Indigenous leaders convene in Scottsdale for "power building" summit

The big picture: "The founding of the United States is a complicated history for Indigenous people. The building of U.S. democracy was largely … not intended for us to thrive in or survive in," she says.

• "But we are still here and we will continue to be."

State of play: The Native Power Building Summit was first held in 2018 but is convening leaders in-person for the first time this year. Speakers include two members of Congress and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the highest-ranking Indigenous woman elected to an executive office.

• Chino says she's glad to be hosting the event in Arizona, a politically important state with a large Indigenous population.

• Strong Native American turnout is credited as one of the factors that led to President Biden's 2020 win here.

Zoom in: Many of the event's attendees hold diverse views and advocate for different causes, but they share the belief that Native voices should be heard and listened to, Chino says.

• "We want to support everyone to make their own decisions. But we agree that no decisions are going to be made without us. We have decided to have a voice," she says.