The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was formed by Native educators in 1969 to encourage a national discourse on Native education. For 51 years, NIEA has hosted an annual convention to provide a forum for collaboration. NIEA adheres to the organization’s founding principles: • to bring Native educators together to explore ways to improve schools and the education of Native children; • to promote the maintenance and continued development of Native languages and cultures; • and to develop and implement strategies for influencing local, state, and federal policy and policymakers.