Georgia Harjo (Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Choctaw Nation, Seminole Nation, Cheyenne Tribe) proves that servant leadership grounded in culture can create lasting change. As a UNITY 25 Under 25 honoree, Georgia has spent the past season uplifting her community through various cultural, educational, and service activities. From teaching traditional arts to guiding youth in academic competitions, her dedication exemplifies the values of leading by serving others. Georgia’s extensive involvement – whether she’s sharing a song from her ancestors or mentoring younger students – is a testament to her passion for preserving heritage and empowering the next generation unityinc.org.
Sharing Culture through Presentations and Dance
One of Georgia’s priorities is sharing her culture at community events. She has delivered interactive cultural presentations at gatherings like the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Estuce Fest, where she offered a traditional lullaby from the Trail of Tears in honor of her ancestorsunityinc.org. Georgia has also partnered with organizations such as the Central Oklahoma Cherokee Alliance to showcase songs, stories, and history, helping bridge generational knowledge within the community.
As an accomplished dancer, Georgia uses dance as education and outreach. She is a member of the Oklahoma City Public Schools’ ResoNative Youth Dance Troupe, performing in schools and community venues to educate others about Native dances and regalia. At the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic’s 50th Anniversary, for example, Georgia demonstrated her Southern Cloth dance alongside her troupe, explaining the meaning behind various regalia styles. Through these performances, she entertains and serves as a role model for Native youth, encouraging pride in their identities and traditions.
Georgia’s commitment to cultural sharing continued at the Red Earth FallFest Youth Powwow, an annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration in Oklahoma City, redearth.org. There, she participated as a dancer, proudly wearing her tribal regalia in the youth powwow and even joining the parade of tribal leaders and princesses. By standing in the arena and dancing among peers, Georgia helped inspire younger dancers and educated spectators about the vibrancy of Native heritage. Each of these engagements – from festivals and powwows to alliance meetings – reflects Georgia’s determination to keep her culture alive and accessible. “I always try to represent as well as I can all of our different peoples… we should be proud to be who we are,” Georgia said in a recent interview, emphasizing that her culture knows no boundaries and that Native pride is at the heart of her platform.
Empowering Youth in Education and Leadership
Georgia’s impact goes beyond cultural performances – she is equally devoted to empowering her fellow youth through education and leadership. As president of her high school’s Native American Club and a youth leader in her community, Georgia has spearheaded initiatives that encourage Native students to strive for excellence. She is active in the Indigenous Voices Youth Council (I.V.Y. Council), Oklahoma City’s Native youth council. In this role, she helped plan youth-led projects focused on cultural pride and wellness, even collaborating on a video project that gave Native youth a platform to share their stories. Through I.V.Y. Council activities, Georgia fosters a strong sense of identity and resilience among urban Native youth, underscoring mental health and community support through cultureunityinc.org.
Georgia’s fall highlighted her leadership in the Oklahoma Indian Challenge Bowl, a statewide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge of the 39 tribes of Oklahoma. Georgia served as captain of her school district’s high school team, mentoring younger teammates as they studied tribal history, languages, and current issues. Under her leadership, the team achieved tremendous success, clinching the championship title for the third year. Georgia’s guidance and example were invaluable to her peers; she not only drilled facts and quiz answers, but also instilled confidence and pride in their heritage. By celebrating knowledge of their cultures, she turned academic preparation into an exercise in cultural empowerment. Her involvement also extended off the buzzer – Georgia often took time to help middle school “feeder” teams, proving herself a mentor who wants all Native youth to excel. The Challenge Bowl experience encapsulates her approach: combining education with cultural pride and teamwork.
Beyond competitions, Georgia devoted time during Native American Heritage Month to support younger students in local schools. She visited several elementary and middle schools in November as a guest speaker and performer. Whether demonstrating a stomp dance, telling a traditional story, or sharing the meaning of her tribal attire, Georgia made sure Native students felt seen and non-Native students gained understanding. She also volunteered at community cultural events this month – from helping organize a school district heritage night to assisting elders at tribal gatherings. These visits and events highlighted Georgia’s belief in youth uplifting youth: she showed that when young people take the lead in teaching, it empowers everyone involved. She said, “no matter what we look like, where we live, or what anyone thinks, we should be proud as Native youth. Help each other, learn from each other, and do great things for each other.” gofundme.com. Georgia embodies this message when she stands before a class or community audience, using her voice to unite and educate.
Preserving Tradition and Promoting Wellness
Another key aspect of Georgia’s service is preserving traditional games and arts to promote wellness. A talented athlete in conventional sports, she frequently leads stickball demonstrations for youth. Stickball – a team game deeply rooted in Southeastern tribal cultures – is something Georgia introduces at school culture nights and youth camps, teaching the rules and values of the game. In doing so, she provides a fun, active outlet that connects young people with their ancestors’ way of life. (In fact, earlier in the school year, Georgia even taught stickball at her district’s back-to-school cultural night, showing how such activities can encourage physical fitness and community bonding.) Her philosophy is that staying active in traditional sports and dances helps Native youth maintain physical wellness while strengthening cultural identity.
