3 Takeaways:

• The two-day conference was held for United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) Earth Ambassadors who live in Arizona, Nevada and Utah. 
• Jizelle Juan, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier, Miss Indian Arizona Sialik King and others provided remarks.
• The gathering was held to allow UNITY members to continue networking and collaborating on plans and projects with fellow environmentally conscious youth from across Indian Country.

Indigenous youth will undoubtedly be the ones who will help lead us into the future. 

United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) held its Earth Ambassador Western Regional Gathering Nov. 14-16 at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. 

Western Regional Earth Ambassadors Jizelle Juan (SRPMIC), Laylalanai Gocobachi (Pascua Yaqui) and Vydell Willie (Navajo) attended the gathering and highlighted many of the breakout sessions. UNITY Earth Ambassadors range in age from 14 to 24. 

As ambassadors, they are viewed as leaders in climate advocacy, peer education, environmentally safe project planning and implementation, and much more.

Community Connection: SRPMIC

Juan served as emcee for the Community Connection portion of the gathering on day one, which was held inside the SRPMIC Council Chambers. Special guest speakers included SRPMIC President Martin Harvier, Miss Indian Arizona Sialik King, SRPMIC senior Patricia King and Discover Salt River Tourism Manager Maleena Deer. After each guest spoke, they were given a gift on behalf of the ambassadors and UNITY. 

“It’s a true honor to welcome each of you to my homelands,” began Juan. “This session celebrates the unity between our people [and how] the land, leadership, cultural teachings and environmental stewardship work together to create a resilient and sustainable future.”

During his presentation, Harvier detailed his personal history, which included his tenures as SRPMIC vice-president and president, as well as his younger days. “I never felt I’d be in a position like this. Growing up, I was pretty shy; I didn’t say much,” said Harvier. “But things happened in my life which forced me to speak up. As we all come together, don’t ever feel that what you have to say isn’t important. It is.”

Sialik King’s focal point during her presentation was about how UNITY helped shape her into the leader she is today. “My first UNITY [conference] was in Oklahoma [in 2016]; that’s the first time I was exposed to what’s happening outside of our state,” she began. “[That conference] shaped me as a person,” she admitted. King said the Oklahoma UNITY conference showed her a different world and perspective of life outside the Community. 

She continued, “We are the original stewards of this land before anybody else was here. We know how to take care of the land best. Even today, our canal systems are being used by cities and other populations of people living in Arizona. The idea of land ownership was never thought of. You never thought you could own a mountain, or an acre of land. Instead, the thought was, you care for the land.”

Patricia King followed Sialik King’s presentation. “It’s kind of hard for me to speak in front of you. I see a lot of young people. It makes me feel very honored to be in front of you. I know other times, a lot of people say that about elders, but I say that about you all,” she began. 

When King was informed of the age range of the UNITY members, she laughed and jokingly admitted, “I don’t even remember being 14 years old.”

Her presentation explained how the people existed before running water, electricity and the internet. “Growing up, we had dirt floors,” she said. “When I think about those things, I think about how far we’ve come and where you’re at now. Think about your grandparents and how they lived. Now we don’t have dirt floors anymore; we have inside plumbing too. It makes me feel good to see you all here because you’re all working so hard wherever you go.”

She added, “Culture and environment are the same thing to me. Culture is our language, stories, families, plants and the sky. All of that is what we call our Himdag. I pray for you all that you may experience good things in your life.”

Deer was the final guest speaker. She detailed how the Community and its enterprises work in tandem to improve the Community and the environment. “In order to protect our sovereignty, the Community, back in the 1980s, decided we needed a source of revenue to support the environment and programs here and to do it responsibly while honoring our Onk Akimel O’odham and Xalychidom Piipaash cultures. When you go out into the [enterprise] area, look at the buildings. The buildings are unique because those designs are specific O’odham and Piipaash designs.”

Following the presentations, the UNITY ambassadors traveled to the Cottonwood Wetlands for a tour. 

The night came to an end at Friendship Park with a traditional dinner catered by Ernie’s Catering, as well as traditional games and social round dancing sponsored by the SRPMIC Young River People’s Council.