After ten weeks of dedicated work, Pascua Yaqui Earth Ambassador Laylalanai Gocobachi concluded her internship with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals this August. Partnering with the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians and the University of California Cooperative Extension, she contributed to a climate change and natural resources needs assessment.
Her final presentation to the tribe was followed by a shared meal, a meaningful reminder that environmental work is also about relationships. “The endings I faced were bittersweet,” she reflected, knowing the project marked both a milestone and a beginning for the community she served.
Advising other Native youth advocates, she was transparent and shared, “I was severely challenged in August. However, I kept applying myself, had many late nights, doubts, and worked hard through many hours…. I then learned that all of that hard work had blessed me with opportunities that God had for me all along.” She reinforced that youth should “Have faith…. You are not alone, you have a community behind you, you are living your ancestors’ prayers, and every breath is a blessing.”
Laylalanai’s role as an Earth Ambassador continues beyond the internship. Her platform emphasizes educating Native youth about the importance of protecting land and water, and as part of the UNITY cohort, she inspires peers ages 14–24 to step into climate change discussions and community-led projects. Through her servant leadership, she shows that even complex topics like climate assessments can be grounded in culture, healing, and hope.
Through every experience—whether presenting a climate assessment, joining cultural gatherings, or uplifting food sovereignty—Laylalanai Gocobachi remains rooted in her Earth Ambassador platform: weaving cultural knowledge with environmental action. As part of the UNITY Earth Ambassador cohort, she stands alongside Native youth ages 14–24 who are sparking climate change discussions and community education across Indian Country. Together, they embody servant leadership, showing that healing the Earth and empowering the next generation go hand in hand.