In addition to sports, Georgia shares her creativity through cultural arts presentations. She has conducted workshops on traditional crafts like corn husk doll making and beadwork, often as part of youth programs or museum camps. As a guest teacher at the First Americans Museum youth camp last summer, she guided children in making corn husk dolls and explained the stories behind them. Continuing this spirit into the fall, Georgia gave similar arts demonstrations to various school groups and youth organizations. She also showcases her own artwork – from paintings to handcrafted jewelry – to inspire young people to express themselves artistically. (Georgia even started a small arts business in her mid-teens to promote Native art, proving that entrepreneurship can go hand-in-hand with cultural preservation, gofundme.com.) By teaching crafting skills and the cultural significance behind them, she helps youth gain pride in their heritage and find healing in creative expression.
All of these efforts tie into Georgia’s commitment to holistic wellness. She recognizes that true well-being for Native youth involves the mind, body, and spirit. Whether it’s a stickball game (physical health), a crafting session (mental and creative engagement), or a stomp dance and prayer (spiritual connection), Georgia ensures that young people have access to activities that nourish every part of themselves. Her approach reflects the Muscogee value of Fekkêscetv (to restore balance) – balancing modern life with traditional practices. By actively living her culture and inviting others to join, she shows that embracing tradition can be a powerful form of self-care and community care.
Bridging Tradition and Contemporary Art
Georgia’s leadership also extends into arts and advocacy, where she works to bring Native perspectives into contemporary spaces. This fall, she collaborated with the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center on a Native-focused exhibit, lending her voice as a youth cultural ambassador. In support of the exhibit, which highlighted the works of Indigenous artists, Georgia helped demonstrate that Native art is alive, evolving, and relevant. She attended the opening of Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds: HONOR SONG, a prominent contemporary art exhibition honoring Indigenous experiences, where she was noted as a special guest as a youth leader, facebook.com. Walking among the paintings and installations in her ribbon skirt and beaded jewelry, Georgia symbolized the connection between past and present: the living culture behind the artwork.
At the exhibition events, Georgia eagerly engaged with visitors, answering questions about her regalia and the cultural messages in the art. She’s passionate about showing that Native culture is not just in museums or history books – in galleries, on stages, and in the hands of young Native creators today. By working with institutions like the arts center, Georgia ensures that Native youth see themselves represented and that broader audiences hear Native stories told by Native people. This kind of partnership also allowed her to invite fellow youth to experience the exhibit, effectively widening the circle of cultural education. “Our culture knows no boundaries,” Georgia reminds otherskoco.com – meaning it belongs everywhere, from classrooms and powwow grounds to art studios and city museums. Through her advocacy in the arts, she is helping to pave new paths for Indigenous expression while staying rooted in tradition.
A Servant Leader for Indian Country’s Future
Georgia Harjo’s whirlwind of activities over these recent months all point to one thing: servant leadership in action. She doesn’t just participate in events – she serves purposefully, always looking to uplift others. Her community has taken notice. In addition to being named one of UNITY’s 25 Under 25 national honorees, Georgia was honored by her tribe with the Mvnettvlke Onaya award, recognizing her as a Youth Visionary for fostering advocacyunityinc.org. This honor from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is a testament to her positive impact by inspiring those around her to embrace their heritage and support one another. Georgia remains humble about the accolades, viewing them as motivation to work even harder for her people.
Despite juggling school, extracurriculars, and countless community events, Georgia finds fulfillment in service. “However busy we may be, or how tired we may get, it’s worth it all for the future of Indian Country,” she says, reflecting on her packed schedule and the youth she’s helped. This forward-looking mindset – doing today’s work for tomorrow’s generations – is at the heart of her leadership. Georgia’s dedication to social, mental, physical, and spiritual wellness among Native youth exemplifies what it means to be a leader in today’s world. By leading cultural dances, she keeps traditions alive. By mentoring in academic contests, she fuels young minds. By teaching arts and games, she heals and strengthens community bonds. And by stepping into new arenas like contemporary art and pageantry, she amplifies Indigenous voices in all spaces.
In every role she takes on, Georgia Harjo embodies UNITY’s mission of empowering Native youth. She has shown that one person, even a teenager, can make a lasting difference through passion and service. As Georgia continues her journey, now also as the reigning Miss Indian Oklahoma, she carries with her the lessons and values from her 25 Under 25 experience. Her story is an inspiration to Native youth across the country: a reminder that by honoring culture and helping others, young leaders can indeed change their world. Georgia’s servant leadership is lighting the way for future generations, and in her own words, “it’s worth it all” – because the future of Indian Country is brightened by each act of youth-led service.
Sources:
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UNITY News: Celebrating Georgia Harjo – A UNITY 25 Under 25 National Awardee Making a Lasting Impactunityinc.orgunityinc.org
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Georgia Harjo, GoFundMe Statementgofundme.comgofundme.com
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Red Earth Organization: FallFest Youth Powwow Celebrationredearth.org
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KOCO News Interview with Georgia Harjo, Miss Indian Oklahoma 2025koco.comkoco.com
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Oklahoma Council for Indian Education: Oklahoma Indian Challenge Bowl (Norman Public Schools Board Notes)citizenportal.ai
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Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center – HONOR SONG Exhibition (Social Media Post)facebook.com