VA250 will launch its 2026 commemorations by centering the unvarnished history and lived experiences of Tribal Nations who stewarded these lands long before the Declaration of Independence.
Dates
April 25, 2026
Time
8:30 am - 4:45 pm
Place
Colonial Williamsburg
Address
The Williamsburg Lodge
Registration is closed and the event is at capacity. Event sessions will be livestreamed. Please check back here for more details.
Tribal governance traditions informed the democratic framework later adopted by the United States. This program will invite participants to engage in a shared history, recognize the enduring contributions of Tribal Nations across Turtle Island, and reflect on themes of perseverance and nation-building.
Colonial Williamsburg | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
10:20 AM - 11:05 AM
11:25 AM - 12:10 PM
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
1:50 PM - 2:35 PM
2:55 - 3:55 PM
3:55 PM - 4:30 PM
The program will begin with a dinner on April 24 and continue throughout the day on April 25 at The Lodge at Colonial Williamsburg. Panels and presentations will feature leading voices from Indian Country, including elected Tribal leaders, scholars, and representatives from advocacy and legal organizations. Through first-hand accounts and informed analysis, the event will offer a more complete understanding of the nation’s origins and foster a better-informed citizenry.
Colonial Williamsburg | 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Procession of Tribal Nations, posting of flags, prayer offering, and Native youth presentations.
Pre-foreign contact governance and the documented influence of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy on the American democratic model.
From early treaty-making to modern Tribal governance, leaders and scholars will explore strengthening nation-to-nation relationships and building a more visible, empowered future for Indian Country.
Opening Session
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Emcee: Reggie Stewart, Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Executive Board Member - Chairperson, Virginia Tribal Education Consortium
The procession will represent the rich diversity of sovereign Tribal Nations from across Turtle Island. In addition to inclusion of each respective nation’s flag, it will be an opportunity for individuals to dress in partial/full regalia that will exemplify the impact of regional influences on style of dress and celebrate all the beauty that is Indian Country.
As is our standard practice in Indian Country, but also in recognition of the weightiness of the topics planned for the convening and the important work we must bravely undertake, we must first ground ourselves in our shared respect and reverence for one another as children of the Creator, as well as our shared humanity.
Turtle Island's Pre-Foreign Contact
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Turtle Island's Sovereign Tribal Nations & Indigenous Peoples Pre-Foreign Contact
Indigenous peoples have inhabited these lands since time immemorial – Tribal Nations, made up of families enduring everyday challenges and opportunities, growing and evolving communities and governance structures, and so much more.
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Moderator: Sadie Hill Kelley, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Mvskoke Creek, Kiowa, Comanche, Shoshone Paiute, Cherokee and Absentee Shawnee; 2026 Remembering Our Sisters Fellow
Stephen Adkins, Chief, Chickahominy Indian Tribe
Leonard Forsman, President, Suquamish Tribe
Whitney Gravelle, President, Bay Mills
Kirk Francis, Chief, Penobscot Indian Nation
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy’s Influence
10:20 AM - 11:05 AM
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy’s Influence on the American Democratic Government Model
A tremendous amount of research has been conducted to validate and confirm the influence of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy on the American model of democracy
Moderator: Rory C. Wheeler, Seneca Nation; Former White House Tribal Nations Youth Ambassador; Former Vice Chair of CNAY Youth Advisory Board
Dr. Lori Quigley, Seneca Nation; Professor, Leadership and Policy, Niagara University
Two Pillars
11:25 AM - 12:10 PM
Advocating for Our Inherent Sovereignty & U.S. Debt-Based Trust and Treaty Obligations
Although federal Indian law and policy and evolved into complicated morass, the director to follow to achieve a more just system is clear with the furtherance of the two pillars that (1) Tribal Nations are inherently sovereign and (2) The United States owes debt-bast trust and treaty obligations to Indian Country.
Moderator: Sam Phillips, Cherokee Nation; Third-year law student at Arizona State University; 2026 Equal Justice Works Fellow
Katie Klass, Wyandotte Nation, General Counsel, USET/USET SPF
Greg Smith, Partner, Hobbs Straus Dean & Walker
Daniel Rice, Cherokee Nation, Assistant Professor of Law, UNC School of Law
Special Fireside Chat with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch
Moderator: Mary Smith, Cherokee Nation, American Bar Association, President (2023 – 2024); CEO, Indian Health Service (2015 – 2017)
Tribal Nations-US Relations
1:50 PM - 2:35 PM
An Overview of Federal Indian Policies & Evolution from Federal Indian Law to a Robust Exercise of Tribal Law
To appropriately respect today’s Nation-to-Nation relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States, it is important to understand the history of this relationship.
Moderator: Ramiro Hampson-Medina, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska; 2025 California Native Youth Collective fellow and 2024 Braveheart Fellow
Bryan Newland, Bay Mills Indian Community, Former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs; Former Bay Mills Indian Community President
Libby Washburn, Chickasaw Nation, Former White House Special Asst for Native Affairs, Domestic Policy Council
Allison Binney, Sherwood Valley Pomo, Former Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Chief Legal Counsel and Staff Director
Sarah Harris, Vice-Chairwoman, Mohegan Tribe; USET/USET SPF Secretary, Former DOI ASIA Chief of Staff
Our Future is Bright
2:55 PM - 3:55 PM
A Forward-Looking Discussion on Overcoming Today's Challenges & Leaning Into Opportunities to Establish Greater Visibility and Prominence
Despite the challenges of this history, and while it is important ot understand the journey for context and understanding, Indian Country is leaning into taking back control of its own destiny.
Moderator: Katie Lynch, Potawatomi Nation; 2025 Champion for Change and 2026 CNAY Youth Advisory Board Chair
Tracy Goodluck, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Executive Director, Center for Native American Youth
Kitcki A. Carroll, Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribe, Executive Director, USET Sovereignty Protection Fund
Cecilia Firethunder, President, Oglala Lakota Education Coalition; Executive Director, Red Cloud School Truth and Healing
Closing Session
3:55 PM - 4:30 PM
Carly Fiorina, VA250 National Honorary Chair
Stephen Adkins, Chief, Chickahominy Tribe
Youth writers and artists are invited to participate in a competition with the winners being featured at this event.
Download our one-pager to help spread the word about this unique 250 kick off event.
Tribal Nations are not chapters in America’s past — they are enduring, inherently sovereign governments shaping America’s present and future.