UNITY Youth Highlight
Watson Whitford’s February experiences connected regional youth leadership with cultural health and care for seeds. Between UNITY’s Midyear Conference in Phoenix and his continuing work in Montana, he described relationships and activities that brought community well-being into the center of his service.
Whitford, who identifies as Chippewa Cree and Navajo, served as Rocky Mountain Representative in UNITY’s 2023–2024 National UNITY Council Executive Committee cohort. The cohort represents youth perspectives, connects regional councils and individual members, and strengthens leadership through cooperation and community service.
At Midyear, he met with the youth council from Crow to hear its ideas about UNITY. He appreciated the positive feedback and the opportunity to connect with more youth from the Rocky Mountain region. Listening to a council’s perspective put his representative responsibilities into practice.
He also coordinated cultural-health project planning with Eileen Crocker. That collaboration connected the conference experience with the development of ideas centered on culture and well-being.
“Our culture is healing, when we take time for it you can see the happiness and health it brings,” Whitford wrote.
He described attending a round dance at Midyear as healing and also participated in a round dance on Montana State University’s campus. The two gatherings connected cultural participation with the relationships he was building both nationally and where he attended college.
Back in Montana, Whitford continued work with Buffalo Nations, a seed-saving program. His report also identified the Montana Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative among the organizations connected with his activities, placing his leadership experience alongside work involving seeds and Indigenous food relationships.
These activities bring together several areas of UNITY’s development approach: cultural identity, social connection, community wellness, and respect for the natural world. Whitford’s report connects them through concrete participation—meeting with a youth council, planning with a collaborator, joining round dances, and continuing seed-saving work.
For him, the month showed that regional leadership can grow through both listening and cultural practice. His reflection highlights the time and relationships that help young people remain connected with their communities while exploring ways to support their health and future.
