Northwest Region

NORTHWEST REGION

Jonathan Arakawa, Secretary/Northwest Regional Representative

National UNITY Council Executive Committee

northwest@unityinc.org

ʔə́y̕ skʷáči
Greetings!

Welcome to the UNITY Northwest Region. Here, you will find information about activities, projects, and events happening in our region. You will also be able to connect with your Northwest Regional Representative, Jonathan Arakawa, who is here to assist you.

Who does the UNITY Northwest Region Represent?
The UNITY Northwest Region represents Native youth who reside in the States of Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho.

Who is my Northwest Regional Representative and how do I contact them?
Jonathan J. Arakawa, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe of Washington
Email: northwest@unityinc.org; jonathan_arakawa@outlook.com | Cell: 360.565.6957

What does my Northwest Regional Representative do?
The Northwest Regional Representative represents Native youth who reside in the States of Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho on the National UNITY Council Executive Committee as their liaison and representative to the UNITY Staff and Council of Trustees, elected by the Northwest Regional Caucus as defined by the UNITY Network. 

The Northwest Regional Representative serves alongside two Co-Presidents and ten Regional Representatives, advocating for your issues, being your voice on the national level, and celebrating your accomplishments.

Biography of Northwest Regional Representative Jonathan Arakawa

Jonathan Arakawa is an enrolled member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Mr. Arakawa is the Secretary and Northwest Regional Representative to the National UNITY Council Executive Committee. Outside of UNITY, Mr. Arakawa also serves as Co-Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission (NCAI-YC) while being a student at The Evergreen State College and Peninsula College, studying for both his Bachelor of Arts in Tribal Governance and Master’s in Teaching. He is also a Klallam Language Teacher and serves as Minister of the Lower Elwha 1910 Indian Shaker Church. Since birth, Mr. Arakawa’s family has instilled leadership qualities, cultural values, and traditional teachings into Mr. Arakawa. 

These qualities, values, and teachings lead him in pursuit of his work and advocacy for Indian Country. One of Mr. Arakawa’s tireless advocacy efforts and strong platforms in his UNITY and NCAI services is for Native American History to be taught from the Native Perspective in Washington State public schools, and public schools throughout the United States, while assuring an equitable and inclusive educational system for Native American students. 

These advocacy efforts have led him to work in the Port Angeles School District (PASD) as a Native American Specialist for the PASD AmeriCorps Program—a national service position—for two years working alongside strong Native American educators.

Mr. Arakawa looks forward to working with our local, regional, state, and federal counterparts to address issues that affect Native youth and Indian Country while bringing all Tribal Nations together to further amplify the strength of our ancestors that run through Indian Country’s veins and unleash our multi-generational strength, wisdom, and resiliency to be that generation of leaders our ancestors prayed for. He believes everyone has a place, every single person is a leader, and when we come together as a Native America, our collective strength is incalculable.