The early morning air was still and sacred in southern Colorado as the sun began to rise over the ancestral lands of the Kiowa and Southern Cheyenne people. For Earth Ambassador Codie Horse-Topetchy, camping out with relatives before a buffalo hunt was not just a return to tradition—it was a step into leadership grounded in ceremony, gratitude, and the teachings of the old ones. From necropsy training in New Mexico to harvesting with relatives in Colorado, Codie’s August was guided by the buffalo, an animal whose presence continues to feed, teach, and sustain Native nations.
Her month began at the Pojoaque Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico, where she joined the Intertribal Buffalo Council for a necropsy training as part of her buffalo apprenticeship. There, she gained hands-on knowledge of how to examine the body of a buffalo to determine health, cause of death, and signs of disease. The training, combined with a field harvest led by community members, provided Codie with the tools to better understand the responsibilities associated with caring for buffalo herds and ensuring their well-being.
Upon returning home, Codie was invited to join a buffalo harvest with Southern Cheyenne relatives on traditional homelands. The group camped out overnight, beginning their day with a ceremony before riding out to find the herds. When the harvest was complete, every part of the animal was honored and shared, reminding all present of the reciprocal relationship between people and buffalo. Codie reflected, “It was an amazing experience getting to hunt in the traditional camping and hunting grounds of my ancestors, and maintain the connection to our Cheyenne relatives. I am forever thankful to our buffalo relatives and what they provide for us, and for the ways the old ones left for us.”
Codie’s ongoing platform as an Earth Ambassador is centered on cultural food sovereignty and the vital role buffalo play in Indigenous survival and resilience. Through workshops, harvests, and teachings, she hopes to inspire Native youth to learn from and protect buffalo relatives, not only as a food source but as spiritual teachers. As part of the UNITY Earth Ambassador cohort, Codie is working alongside other Native leaders ages 14–24 to bring climate change discussions and environmental education into their communities. Her work demonstrates how servant leadership can empower others to reconnect with tradition while taking action for a sustainable future.
The UNITY Earth Ambassador program amplifies the voices of youth like Codie, who are carrying forward ancestral responsibilities in ways that speak to today’s environmental challenges. By engaging their peers, these ambassadors are sparking movements of awareness and action—reminding us that the path forward is strongest when walked alongside the teachings of the past.
