Youth Councils in Action
Moderating a panel on mental health and substance abuse at the White House Tribal Youth Forum gave Jalen Harvey an opportunity to bring youth leadership into a national conversation. Her November 2023 report connected that experience with extensive community service and outreach across Arizona.
Harvey, who identifies as Navajo, Acoma Pueblo, and Hopi, served as Western Representative in UNITY’s 2023–2024 National UNITY Council Executive Committee cohort. The cohort represents Native youth perspectives, connects regional councils and individual members, and develops leadership through cooperation and service.
At the November 6 forum in Washington, D.C., she moderated a discussion with Shayla Tilsen and Jazmine Wildcat. Panels also addressed climate resilience, boarding schools, and cultural exchange. “To be in a room with over 100 youth from around the nation was truly empowering!” she wrote.
The trip included a Native youth reception, round dance, and Culture Jam at the National Museum of the American Indian, a Capitol tour with other UNITY leaders, and an ABC15 interview alongside Pacific Representative Sineca Jackson.
Back in Arizona, Harvey participated in the San Carlos Apache Tribe Youth Council’s Veterans Day Parade and Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation’s Orme Dam Victory Days Parade. She also helped judge the Fort McDowell youth council’s teen switch-dance special, supporting activities organized within those communities.
With Native SOAR, she visited the Pascua Yaqui Health Care Center to discuss mentoring and UNITY. She met with Mesa Strength Youth Council and supported Southeast and Great Plains regional meetups, continuing outreach through both local visits and virtual connections.
Her campus work also created a platform for youth voice. In an interview about the University of Arizona’s O’odham Ki Living Learning Community, she discussed her college transition, the community’s support, and her leadership roles.
The month ended with recognition as the 2023 Arizona American Indian Excellence in Leadership Awards Female College Student of the Year. Reflecting on the honor, she credited the people who had supported her: “I honestly couldn’t have done it without my support that I have,” she wrote.
Her report shows a leadership practice grounded in relationships. National facilitation, mentoring outreach, cultural participation, and recognition each connect with UNITY’s broader commitment to youth voice, community well-being, and holistic development.
