The three-day gathering at the Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement will focus on Indigenous sovereignty, land, trade and governance while beginning consultation on a proposed international framework.
By Hola Nebraska
OMAHA, Nebraska — More than 300 Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, advocates and allies are expected in downtown Omaha this week for the 2026 Indigenous Peoples Summit, a three-day gathering beginning Thursday, Sept. 10.
The program will take place at the new Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement, 1115 Dodge St., on the ancestral lands of the Umoⁿhoⁿ Nation. Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim and Omaha Performing Arts are co-hosting the summit.
The gathering will commemorate the Sept. 13, 2007 adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, known as UNDRIP, while focusing on the practical exercise of Indigenous self-determination, governance and economic sovereignty.
| 2026 Indigenous Peoples Summit | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | Sept. 10–12, 2026 |
| Location | Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement |
| Address | 1115 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68102 |
| Thursday | Welcome dinner, 6–9 p.m. |
| Friday | Registration at 8 a.m.; Summit sessions from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Saturday | Registration at 8 a.m.; Summit sessions from 9 a.m.–noon |
| Admission | Open to the public; pay-what-you-can registration option available |
Draft 0 will begin consultation on a proposed Indigenous-led institution
A central part of this year’s Summit will be the first consultation on “Draft 0”, a proposed charter for an Indigenous Peoples United Nations.
The proposal describes an Indigenous-led multilateral institution through which Indigenous Peoples and Nations could strengthen relationships with one another and develop structured relationships with national governments, the United Nations system, regional organizations and other international institutions.
Draft 0 is not scheduled for final adoption during the Omaha gathering.
Participants will instead review the proposal through working groups, identify sections to keep or revise, identify missing priorities and determine areas requiring additional consultation. The Summit Plenary will record areas of agreement and establish the process for preparing a later Draft 1.
Friday sessions will address sovereignty, land, trade and economic systems
Friday’s program will include discussions on Indigenous Peoples’ inherent sovereignty and intergovernmental relations, ancestral trade routes and systems of exchange, land and territorial jurisdiction, stewardship and Land Back.
Economic sessions will address Nation-owned enterprises, agriculture, financing and community wealth.
The Summit will also examine Native Nation Rebuilding, cross-border relationships, Indigenous-controlled financial structures and efforts to dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery.
Scheduled participants include Casey Camp-Horinek, Walter R. Echo-Hawk, JD, Dr. Rudi Mitchell, Chairwoman Missty Slater, Timothy N. Rhodd, Renee Sans Souci, Dr. Joseph K. Austin, JD, Nathaniel Ruleaux and other Indigenous leaders, practitioners and strategic allies.
More than 20 Quapaw Nation Wisdom Keepers are traveling to Omaha
Organizers also expect a delegation of more than 20 Ogapah Wisdom Keepers from the Quapaw Nation in Oklahoma to travel to Omaha for the gathering.
Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim, one of the summit’s co-hosts, is a Maya-led nonprofit based in South Omaha that works with Maya communities in Nebraska and Maya Territory through cultural preservation, community development and Indigenous rights.
Hola Nebraska recently featured the organization as one of the South Omaha cultural stops in its Open Omaha guide to 49 locations across the city.
Downtown garages offer parking within walking distance of Tenaska Center
The Tenaska Center is located in downtown Omaha, where several paid garages and surface lots are available within walking distance.
- Park One: 1516 Douglas St. — $1 per hour, with a $10 maximum.
- Park Eight: 1215 Capitol Ave. — available after 5 p.m.; $1 flat rate.
- Park Six: 321 N. 17th St. — $1 per hour, with a $10 maximum.
- Interstate Two: 1604 Chicago St. — $0.50 per hour, with no listed maximum.
- Mercantile: 899 Farnam St. — $1 per hour, with a $10 maximum.
ADA parking is also available through designated downtown meter zones. Current registration, parking information and Summit updates are available through the 2026 Indigenous Peoples Summit information from Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim.
Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow begins one hour after the Summit ends Saturday
The Summit’s final session is scheduled to end at noon Saturday. The 35th Annual Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow will begin at 1 p.m. the same day at Metropolitan Community College’s Fort Omaha Campus Parade Field.
The free powwow will continue until 7:30 p.m. with Native American dance, music, regalia, oral history, arts and activities involving tribes from Nebraska and the surrounding region. The full Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow schedule is available through Metropolitan Community College.
The Indigenous Peoples Summit begins with its welcome dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Tenaska Center for Arts Engagement, 1115 Dodge St. in Omaha.
Stay informed about what’s happening in your community. Your source for stories that inspire — visit HolaNebraska.org for news, culture and community updates across Nebraska.
