Dr. Nataka Moore is a licensed clinical psychologist, faculty at Adler University’s Department of Psychology, and co-founder of the Mbwakawen Harambee Collective, which integrates Native and African/African American Traditional Ecological Knowledge to address today’s climate justice challenges. With over 20 years of clinical and academic experience, she teaches and consults with organizations across Chicagoland while maintaining a private practice for individuals and couples. A recognized human rights activist, she has led international initiatives in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Liberia, and Madagascar, and received multiple awards for her commitment to social justice, women’s rights, and community well-being.
Jay Young is the Executive Director of the American Indian Center in Chicago, one of the oldest urban Native centers in the country, and an enrolled citizen of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. He attended Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas, where he focused on cultural geography and sociology.
Congress 2026 will be hosted by the 
| Congress 2026 Overview |
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Put Friday, November 6 on your calendar to be part of Congress 2026, hosted by the College of Lake County! Registration opens on Monday, August 3. Congress is our biannual gathering where people from across our four-state region come together to learn and gain inspiration from their peers. This year we're celebrating 30 years of collaboration, conservation, and the perseverance of people like you. Congress 2026 Event DetailsA Full Day to Grow Forward TogetherCongress 2026 is all about learning and gaining inspiration from your peers. We'll start the day with a plenary session to share the excitement about 30 years of our shared successes and a look at how we're going forward together. We invite you to think about ways to collaborate for a vibrant region where people and nature thrive. Twenty-four presentations will feature the best ideas and brightest minds doing environmental conservation, ecological restoration, land preservation, sustainable agriculture, and more, with a focus working within human and natural communities and connecting people with nature. We'll all have lunch together, you'll have the opportunity to tour the environmental and sustainability initiatives at the College of Lake County, and we'll end the day with an informal reception. There's plenty of time for you to network and build new connections with the people you'll meet at Congress 2026. Everyone is welcome. We encourage you to ask a friend, coworker, board member, or volunteer to join you! Keynote Speakers: Dr. Nataka Moore and Jay Young
An award-winning photojournalist with nearly two decades of experience, Jay’s work has long centered on storytelling, place, memory and community. Across journalism, cultural programming and nonprofit leadership, he has worked to ensure Native stories are told with accuracy, care and accountability. At the American Indian Center, Jay’s work is rooted in creating space where Native voices, experiences and responsibilities come first. He has helped lead the organization’s work in cultural education, community programming, food sovereignty, land stewardship and Native-led conservation. In December 2025, he helped lead the rematriation of bison to Native community care in partnership with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, a major step in reconnecting urban Native people with land, culture and intergenerational responsibility. For Jay, the American Indian Center is more than a cultural center. It is a place where Native identity is strengthened, community knowledge is honored, and urban Native people can build relationships with one another, with culture and with land. Registration DetailsOnline registration opens on Monday, August 3. Scholarships are available for those who cannot afford the registration fee. Please complete this request form and enter the promo code at checkout. Location Info
This beautiful location has ample parking and public transportation options, and fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They are a national leader in campus sustainability efforts; their initiatives range from green buildings to expanded learning opportunities for students, faculty, staff members, and neighbors. Download a College of Lake County Campus Map. Parking and TransportationPlenty of free parking, plus connections via Pace bus to and from the Metra UP North line (Waukegan station). November 5, 5 - 8 pm: Gather for informal networking and socialCome to an informal post-field trip/pre Congress gathering at Bill's Pizza Pub, Third Lake, IL. We've reserved a room to socialize and eat. Bring a colleague and get to know your fellow Congress 2026 participants. HotelsA block of discounted rooms has been reserved at the Comfort Suites Grayslake near Libertyville North, 1775 East Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL, 60030. Please mention the Group name: Chicago Wilderness Alliance. Room rate is $98 per night 2 queen bed. Guests are responsible for all charges. All rooms MUST be booked before Tuesday, Oct 5, 2026. After this date, the group room block is released to the general public and you will no longer have access to the special group rate. Questions about Congress 2026? Contact Cherie Fisher, Alliance Program Manager. |