For Jamie Crowe (Pueblo of Tesuque), Southwest Representative on the National UNITY Council Executive Committee, July was a month of growth, purpose, and commitment to the environment. The month began in San Diego, California, at the National UNITY Conference, where over 3,000 Native youth gathered to learn, share, and lead.
Jamie returned home with a renewed sense of purpose, sharing, “After attending the National UNITY Conference, I was able to return home with newfound inspiration and motivation! The conference was an amazing experience that I will cherish forever! I met so many new people and created connections I know will last a lifetime.”
Later in the month, Jamie traveled to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to participate in the Indigenous Kinship Circle for Climate Futures internship symposium, a collaborative effort between the University of New Mexico and the University of Oklahoma. This summer-long internship concluded with the presentation of her community-based project — a vulnerability assessment for her Pueblo. By engaging both elders and youth through intergenerational workshops, Jamie and her project partner worked to identify climate and environmental concerns from within the community itself.
“Being able to engage in work that is extremely vital and important for our communities is something I cherish so deeply. I am glad I can contribute to the change I want to see for our future generations. Mother Earth deserves a future, too. Nothing can ever take away the work my project partner and I have done!”
The project, which will continue next summer, reflects the heart of UNITY’s mission — empowering Native youth to lead solutions for challenges impacting Indian Country. Jamie’s work also highlights the NUC’s vision of preparing young leaders to address critical issues, like climate change, that disproportionately affect Native communities. “Climate change is important to address, especially for Native communities, because they are impacted significantly,” Jamie emphasized.
From forging lifelong connections at the National UNITY Conference to advancing environmental resilience in her Pueblo, Jamie’s July demonstrates how Native youth leaders are creating ripples of change — grounded in heritage, driven by purpose, and guided by a vision for a thriving future for all generations.
