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Indigenous Athletics Advancement Council to host Native-Student Athlete Summit

Three-Day Event Features Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills and Remaining Native Documentary Screening

Lawrence, KS

FOR RELEASE APRIL 20, 2026

The Indigenous Athletics Advancement Council (IAAC) is proud to announce the second annual Native Student-Athlete Summit, taking place June 2-4, 2026, in Lawrence, Kansas. This three-day event will bring together Native student-athletes, administrators, and community members to address critical issues facing Indigenous athletes in collegiate athletics while celebrating Native excellence in sport. The Summit is made possible through partnership with Running Strong for American Indian Youth, the University of Kansas Office of Sovereign Partnerships and Indigenous Initiatives (OSPII), the University of Kansas Athletics, and Haskell Indian Nations University.

The summit launches Tuesday, June 2nd, with a keynote address from Olympic gold medalist and Oglala Lakota legend Billy Mills, one of the most celebrated Native American athletes in history. Mills, who made history as the only American to win the Olympic gold medal in the 10,000-meter run (Tokyo 1964), will share his journey and insights with attendees, followed by a Q&A session and photo opportunity.

Melissa M. Peterson, Acting Associate Vice Chancellor and Assistant Research Professor with the Office of Sovereign Partnerships and Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Kansas, notes, “As a former college student-athlete, I am honored to support a summit that centers Native student-athletes in both their cultural identity and athletic excellence. This gathering reflects our commitment to creating spaces where students that represent their Tribal Nations are seen, supported, and empowered to lead on the field/court, in the classroom, and in their communities.”

The summit programming addresses the holistic student-athlete experience, offering separate concurrent sessions for student-athletes and administrators to ensure relevant, targeted discussions. Topics will include cultural identity in athletics, mental health and wellness, academic success strategies, and advocacy for Native representation and presence in collegiate sports.

“Native student-athletes face unique experiences navigating the intersection of their cultural identity and athletic pursuits,” said Dr. Alisse Ali-Joseph, Director of the IAAC. “This summit creates essential space for connection, learning, and advocacy while honoring the strength and resilience of Indigenous athletes across the country.” Dr. Melissa Greene-Blye, Director of the Center for Indigenous Student Media at the University of Kansas School of Journalism & Mass Communication, adds “It is a privilege to work alongside this amazing organization to bring this important summit to the Haskell and KU campuses. Having had the privilege to work alongside and cover Native student-athletes, this summit is key to offering these athletes the skills and perspective to share their stories in ways that are authentic to their cultural identity while simultaneously honoring their athletic achievements. Empowering them to share their story, their way, on their terms.”

Another particularly meaningful component of the summit is the partnership with Haskell Indian Nations University, including a Wednesday evening campus tour, dinner, and the screening of Remaining Native, a powerful documentary exploring contemporary Native American identity and resilience.

The summit concludes Thursday with a keynote from Sam McCracken, founder of Nike N7 and the Sam McCracken Youth Project, and a youth sports clinic where Native student-athletes will mentor and train young Indigenous athletes, creating a pipeline of support and inspiration for the next generation.

About the Indigenous Athletics Advancement Council:

The IAAC is a 501c3 nonprofit that consists of Alisse Ali-Joseph (Choctaw, Northern Arizona University), Nicole Been (Muscogee Creek/Thlopthlocco, Big XII Conference), Brent Cahwee (Pawnee, NDNSports.com), Stomski Seim (Muscogee Creek, Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota), and Natalie Welch (Eastern Cherokee, Seattle University). Their mission is to expand upon the grassroots efforts in Indian Country to disrupt power structures in all of sport business, and to provide enhanced education, support and resources for Native American student-athletes, coaches and administrators and the abundant communities they come from.

Registration Information:

The summit is open to Native student-athletes, athletic administrators, coaches, and practitionors committed to advancing Indigenous representation in athletics.

For more information visit IndigenousAthleticsAdvancement.com. For media or donation inquiries contact Natalie Welch at 828-788-4473, or nwelch@seattleu.edu.

*This release uses the terms Indigenous, Native American, and Indian Country interchangeably but does not intend to discount the importance of terminology. We use terms as originally used when possible.

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We promote the advancement of Indigenous peoples through sport.

The mission of the Indigenous Athletics Advancement council is to educate, promote, empower, and activate Indigenous peoples and communities around movement, physical fitness, and sport.

We also aim to disrupt the colonial systems that impact modern Indigenous peoples with the goal of integrating our people in leadership and decision-making roles in the sport business.