communities through strengthened coordination and collaboration with tribal governments and partners.

Representatives from the White House and the Departments of Justice, Interior, Health and Human Services and Education will be on hand.

posted July 23, 2011 6:20 am edt