October was a month of hands-on leadership and relationship-building for Victor Organista (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), Executive Committee Member for the Southern Plains. Across community spaces—from skateparks to powwow grounds—Victor focused on empowering Native youth with skills, confidence, and opportunities to lead.
The month kicked off with a public skateboarding event at the PBPN Skatepark, hosted by Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Wellness Connection Services. Victor worked directly with youth, teaching them how to skate and helping coordinate friendly contests where everyone had a chance to win prizes. The event created a welcoming, active space for kids of all ages to try something new and build confidence.
Victor was also invited as a guest speaker at a Youth Council meeting with the Firekeepers Youth Council at the PBPN Boys and Girls Club. During the meeting, he spoke about media, storytelling, and communications, offering to help create a future media workshop for youth interested in building new skills. Since then, Victor has begun identifying speakers from across the media field to support that vision.
Mid-month, Victor traveled to Oklahoma City to serve as a trainer at a UNITY Healing Circle, hosted at the First Americans Museum. In this role, he helped youth learn how to host healing circles in their own communities, focusing on connection, encouragement, and peer leadership. Seeing youth actively engage, support one another, and practice facilitation left Victor feeling hopeful about the next generation of leaders.
At the Red Earth Powwow in Oklahoma City, Victor supported UNITY by helping set up and staff the UNITY table, sharing information with attendees and filming short videos to help capture and amplify UNITY’s presence. He also attended a Local Planning Host Committee meeting, where he introduced himself and connected with other committee and subcommittee members to strengthen coordination and collaboration.
The month wrapped up with the PBPN Trunk or Treat at Prairie People’s Park, hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Victor helped coordinate the youth trunk so young people could both enjoy the event and actively participate by giving out candy—turning a fun community celebration into another leadership opportunity.
Reflecting on October, Victor shared that the Healing Circle experience stood out most—watching youth use their skills to connect, encourage, and teach one another reaffirmed his belief in Native youth leadership. His work throughout the month shows how leadership can take many forms: teaching, listening, organizing, and simply showing up for community.