Naga American Foundation holds biennial conference in New Jersey

The Naga American Foundation (NAF) held its biennial conference in Edison, New Jersey, USA, on July 7 and 8. 

This year’s theme, “Embracing Our Roots and Cultivating New Possibilities,” explored questions of what it means to adapt to American culture while embracing cultural roots and growing as a community in the United States.

Over 90 individuals attended this gathering of Nagas in the United States, which is held once every two years.

Rev. Dr Louis Ao, head pastor of Stelton Baptist Church in Edison, and his wife, Aienla, and their family hosted this year’s conference, providing meals, event facilities, and program coordination. Fr. Abraham Lotha, pastor of Transfiguration of the Lord Parish, in Highland Park, New Jersey and president of the Lotha Academy in Nagaland, was the featured speaker. 

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The conference also included a panel discussion moderated by NaroPongen, associate pastor of Old Cambridge Baptist Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the topic of Naga identity and cultural adaption and preservation. Panellists were Fr. Abraham, Christine Kumar (optometrist at DotHouse Community Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts), and WatiLongchar (manager at Deloitte& Touche in New York, New York). 

During the general meeting section of the conference, NAF President Dr SanyoKonyak, of Rockford, Illinois, announced the appointment of Dr KilangYanger, of Boston, as the organization’s new secretary. She will be taking over the role from Justin Aier, who was named secretary in 2016. The conference came to a close with a cultural show featuring traditional and contemporary musical performances and a video presentation on Naga cultural heritage presented by Dr Sanyo.M. Meren, former pastor of Ungma Baptist Church in Nagaland, who is currently visiting family in the US, closed the conference with a benediction.

Dr Sanyo thanked the hosts for working tirelessly to make the conference possible and also acknowledged event attendees for travelling from all across the Northeastern United States, the Midwest, and from states as far as Texas and California. “Nagas have great potential to build a strong community and positively empower each other,” he said. 

“Together, we must continue to take concrete steps to act out the NAF mission statement of advancing and bringing together Nagas in America.”

The NAF is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political, cultural, and educational organization that promotes and recognizes Naga culture and heritage in America.
 
Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1991, the NAF organizes social activities and facilitates educational and cultural opportunities for Nagas and Naga Americans living in the United States, including the awarding of two annual scholarships: the InaviSaghu Undergraduate Scholarship and the AryoShishak Graduate Scholarship.