By NB3 Foundation

Healthy Beverage Summit reconnects partners and looks ahead

After seven years, the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation’s Healthy Beverage Summit returned July 16 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM bringing together more than 90 tribal leaders, educators, health professionals, youth advocates and community partners from across the country.

The summit marked the first time members of Water First! Cohort 1, Water First! Cohort 2 and the Healthy Hydration Advisory Board gathered in person. Participants reflected on what they’ve learned, shared challenges and successes from their communities, and began planning the next phase of their work to increase access to healthy beverages in their communities.

The gathering also marked an important milestone for the NB3 Foundation as it expands its healthy hydration work beyond the Southwest, welcoming new community partners in Michigan, North Dakota, North Carolina and California while continuing longstanding partnerships in New Mexico and Arizona. Water First! Cohort 2 includes the National Indian Youth Leadership Development Project (New Mexico), Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (Michigan), Native American Advancement Foundation (Arizona), Spirit Lake Youth Sports Inc. (North Dakota), Land Water and Community Coalition (North Carolina), Fresno American Indian Health Project (California) and the Hopi Tribe (Arizona).

One of the biggest themes throughout the day was learning from one another. Organizations from previous grant cycles shared how they adapted the Water Roadmap to fit their communities, offering lessons that will help guide our newest partners as they begin a 2½-year process of conducting community health assessments and developing local action plans. The Healthy Hydration Advisory Board will continue supporting that work along the way.

Youth voices remained an important part of the conversation. Members of the NB3 Foundation Youth Council, Elevate Navajo and youth from Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School participated throughout the summit and assisted with hands-on activities and presentations, reinforcing the role youth play in shaping healthier communities.

Speakers from the STAR School, Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP), Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc., Brigham and Women’s Hospital  and University of California Nutrition Policy Institute shared practical approaches communities can adapt to meet their own needs. During an interactive session with ZYEP, attendees worked together to create homemade sports drinks using fruit juice, honey or agave, coconut water and a pinch of salt, offering a simple alternative to store-bought electrolyte drinks.

The day also included interactive activities focused on water quality, community engagement and culturally relevant health education.

The Healthy Beverage Summit has always been about more than sharing information. It provides space for communities to build relationships, exchange ideas and strengthen a growing network committed to improving healthy beverage access across Indian Country.

The NB3 Foundation thanks Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Presbyterian for their continued support, as well as the presenters, partners and participants who helped make this year’s summit a success.

Planning is already underway for the next Healthy Beverage Summit, which will take place in July 2027. The location will be announced soon.

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By NB3 Foundation

The Healthy Beverage Summit is Back

For the first time since 2019, NB3 Foundation is bringing the Healthy Beverage Summit back to Native communities. The return comes with renewed energy, updated knowledge and a continued commitment to community driven solutions.

The 2026 Healthy Beverage Summit will take place July 16, 2026, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The event will bring together community leaders, students, elders, health advocates and partners who are working to increase access to healthy beverages and/or breastfeeding and reduce sugar sweetened beverage consumption in Native communities.

The summit’s return is made possible through new funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of the initiative Supporting Native American Health: Community Driven Change to Foster Healthy Beverage Consumption and Advance Health Equity. Building on nearly a decade of NB3 Foundation’s work to improve Native youth health, the initiative centers Native led approaches that support healthy hydration, promote breastfeeding and expand access to safe drinking water.

Much has changed since the last Healthy Beverage Summit in 2019. Communities have faced new challenges while also gaining new insights and strategies. Bringing the summit back now creates space to share updated resources, reflect on lessons learned and move forward together.

The return of this convening marks an important step in advancing Native led public health solutions and strengthening long term community health. The NB3 Foundation invites community members, practitioners, students and elders to join the summit in July 2026 to learn, share and help shape the future of healthy hydration together.

Register for the Healthy Beverage Summit!

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By NB3 Foundation

Youth Council joins Twilight Series

Members and advisors of the NB3 Foundation Youth Council joined forces to host one of this year’s Twilight Series fun runs and walks, in partnership with Running Medicine, Native Health Initiative and the Dukes Track Club.

The Albuquerque event drew more than 115 participants, who ran or walked distances ranging from 1 to 3 miles. Community members from Albuquerque, San Felipe Pueblo and Santo Domingo Pueblo joined in, along with members of the Kewa TRUTH and Katishtya youth councils and their families.

