The Institute for Economic and Racial Equity (IERE) is proud to announce the release of Balance and Belonging: Empowerment Economics and Community Development at NAYA in partnership with the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Portland, Oregon. This is the third case study in a multi-year, research partnership exploring Empowerment Economics, a multigenerational, culturally responsive approach to financial capability developed by and for low-income AAPI and other communities of color.

 

"It has been a real honor to work with NAYA Family Center’s community development department to uplift their approach to building wealth and power in the urban Native community in Portland, OR. From study design to report release, this case has been a true labor of ambition, love, and great humility. This project has highlighted significant connections between NAYA’s relational worldview approach to community development and the Empowerment Economics framework. We are grateful, through and through, to share this chapter of the urban Native American community’s story of balance and belonging." - sneha gantla, IERE Researcher

 

In this report, we lift up NAYA's culturally rooted, holistic approach to community development. Grounding this case study in NAYA's Individual Development Account (IDA) program, we highlight how NAYA is creating a cultural and community corridor in the Cully neighborhood of Portland and "re-indigenizing" the city's landscape. NAYA serves as a community center, cultural hub, and Native policy advocacy champion, offering the Native community in Portland a greater sense of balance and belonging.