Join Western Native Voice for this FREE leadership & advocacy conference in Crow! We’re bringing an interactive, high-energy one-day conference to Crow on May 28th! Building Bridges, Building Power: A Day of Leadership & Change is your chance to learn, lead, and take action through powerful workshops and networking opportunities. What to Expect: Inspiring speakers & hands-on workshops Leadership & advocacy skill-building Connect with change makers & build your network Take action & make an impact in your community FREE for Western Native Voice members! Not a member yet? Sign up now for free: westernnativevoice.org/join Reserve your spot – space is limited! https://tinyurl.com/yz85n43t Let’s build power, create change, and strengthen our Native American communities together. See you there!
Join Western Native Voice for this FREE leadership & advocacy conference in Browning! We’re bringing an interactive, high-energy one-day conference to Browning on May 8th! Building Bridges, Building Power: A Day of Leadership & Change is your chance to learn, lead, and take action through powerful workshops and networking opportunities. What to Expect: Inspiring speakers & hands-on workshops Leadership & advocacy skill-building Connect with change makers & build your network Take action & make an impact in your community FREE for Western Native Voice members! Not a member yet? Sign up now for free: westernnativevoice.org/join Reserve your spot – space is limited! https://tinyurl.com/yz85n43t Let’s build power, create change, and strengthen our Native American communities together. See you there!
This spring, Western Native Voice (WNV) launched a series of Native leadership conferences across Montana as part of its “Building Bridges, Building Power” campaign. Running from March through May, each event is carefully designed to meet the unique needs of the local community. The series began with impactful gatherings in Fort Peck and Bozeman, setting the tone for what’s to come.
Tailored Community Engagement
Unlike generic training sessions, these Native leadership conferences are customized to reflect each community’s priorities. As a result, participants find the content directly relevant to their lives. In both Fort Peck and Bozeman, attendees participated in interactive workshops rooted in WNV’s four core programs: leadership, advocacy, civic engagement, and education.
Empowering Local Leaders Through Native Leadership Conferences
These conferences aim to equip community members with practical tools to lead change. By focusing on leadership development, WNV nurtures a network of individuals who are ready to organize, guide, and uplift others. Furthermore, advocacy workshops help participants understand how to influence policy and collaborate with decision-makers at every level.
Fostering Civic Engagement and Educational Growth
Civic engagement training encourages attendees to participate in the democratic process. Specifically, these sessions highlight the importance of voting and show how collective action shapes local outcomes.
Meanwhile, education-focused workshops address specific challenges—such as school reform or access to health care. These sessions offer more than insight; they give participants actionable steps to improve their communities.
Looking Ahead
As the initiative continues, WNV will host more Native leadership conferences in Fort Belknap, Helena, Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, Pablo, Browning, Rocky Boy, Northern Cheyenne, and Crow. These upcoming events will expand WNV’s reach, creating more opportunities for collaboration and empowerment.
In every community they visit, these Native leadership conferences reinforce Western Native Voice’s mission: to build sustainable local leadership and drive positive change across Montana.
BILLINGS, Mont. — This March, Western Native Voice hosted the Expanding Horizons youth conference. The annual event empowers Native youth through leadership development, cultural identity, and community connection. This year’s conference, titled “Discovering Our Path: Embracing Identity & Purpose,” brought together students from across Montana for a weekend of learning, growth, and connection.
Conference Impact and Insights
The Expanding Horizons youth conference was created specifically for Native youth who want to explore their identities and build leadership skills. Keynote speaker Samuel Hiratsuka opened the event with a message of resilience and pride. His speech inspired participants to take ownership of their stories and step into leadership roles with confidence.
In addition, author Ben Miekelsen shared lessons from his novel Touching Spirit Bear. His workshop emphasized how stories of redemption and healing can support personal growth and identity.
Importantly, a digital session hosted by Myltin Bighorn and Mary Thorpe introduced leadership in a modern context. They spoke over Zoom about using cultural values alongside digital tools to build stronger communities. This session showed that tradition and technology can go hand in hand.
Broader Community Impact
The Expanding Horizons youth conference supports Western Native Voice’s mission to grow informed, engaged leaders. The conference gives youth hands-on experience in civic engagement, cultural awareness, and advocacy.
As a result, attendees left with more than inspiration—they gained tools to create change. Many shared how the experience gave them purpose, connection, and a path forward in their communities.
Looking Ahead
Western Native Voice plans to continue building on the success of the Expanding Horizons youth conference. Each year, this event helps shape future leaders who are grounded in their culture and committed to making an impact.
Through events like this, Western Native Voice is helping Native youth lead with confidence—today and for generations to come.
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Join Western Native Voice for this FREE leadership & advocacy conference in Lame Deer! We’re bringing an interactive, high-energy one-day conference to Lame on May 20th! Building Bridges, Building Power: A Day of Leadership & Change is your chance to learn, lead, and take action through powerful workshops and networking opportunities. What to Expect: Inspiring speakers & hands-on workshops Leadership & advocacy skill-building Connect with change makers & build your network Take action & make an impact in your community FREE for Western Native Voice members! Not a member yet? Sign up now for free: westernnativevoice.org/join Reserve your spot – space is limited! https://tinyurl.com/yz85n43t Let’s build power, create change, and strengthen our Native American communities together. See you there!
Join Western Native Voice for this FREE leadership & advocacy conference in Browning! We’re bringing an interactive, high-energy one-day conference to Browning on May 8th! Building Bridges, Building Power: A Day of Leadership & Change is your chance to learn, lead, and take action through powerful workshops and networking opportunities. What to Expect: Inspiring speakers & hands-on workshops Leadership & advocacy skill-building Connect with change makers & build your network Take action & make an impact in your community FREE for Western Native Voice members! Not a member yet? Sign up now for free: westernnativevoice.org/join Reserve your spot – space is limited! https://tinyurl.com/yz85n43t Let’s build power, create change, and strengthen our Native American communities together. See you there!
Join Western Native Voice for this FREE leadership & advocacy conference in Pablo! We’re bringing an interactive, high-energy one-day conference to Pablo on May 1! Building Bridges, Building Power: A Day of Leadership & Change is your chance to learn, lead, and take action through powerful workshops and networking opportunities. What to Expect: Inspiring speakers & hands-on workshops Leadership & advocacy skill-building Connect with change makers & build your network Take action & make an impact in your community FREE for Western Native Voice members! Not a member yet? Sign up now for free: westernnativevoice.org/join Reserve your spot – space is limited! https://tinyurl.com/yz85n43t Let’s build power, create change, and strengthen our Native American communities together. See you there!
Join Western Native Voice for this FREE leadership & advocacy conference in Missoula! We’re bringing an interactive, high-energy one-day conference to Missoula on April 29th! Building Bridges, Building Power: A Day of Leadership & Change is your chance to learn, lead, and take action through powerful workshops and networking opportunities. What to Expect: Inspiring speakers & hands-on workshops Leadership & advocacy skill-building Connect with change makers & build your network Take action & make an impact in your community FREE for Western Native Voice members! Not a member yet? Sign up now for free: westernnativevoice.org/join Reserve your spot – space is limited! https://tinyurl.com/yz85n43t Let’s build power, create change, and strengthen our Native American communities together. See you there!
