FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The Grand Canyon Regional Intertribal Intergenerational Stewardship Expedition (RIISE) is accepting applications for its fifth annual nine-day Colorado River rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, which will take place July 19-27, 2026. The trip is offered at no cost to participants and is open to young people ages 16-20 who identify as members of one of the associated Native American tribes of the Grand Canyon.
Applicants should be comfortable camping outdoors along the Colorado River for nine days, hiking, and spending long periods of time outside. Interested young people must apply at grandcanyontrust.org/riise by Monday, March 23, 2026 at 5 p.m. MST.
2026 Trip Dates: Sunday, July 19-Monday, July 27, 2026
Deadline to Apply: Monday, March 23, 2026 at 5 p.m. MST
“Absolutely incredible adventure,” said participant Samira Old Elk (Diné, Crow) from Cameron, Arizona of her 2025 RIISE trip. “I had the pleasure to discover my roots, gain knowledge, and meet the most amazing, beautiful people. I loved my experience.” Old Elk had two words of advice for young people considering applying to RIISE. “Do it!” she said.
The trip aims to connect emerging Indigenous environmental advocates with their ancestral homelands and elder tribal relatives. Youth participants and adult cultural knowledge holders determine the cultural sites the group visits and the content of discussions and workshops, sharing traditional ecological knowledge, ethnographic knowledge of plants and foods, and regional astronomy, among other cultural teachings.
“I am honored to be a part of their spiritual growth,” said Bennett Wakayuta, a Hualapai tribal member who has served as a cultural knowledge holder on RIISE trips. “I watch youth embrace a spiritual side that they may have not known. I witness many of them begin to take this growth home and utilize these things in participation with other trips, protection in land, a more clear line of what they want to do in life, a connection with home.”
RIISE will select up to 18 young leaders and three adult knowledge holders to participate in this immersive cultural trip through the Grand Canyon. All transportation from Flagstaff, meals, rafting equipment, and necessary camping gear will be provided. RIISE requires all accepted applicants to participate in a six-week pre-trip online orientation to prepare for the expedition while also learning about environmental justice issues across the Grand Canyon region.
RIISE invites Native youth to reflect on the Grand Canyon’s past, as well as ways to shape its future while making meaningful connections with the canyon and with their intertribal, intergenerational cohort.
“I was nervous about coming on this trip,” recalled 2025 RIISE participant Brad Tsosie (Diné) from Flagstaff. “However, I really enjoyed how supportive everyone was… I think this trip is essential to helping restore the presence of our youth in Indigenous culture.”
“In this generation, we are all about fighting for what we believe in. We want to feel connected — to something meaningful, something that fills a void or gives us purpose,” reflected 2025 RIISE participant MorningRain Thornburg (Diné, Apache) from Laveen, Arizona. “The challenges we face as individuals, as a country, and as a planet can also bring us closer to each other. They can create space for connection, for awareness, for voices to be heard.”
For more than a century, Native peoples have been left out of land management decisions and economic opportunities at the Grand Canyon. RIISE aims to help change this by supporting the next generation of Native American conservation leaders.
“As a young Indigenous man, I believe one of the most important things we can do is protest and advocate for ourselves,” concluded 2025 RIISE participant Rory Becenti (Diné, Zuni) from Albuquerque, New Mexico. “But it’s not just about standing alone — we need to work together and raise our voices as sovereign nations. I want to see legislation that changes how policies are made about which corporations are allowed into our communities. We should have the power to protect our lands and people, without the government being able to override our decisions.”
RIISE 2026 will accept applications until Monday, March 23, 2026 for young people and adult cultural knowledge holders. More information and a link to the online application may be found at grandcanyontrust.org/riise. Accepted applicants commit to six weeks of pre-trip online learning as well as the full river trip July 19-27, 2026. For questions contact risingleaders@grandcanyontrust.org.
The RIISE intertribal, intergenerational river trip is hosted by the Grand Canyon Trust and Grand Canyon Youth and supported by Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Expeditions.
Photos for media use
A photo gallery for this story is viewable here
Images may be used royalty-free by members of the media for reporting on the RIISE river trip with proper credit to the photographer.
Request an interview
Contact: Danya Gorel, Rising Leaders Manager, (713) 530-7853
