©Jose Azel Aurora/IPNSTOCK

First Alaskans Institute has managed the annual Elders and Youth Conference since 2005. For additional information on the First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference, please visit www.FirstAlaskans.org

54 high school students made up the first AFN Youth Conference in 1984, which was created in response to a resolution passed by delegates at the AFN Convention in 1983.

Later in the decade, AFN created a Native Elders Conference to the AFN Convention week. Before long the youth and grandparents came together to create the Elders and Youth Conference.

Since those early days, participation has grown to nearly 1000 elder and youth, with representation from the five main Alaska Native Cultural Groups.