The event held special significance for youth council member Ezekial Bird (Santo Domingo/Hopi), who designed the run/walk as part of his community project for the Summer Policy Academy. The academy educates Indigenous youth on federal policies affecting tribal nations and encourages participants to address issues related to language, environment, health and education through youth-led projects.

Council members also took leadership roles during the event, from marking routes and flagging runners to leading warm-ups, taking photos and distributing raffle prizes. The teamwork and energy underscored the council’s growing role in promoting community health and connection.

The youth council plans to continue making the run/walk a highlight of its annual calendar, strengthening partnerships with other youth councils and providing new opportunities for young leaders to step forward.

To learn more about upcoming NB3 Foundation Youth Council activities and community projects, follow NB3 Foundation on social media.

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By NB3 Foundation

NB3 Foundation awarded grant to drive community-led solutions for healthy beverage consumption

The Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation is proud to announce new funding for Supporting Native American Health: Community-Driven Change to Foster Healthy Beverage Consumption and Advance Health Equity. Building on nearly a decade of work to improve Native youth health, this community-led initiative will support Native communities in reducing sugary drink consumption, promoting breastfeeding and increasing access to safe drinking water.

With this support, NB3 Foundation will partner with both returning and new Native-led organizations to: 

  • Expand use of the Community Roadmap for Healthy Beverages, an interactive guide to help Native communities reduce sugary drink consumption and promote healthy hydration through policy and systems change. 
  • Fund grassroots projects that improve local beverage options.
  • Provide training, resources and evaluation tools rooted in Indigenous knowledge.

As part of this effort, the NB3 Foundation will launch the Water First! Learning Community mini grants to support previous grantees in continuing their hydration work and contributing insights that will guide future efforts. Alongside this, a new group of organizations will receive support to use NB3 Foundation’s Healthy Beverage Roadmap and apply lessons learned from past grantees to develop healthy beverage strategies tailored to their communities. By tracking outcomes and evaluating each community’s approach, this project looks to demonstrate how these tools can be successfully adapted and applied by communities nationwide.

“This work is about more than hydration. It’s about reclaiming health from within our communities and ensuring that solutions are led by those who are most impacted,” said Renee Goldtooth-Halwood, director of evaluation and research at NB3 Foundation.

This award is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is working toward a future where health is for everyone. For the past 20 years, RWJF has been a national leader in addressing childhood obesity and health inequities and has built on its approach to address the many social, economic, and physical factors that contribute to obesity, including the long-standing structural racism that exists across the systems that shape our lives. We are one of nine projects funded as part of RWJF’s final investment into childhood obesity prevention. Collectively, this final round of grants will work to improve the systems and policies that contribute to health inequities. These efforts focus on innovative approaches to address structural racism; fill gaps in the research on racism within the food system and its impact on communities of color; and engage with communities most impacted by childhood obesity and nutrition insecurity.

“It is a great honor to partner with NB3 Foundation on this critical work to help every child and family thrive in the places they call home,” said Jamie Bussel, senior program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “All children, all families, all people—no matter where they live—deserve to live in places that support their health and wellbeing and that includes access to affordable, healthy food. As decisionmakers debate massive changes to our food policies, it’s clear that efforts like these are more important than ever.”

This initiative marks a key step in advancing Native-led public health solutions and building long-term community health. 

 

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By NB3 Foundation

Youth Spotlight: WynterRose Sheka & Marcus Tenorio 

Join us in recognizing two members of the NB3 Foundation Youth Council: WynterRose Sheka (#22, Tohatchi High School Senior) and Marcus Tenorio (#12, Santa Fe Indian School Freshman)!

These two athletes are not only standouts on the court, but also passionate mentors and advocates off the court. As youth council members, they show up for their communities, lead by example, and uplift their peers by promoting healthy futures for Native youth.

Their advice to younger athletes:
“To the young ones out there — keep pushing towards your goals. Even if it’s a small milestone, it’s still a step towards your bigger goals. You got this!”

— Marcus

“In any sport, you need to have the IQ — understand the game. Be in the gym every day whether it’s running, shooting, or ball handling. Eat healthy and take care of yourself. Self-care matters as you grow. And always express your feelings to your parents or a trusted family member.”
— WynterRose (2025 First Team All-District Selection & District Co-MVP, 3A All State, NM All Star)
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