Supported by Australian Walking Holidays and the World Expeditions Foundation, the 2026 Native Nations Indigenous Youth Exchange demonstrates the power of travel, culture and community-led partnerships to create lasting opportunities for Indigenous youth.
Twenty Indigenous young leaders from Aotearoa New Zealand and Central Australia will come together this August for the 2026 Native Nations Indigenous Youth Exchange, a life-changing cultural and leadership programme supported by Australian Walking Holidays and the World Expeditions Foundation. The initiative will create opportunities for Indigenous youth to strengthen cultural identity, build confidence and leadership skills, and connect with peers from other Indigenous nations while walking in the footsteps of their ancestors.
Now entering its fourth year, Native Nations has become one of the Southern Hemisphere’s leading Indigenous-led youth leadership initiatives. Since launching in 2023, the programme has connected Indigenous youth from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada and Vanuatu, providing many participants with their first passport, first flight and first international cultural exchange experience. The programme has also fostered Indigenous tourism partnerships, leadership pathways and regenerative tourism initiatives that continue to benefit communities long after each exchange concludes.
The 2026 exchange, themed Ngā Ara Tūpuna – The Ancestral Pathways, will bring together 10 Indigenous youth from Aotearoa and 10 Indigenous youth from Central Australia alongside Elders, educators and community leaders. The exchange will begin in Aotearoa from 1–11 August before continuing through Alice Springs, Uluru and Central Australia from 20–30 August.
A highlight of this year’s programme will see participants camp on Country before undertaking a 16-kilometre return walk to the summit of Ruwi (Mount Sonder), one of Central Australia’s most significant cultural landscapes. Guided by Aboriginal cultural knowledge holders, participants will walk through the darkness to reach the summit at sunrise while learning the stories, histories, cultural traditions and deep connection to Country that make this place so significant.
Native Nations Founder Nadine ToeToe said the programme continues to create transformational opportunities for Indigenous young people.
“Many of our rangatahi experience their first passport, first flight and first Indigenous international connection through Native Nations. What starts as a journey often becomes a turning point in their lives,” Ms ToeToe said.
“Every year we watch young people return home standing taller. They leave with stronger cultural identity, greater confidence, lifelong friendships and a deeper understanding that Indigenous peoples around the world share many of the same strengths, challenges and aspirations.”
Australian Walking Holidays General Manager Philip Wyndham said the programme demonstrated the power of travel to create meaningful social impact.
“Travel has the power to change lives, but some journeys leave a far deeper legacy. Native Nations gives Indigenous young people the opportunity to connect with culture, Country and one another in ways that build confidence, leadership and pride in who they are,” Mr Wyndham said.
“We are proud to support a programme that places Indigenous voices, leadership and lived experience at its centre while creating meaningful opportunities for young people to learn from one another. This is reconciliation in action.”
The World Expeditions Foundation, which supports community-led projects that deliver long-term social, environmental and cultural benefits, is partnering with Australian Walking Holidays to help ensure more Indigenous young people can access opportunities that expand horizons, strengthen cultural connection and create pathways for future leadership.
A key partner in this year’s exchange is Arrernte and Ngangiwumirri woman, Aunty Rayleen Brown, Chair of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Tourism Council (NTATC) and founder of Kungkas Can Cook. Aunty Rayleen is a cultural educator and long-time advocate for Indigenous enterprise, cultural preservation, and community-led development across Central Australia.
“When young people walk together, learn together and share their stories, they realise they are not alone. That is incredibly powerful,” Aunty Rayleen said.
“Bringing young people together through culture, leadership and shared experiences is one of the most important investments we can make.”
Beyond the exchange itself, Native Nations has become a catalyst for Indigenous tourism development, helping create Indigenous-led regenerative tourism trails and strengthening relationships between communities across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific.
This opportunity is being made possible through the support of valued partners such as Paddy Pallin, Northern Territory Tourism & Events, Voyages, as well as Charles Darwin University (CDU).
For more information visit www.worldexpeditionsfoundation.org
