The humid Florida air buzzed with the sounds of drums and voices as Native youth gathered among the swamps of Fort Lauderdale. For Southeast Executive Committee Member Ethan Hedgepeth (Cherokee & Tuscarora), stepping into the UNITY Earth Ambassador Gathering was more than an opportunity to meet other leaders—it was a chance to witness the sacred balance of an ecosystem and the lessons it carries for Native youth. “I’ve learned that everything in the swamp is so interconnected that if one animal and/or plant goes away that it can change the entire environment,” Ethan reflected. “This was important and profound to me because it showed that something little can have a big effect on everyone.”
That lesson of interconnectedness carried into the rest of Ethan’s month. At East Carolina University, he joined an intramural flag football team, building teamwork and camaraderie with peers, and he began learning how to dye porcupine quills at his parents’ home—a step toward making his own quillwork and preserving cultural practices. Each experience, whether on the field, at a gathering, or at home with family, reflected his commitment to strengthening connections between culture, health, and leadership.
One of the highlights of his month was traveling to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the UNITY Earth Ambassador Gathering, hosted in partnership with the Miccosukee Tribe. Surrounded by Native youth from across the country, Ethan learned about the deep connections between the natural world and Native values of stewardship. “That everything in the swamp is so interconnected that if one animal and/or plant goes away that it can change the entire environment. This is important to me because it showed that something little can have a big effect on everyone,” Ethan shared. These lessons tie directly to UNITY’s Top Ten Issues Facing Native Youth, especially environmental protection, climate resilience, and cultural sustainability.
Back home at East Carolina University, Ethan joined an intramural flag football team, strengthening relationships with classmates while practicing healthy living and teamwork. Athletics provided another space to connect, reminding him that leadership is also built in the everyday moments of collaboration and play. In addition, Ethan began learning how to dye porcupine quills at his parents’ home—a step toward creating his own quillwork. This ongoing cultural practice is an example of UNITY’s vision of cultural preservation, showing how Native youth are carrying forward traditional arts while adapting them to their own unique journeys.
Taken together, these experiences demonstrate the many ways Ethan embodies UNITY’s mission. Whether studying environmental interconnectedness in Florida, representing his culture through quillwork, or building community on his college campus, Ethan is living out the values of service, wellness, and cultural pride.
As part of the National UNITY Council, Ethan brings these lessons back to the Southeast Region, amplifying them on a national stage. With over 300 youth councils across the country, UNITY thrives because representatives like Ethan share their regional experiences, connecting local initiatives to national strategies for collective impact.
Ethan’s story is a reminder to other Native youth: every action—whether small or large—makes a difference. Just as the swamp ecosystem depends on each plant and animal, UNITY’s movement for change depends on each youth stepping forward. By reaching out to their regional representatives, youth across the Southeast can join Ethan in protecting culture, uplifting wellness, and creating change in their communities.