The scent of smoke hung heavy in Minnesota this August, a reminder of how climate change impacts every corner of our lives—even in the cornfields, where young leaders bent to pull weeds. For Shinnecock and Onondaga Earth Ambassador Néepa Hyde, the month was her busiest yet, filled with hands-on lessons in food sovereignty, cultural teachings, and leadership moments that showed her age is no barrier to impact.
She began the month at Dream of Wild Health’s Garden Warriors program, where she scraped her first buffalo hide—discovering how intricate and demanding the process is. Soon after, she traveled to Cloquet, Minnesota, to visit Gitigaanig, a farm run by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
There, she learned how the farm sustains its community by supplying food to an Ojibwe language immersion school, while also preserving traditional seeds, such as Black Turtle beans and Bear Island Corn. Conversations about wildfire smoke and its detrimental effects on crops and human health underscored the urgent connection between farming and climate resilience.
Later, Néepa helped facilitate UNITY’s first Earth Ambassador Gathering in Traverse City, Michigan. It was her first time presenting her platform on such a scale, and although she was the youngest in the room—even younger than many of the youth attendees—she stepped into her role with confidence.
Surrounded by peers she admires, like fellow ambassadors Marla and McKaylin, and uplifted by elders who shared songs and teachings, she left inspired and proud. One highlight came when she joined in singing a water song alongside respected leaders, connecting her voice to the flow of teachings passed down through generations.
Her journey closed with a return home to the Shinnecock Reservation, where powwow celebrations reunited her with family. There, she found joy in clamming, gathering food from the bay, and cooking dinner together—before returning the unused clams to the water so they could continue their path. For Néepa, the meal tasted all the sweeter knowing she had gathered it with her own hands.
As part of the UNITY Earth Ambassador cohort, Néepa is building her platform around food sovereignty and climate education, showing youth that leadership can begin at any age.
By sharing her experiences, she hopes to encourage Native youth ages 14–24 to engage in climate discussions, learn from their communities, and take action through education or events. “I hope that through my experiences, I can continue to learn from others and build community. I also inspire others to do the same, ask questions, find similarities, and talk to people. You will never truly know if you don’t ask,” she reflected.
Her servant leadership embodies the Earth Ambassador vision: grounding climate action in culture, uplifting peers, and demonstrating that even the youngest voices can carry powerful songs of change.
