The Creation Story film on this page tells a story, through its simple images and inspiring music, of who one people are, how they got there, and suggests they might be headed somewhere out of this deeper experience and awareness. Thanks to generous grants from the Lee Kreindler Foundation and UPS, NBNY is becoming a model to help the next generation lights its own way, to help develop transformative leadership the world over. NBNY started as a Fellowship at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2001. Ten years later, we are poised to bring this NExT program to mainstream and forgotten youth the country over and perhaps, to bring this leadership paradigm to a world hungry for discovering what unites brings out the very best in humanity. American needs it. Our Middle class needs it. Our poor need it – and the world needs it!

In ten years of this remarkable training, in particular the past two with both the poorest and most disenfranchised youth at Kyle, South Dakota’s Juvenile Detention facility, and also the top academic and achieving youth in the country at Dartmouth College, we have proven this leadership and learning model works for anyone. We have honed a model that uses Native history, tradition, wisdom, and culture to teach leadership that penetrates and leaps past tribal, clan and neighborhood enmities, values and deep imbedded assumptions, and builds rock solid unity and partnerships that resolve problems and ultimately, we hope, might even un-write some wounds of history. NExt demonstrates powerfully the democratic wisdom and currency of today’s Native culture for all the world to learn from.

As social media like Facebook, Twitter and Google have helped foment change and democratic movements in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Syria this past year, perhaps soon in Iran, we have learned that the cultural component of democracy and power is far more fundamental than the structure of democracy. Each cultural paradigm projects out of its history, out of what Arnold Toynbee called History’s challenge and response, a certain, characteristic way, a social capital and tradition of resolving problems and vesting legitimacy and power in leadership. It is The “Lakota Way; The “Apache Way”; The “Cajun way”; it is the “American Way” – it is, indeed, the way “we” do things, wherever and whoever “we” are; beyond words, it is a tacit, structural path to justice and resolution of conflict. The key is this: If this way is not respected and understood, if it is not included as part of the process of deliberation and balance of power, then any democratic vision will be watered down, diluted, and ultimately washed away by the flood of misperceptions, misunderstandings and conflicts that will ensue.

Two years ago, I wrote about President Obama’s historic address to the Arab World yesterday in Cairo, and his outreach of respect and insight to the next generation of young Arab and Muslim students; he stretched out his long arm of intent into the histories and cultures of this nation and tribes, as limited by their hatred and suffering as they are lifted by their vision of tomorrow. Two years later, Egypt’s dictatorship is gone, its true leadership reconnected after generations to a new generation – and to a broader quilt of the cultures and peoples of that enormous country.

It is up to us to respond to this technical and social opening in the chess game of History, and this foundation intends to further reach out an hand of benign intent to help teach and support the dialogue and interactions among young people the world over, starting right here. Our goal remains to create new space, new friendships, new languages of hope and power and freedom. We will continue to work for a world that connects Native American tribal wisdom to the tribes of humanity, from Iroquois and Ojibwe to Seminoles, Navajo and Zuni, to Bantu, Zulu, Ibo, to Muslims, Christians, Jews, and other tribes to sacred values and lasting victories that transcend history.

As I said two years ago, we know it is the only “way” – it is the way we come to believe in our own highest purpose, power and vision to go beyond what we know as individuals, into a new place where risk, where fear, and ultimately, where courage and hope must tread, hand in hand.

We truly thank the UPS Foundation, The Rassias Center at Dartmouth, the Stardust Building Supplies Foundation and the Lee Kreindler Foundations for their support, and the many individuals who walk this profound journey toward a world unified by the best in the human spirit. We ask you to support this mission for a present destiny for our young people. It is, as the poet Robert Bly wrote about in his best seller in 1991, “Iron John”, the role of all of History’s truest Elders to pass on sacred knowledge and higher purpose to its youngest. We are humbled and yet also emboldened by what we have seen already. As you too can witness by the simple yet powerful Creation story brought to you in two short days by four of the NExT generation’s finest. It is my best gift – and their’s – to you.

Introducing the NExT Project

“NExT Leadership for the next generation, from Indian Country to the world.”