For 19-year-old Tia Butler, attending this year’s White House Tribal Youth Forum in Washington D.C. means celebrating the hard work her ancestors did to make that trip, and today’s reality, possible.
Butler’s grandfather, Robert Tom, helped the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians regain federal recognition nearly five decades ago.
“It’s Native American Heritage Month, and not only am I attending the White House Tribal Youth Forum, but it’s also a time where we celebrate the restoration of our tribe,” Butler said.