Chicago-land (Checagou) has many connections to fire, from the Council of the Three Fires, to the Great Chicago Fire, to the Chicago Fire television show. This connection is reflected in our theme for the 8th Annual Urban Native Education Conference: Many Fires: Kindling the Future.

Our conference theme asks us to consider the numerous fires that are collectively burning pathways toward a future that provides nourishment for our elders, warmth for our communities, and fuel for our youth and the generations yet to come. The theme also recognizes the diversity of original teachings we carry, passed down through generations and unrestricted by borders, that positively impact the world around all of us. Lastly, it recognizes the many ways Native Americans, urban and rural, are finding new ways to teach and engage with these teachings as we fan the flames of Indigenous knowledge.

This conference invites Native American and Indigenous community leaders, knowledge keepers and scholars, students, educators, youth, administrators, helpers and staff of educational programs, organizations and institutions, from Chicago-land (Checagou) and beyond to share their experiences and wisdom in creating educational opportunities to prepare future generations to inherit a world full of possibility for Indigenous communities.

We are imagining this theme in an expansive way and hope that folks will see how their work is metaphorically one of many fires burning in our collective pit. If you are unsure how your work fits within the theme, we encourage you to still submit as all topics related to Indigenous knowledge systems will be considered.

Through the exchange of strategies, tools, and research for Native American education in urban communities, our goal is for attendees to feel hopeful and inspired by thought-provoking ideas shared from our collective community. And then, like many of our ancestors who carried fire from one camp to another with them, we want attendees to bring the knowledge learned at the conference home to share with their communities.

The mission of the CAICC Education Committee is to provide, advocate and support an inter-tribal urban system of education, through networks of Native American Programs and other providers to increase academic and career success for multi-generations that recognizes formal education and tribal cultures/traditions.

We hope you will propose a presentation for the 8th Annual Urban Native Education Conference. We are thrilled to learn from and engage with you.