Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Proud to Serve as Presenting Sponsor of UNITY’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is honored to serve as the Presenting Sponsor of UNITY’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at the 2026 National UNITY Conference, taking place July 10–14 in Oklahoma City. The milestone gathering will bring together thousands of Native youth, advisors, and tribal leaders to celebrate five decades of United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) and its mission to develop the next generation of Native leadership. Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Youth have attended this conference consistently for many years, which has proven to be an invaluable experience for them as well as the Tribe.

“UNITY has spent fifty years empowering Native youth with the skills, confidence, and sense of purpose needed to become strong leaders in their communities,” said Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. “At Mashantucket, we believe that investing in our young people is one of the most important investments we can make because they are the future stewards of our Tribal Nations, our cultures, and our communities.

“We are proud to support the National UNITY Conference because it creates opportunities for Native youth from across Indian Country to connect, learn from one another, and develop the leadership skills needed to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Our hope is that the next generation carries forward a deep respect for their heritage, a commitment to serving their communities, and the confidence to lead with integrity, compassion, and vision. When Native youth are empowered to succeed, they strengthen not only their own Nations, but the future of Indian Country as a whole.”

The Tribe’s sponsorship reflects a long-standing belief that the future of Indian Country depends on its youth — culturally grounded, well-educated, and connected to one another across tribal nations. Supporting UNITY’s 50th Anniversary is one part of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s broader commitment to Native youth, including ongoing investment in education, health, and leadership development for tribal communities nationwide.

As UNITY celebrates this milestone, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation looks forward to standing alongside Native youth from across the country as they step into the next fifty years of leadership.

About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in southeastern Connecticut. As pioneers of the Indian casino gaming industry, the history of the Mashantucket Pequots reveals one of America’s greatest come-back stories, featured at the world-renowned Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.

Today, the Tribe owns and operates one of the largest gaming resorts in North America, Foxwoods Resort Casino, along with a variety of complementary business enterprises. These include Connecticut’s premier luxury golf experience, Lake of Isles, the luxury Spa at Norwich Inn, and an expanding suite of innovative businesses such as Wondr Nation and Command Holdings. The Tribe’s health and wellness company, Pequot Health Care, is an industry leader in tribal and commercial health plan management and pharmaceutical services. 

As one of the highest revenue contributors and largest employers in Connecticut, the Mashantucket Pequots have hosted millions of visitors and paid billions in slot revenue to the State. The Tribe has also contributed millions in donations and sponsorships to support worthy charities, community events and programs, and other tribes in need, locally and throughout the United States.

Dedicated to our future generations inheriting clean, beautiful land, a safe community, and a strong economy, we remain committed to promoting spirituality, strong family values, education, social stability, economic independence, and the well-being of our Tribal Members, employees, and guests in a healthy and supportive environment. Our ultimate goal is to protect and advance our sovereign rights to build and preserve a cultural, social, and economic foundation that can never be undermined or destroyed.

To learn more about the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, please visit us at mptn-nsn.gov.