| Year | Location | President | Executive Director |
| 1944 | Denver, CO | N.B. Johnson, Cherokee | Ruth Muskrat Bronson, Cherokee |
| 1945 | Browning, MT | N.B. Johnson | Ruth Muskrat Bronson |
| 1946 | Oklahoma City, OK | N.B. Johnson | Ruth Muskrat Bronson |
| 1947 | Santa Fe, NM | N.B. Johnson | Ruth Muskrat Bronson |
| 1948 | Denver, CO | N.B. Johnson | Ruth Muskrat Bronson |
| 1949 | Rapid City, SD | N.B. Johnson |
Louis R. Bruce, Mohawk/Sioux Edward Rogers, Chippewa |
| 1950 | Bellingham, WA | N.B. Johnson | John C. Rainer, Taos Pueblo |
| 1951 | St. Paul, MN | N.B. Johnson | Ruth Muskrat Bronson, Cherokee |
| 1952 | Denver, CO | N.B. Johnson | Frank George, Colville |
| 1953 | Phoenix, AZ | Joseph R. Garry, Coeur D’Alene | Helen Peterson, Oglala Sioux |
| 1954 | Omaha, NE | Joseph R. Garry | Helen Peterson |
| 1955 | Spokane, WA | Joseph R. Garry | Helen Peterson |
| 1956 | Salt Lake City, UT | Joseph R. Garry | Helen Peterson |
| 1957 | Claremore, OK | Joseph R. Garry | Helen Peterson |
| 1958 | Missoula, MT | Joseph R. Garry | Helen Peterson |
| 1959 | Phoenix, AZ | Joseph R. Garry | Helen Peterson |
| 1960 | Denver, CO | Walter Wetzel, Blackfeet | Robert Burnett, Rosebud Sioux |
| 1961 | Lewiston, ID | Walter Wetzel | Robert Burnett |
| 1962 | Cherokee, NC | Walter Wetzel | Robert Burnett |
| 1963 | Bismarck, ND | Walter Wetzel | Robert Burnett |
| 1964 | Sheridan, WY | Walter Wetzel | Vine Deloria, Jr., Standing Rock Sioux |
| 1965 | Scottsdale, AZ | Clarence Wesley, San Carlos Apache | Vine Deloria, Jr. |
| 1966 | Oklahoma City, OK | Clarence Wesley | Vine Deloria, Jr. |
| 1967 | Portland, OR | Wendell Chino, Mescalero Apache | Vine Deloria, Jr. |
| 1968 | Omaha, NE | Wendell Chino | John Belindo, Navajo/Kiowa |
| 1969 | Albuquerque, NM | Earl Old Person, Blackfeet | Bruce Wilkie, Makah |
| 1970 | Anchorage, AK | Earl Old Person | Franklin Ducheneaux, Cheyenne River Sioux |
| 1971 | Reno, NV | Leon F. Cook, Red Lake Chippewa | Leo W. Vocu, Oglala Sioux |
| 1972 | Sarasota, FL | Leon F. Cook | Charles Trimble, Oglala Sioux |
| 1973 | Tulsa, OK | Mel Tonasket, Colville | Charles Trimble |
| 1974 | San Diego, CA | Mel Tonasket | Charles Trimble |
| 1975 | Portland, OR | Mel Tonasket | Charles Trimble |
| 1976 | Salt Lake City, UT | Mel Tonasket | Charles Trimble |
| 1977 | Dallas, TX | Veronica L. Murdock, Mohave | Charles Trimble |
| 1978 | Rapid City, SD | Veronica L. Murdock | Andrew E. Ebona, Tlingit |
| 1979 | Albuquerque, NM | Edward Driving Hawk, Sioux | Ronald Andrade, Luiseno-Dieguneo |
| 1980 | Spokane, WA | Edward Driving Hawk | Ronald Andrade |
| 1981 | Anchorage, AK | Joseph DeLaCruz, Quinault | Ronald Andrade |
| 1982 | Bismarck, ND | Joseph DeLaCruz | Ronald Andrade |
| 1983 | Green Bay, WI | Joseph DeLaCruz | Silas Whitman, Nez Perce |
| 1984 | Spokane, WA | Joseph DeLaCruz | Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne/Muscogee |
| 1985 | Tulsa, OK | Reuben A. Snake, Jr., Winnebago | Suzan Shown Harjo |
| 1986 | Phoenix, AZ | Reuben A. Snake, Jr. | Suzan Shown Harjo |
| 1987 | Tampa, FL | Reuben A. Snake, Jr. | Suzan Shown Harjo |
| 1988 | Sioux City, SD | John Gonzales, San Ildefonso Pueblo | Suzan Shown Harjo |
| 1989 | Oklahoma City, OK | John Gonzales | Suzan Shown Harjo |
| 1990 | Albuquerque, NM | Wayne L. Ducheneaux, Cheyenne River Sioux | A. Gay Kingman, Cheyenne River Sioux |
| 1991 | San Francisco, CA | Wayne L. Ducheneaux | A. Gay Kingman |
| 1992 | Arlington, VA | gaiashkibos, Lac Courte Oreilles | Michael J. Anderson, Creek/Choctaw |
| 1993 | Reno, NV | gaiashkibos | Rachel A. Joseph, Shoshone/Paiute/Mono |
| 1994 | Denver, CO | gaiashkibos | JoAnn K. Chase, Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara |
| 1995 | San Diego, CA | gaiashkibos | JoAnn K. Chase |
| 1996 | Phoenix, AZ | W. Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam | JoAnn K. Chase |
| 1997 | Santa Fe, NM | W. Ron Allen | JoAnn K. Chase |
| 1998 | Myrtle Beach, SC | W. Ron Allen | JoAnn K. Chase |
| 1999 | Palm Springs, CA | W. Ron Allen | JoAnn K. Chase |
| 2000 | St. Paul, MN | Susan Masten, Yurok | JoAnn K. Chase |
| 2001 | Spokane, WA | Susan Masten | Jacqueline Johnson, Tlingit |
| 2002 | San Diego, CA | Tex Hall, Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara | Jacqueline Johnson |
| 2003 | Albuquerque, NM | Tex Hall | Jacqueline Johnson |
| 2004 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Tex Hall | Jacqueline Johnson |
| 2005 | Tulsa, OK | Tex Hall | Jacqueline Johnson |
| 2006 | Sacramento, CA | Joe A. Garcia, Ohkay Owingeh | Jacqueline Johnson |
| 2007 | Denver, CO | Joe A. Garcia | Jacqueline Johnson |
| 2008 | Phoenix, AZ | Joe A. Garcia | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2009 | Palm Springs, CA | Joe A. Garcia | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2010 | Albuquerque, NM | Jefferson Keel, Chickasaw | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2011 | Portland, OR | Jefferson Keel | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2012 | Sacramento, CA | Jefferson Keel | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2013 | Tulsa, OK | Jefferson Keel | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2014 | Atlanta, Georgia | Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2015 | San Diego, CA | Brian Cladoosby | Jacqueline Johnson Pata |
| 2016 | Phoenix, AZ | Brian Cladoosby | Jacqueline Pata |
| 2017 | Milwaukee, WI | Brian Cladoosby | Jacqueline Pata |
| 2018 | Denver, CO | Jefferson Keel | Jacqueline Pata |
| 2019 | Albuquerque, NM | Jefferson Keel | Kevin Allis |