This summer, Earth Ambassador Jada Allen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina demonstrated what it means to blend cultural pride, civic engagement, and environmental advocacy into a season of meaningful action. On June 20th, she presented two workshops at the North Carolina Native Youth Organization’s annual conference, reaching around 70 Native youth with her platform on climate resilience. “Talking with the youth about my platform was invigorating. I was inspired by their interest and insights into the topic, as well as their personal commitment to taking this work into their everyday lives,” Jada reflected.
Her sessions at NCNAYO sparked important conversations about the climate crisis’s impact on Tribal communities in North Carolina. Participants explored ways to imagine their communities as more climate resilient, with discussions that proved more engaging and fruitful than Jada anticipated. This experience reaffirmed her belief in the power of youth dialogue to drive environmental change.
At the UNITY Conference later that month, Jada connected with other Southeastern Native youth during the regional caucus. She promoted the upcoming Florida Earth Ambassador training and co-presented with fellow ambassador Laylalanai Gocobachi on shared challenges and values surrounding water rights. Their workshop engaged about 45 youth, fostering collaborative thinking about one of the most pressing environmental justice issues facing Indigenous communities.
July was filled with deep community engagement. Jada participated in Lumbee Homecoming, reconnecting with her cultural roots and celebrating with friends and family. She also rejoined Robeson County’s Teen CERT program, where she will serve as a consultant to support the development of public-facing materials and volunteer at their summer camp in August.
Her cultural involvement continued as she attended her tribe’s annual outdoor play honoring Henry Berry Lowery, a local hero of resistance and survival. The event, held on the Lumbee Cultural Center grounds, reminded her of the resilience and leadership woven into her community’s history—values she carries into her environmental advocacy.
Expanding her service beyond state lines, Jada concluded her internship with the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board in Oklahoma City. She presented research on broadband access as a potential barrier to telehealth treatment for opioid use disorder in Tribal Nations. While in Oklahoma, she toured the Osage Nation’s new health facility and drug rehabilitation campus and reconnected with fellow ambassador Codie Horse-Topetchy at a nearby conference. Her work caught the attention of The Oklahoman, which plans to feature her research in an upcoming article.
Capping off the month, Jada applied for the Center for Native American Youth’s Democracy is Indigenous grant to host a political education and evacuation-preparedness workshop for Native youth. Throughout these efforts, her dedication to environmental preparedness for Tribal communities—especially in the face of natural disasters—remained clear. As she explained, “Featuring our discussion around the climate crisis’s impact on Tribal communities in North Carolina, and imagining our communities as more climate resilient, proved to be more fruitful than I could have imagined.”
The UNITY Earth Ambassador program empowers Native youth leaders from across the country to develop and lead environmental service projects rooted in both traditional ecological knowledge and modern sustainability practices. The 2025–2026 cohort, of which Jada is a part, represents diverse Tribal Nations and regions, each working on unique initiatives ranging from water rights advocacy to food sovereignty and clean energy education. Together, they are building a collective movement of young Indigenous environmental leaders who are protecting the planet while strengthening their cultural connections for future generations.