What is the Y-Indian Princess program?
The Y-Indian program has a long history of providing elementary school age girls and their dads with opportunities for fun times, learning, and mutual understanding.

Y-Indian Princess programs are for dads who want quality, planned, one-on-one time with their daughters.  Membership in the Princess Program is open to every father with a daughter K to sixth grade.

Participation in activities by both father and daughter is a vital part of Y-Indian Princess. Father and daughter share in games, crafts, outings and campouts. The parent observes his child's relationship in the group, and sees the child's strengths and needs, affording a basis for helping the child to grow.  Likewise, the child observes the parent in action with other parents and kids. This provides the child with an important role model.

What the Program Does
Y-Indian Princess is action oriented.   Members develop their own tribal programs, elect their own officers, take turns hosting tribal meetings and conduct the business of the tribe.

Tribes get together for campouts and family outings, visit historical sites and fire stations, take hikes to parks, zoos, and farms, and plan family picnics. Participants learn about American Indian people - their culture, their customs, crafts and games, and seek to bring new understanding and appreciation of the Indians' heritage and contributions to our nation.

Craft projects include construction of tribal property such as drums, headbands, and vests.  Tribes may also have campfires and hold induction ceremonies that emphasize the importance of the father/daughter relationship.

In addition to the activities of the tribe, the Pueblo and Plains Nation members participate in various Nation events throughout the year. These Nation events include four seasonal campouts,  Rockhounds Night, Roller Skating, Christmas Parade, Jackalopes Night, Kite Flying, Family Events and participation in the similar outings jointly with Indian Guides (Father/Son).

Benefits
Through Y-Indian Princesses, the YMCA provides the following benefits to both parents and children:

• Foster companionship and understanding and set a foundation for positive, lifelong relationships between parent and child.
• Build a sense of self-esteem and personal worth.
• Expand awareness of body, mind, and spirit.
• Provide a framework to meet a mutual need of spending enjoyable, constructive, and quality time together.
• Enhance the quality of family time.
• Emphasize the vital role that parents play in the growth and development of their children.
• Offer an important and unique opportunity to develop and enjoy volunteer leadership skills.
• Provides opportunities to meet other families with children the same age.

Organization
The tribe is the basic organizational unit for Y-Indian Princess program.  Father and daughter attendance together is required for participation in activities.  Tribes contain anywhere from eight to twelve families. Tribal meetings are usually held once a month in different members' homes, at the YMCA or other special settings, such as a fire-station.  One dad is selected as chief, and the various tribal offices are delegated to other fathers and daughters.

Groups of tribes form a Nation.  Indian Princesses includes two Nations: Pueblo and Plains. Indian Guides (Father/Son) has one nation in the area: Midland Nation. 

The Longhouse is the inter-tribal council organization that supports the program planning of the tribes. Each nation coordinates Nation events and establishes policies and standards.  Council members are elected from tribal volunteers each year.