The YMCA's parent-child youth programs share an emphasis on Native American heritage as a teaching tool.   Groups are organized into "tribes", and groups of tribes are organized into "nations".  Girls in the Y-Maiden program wear tee-shirts, often decorated with beads, for informal events and long decorative dresses for more formal events.  Beads are given out for achievements, which are collected and worn on a necklace, and Native American stories and lore are used to teach values: respect for others, respect for nature, cooperation, dignity, enjoyment of life, appreciation of what one has, and helping others in need. 

The American Indian was able to convey, through the use of symbols, much of the deeper meaning of life and the world around them.  Y-Maiden tribes use this as a tool to help the girls develop a sense of respect  and understanding, not only for the Native American culture, but for each other as well.