Reflections from the 2024 Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress

At the end of June, I had the opportunity to kick off my summer by attending the Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC). NYCALC brings together high school youth delegations from Indigenous communities across the U.S. and the Pacific Islands to learn about climate adaptation and resilience. This year, over 80 Indigenous youth participated! The week-long event takes place on the ancestral territories of the Massawomeck, Haudenosaunee, Shawnee, and Delaware Indigenous peoples at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, right off of the Potomac River. NYCALC was created through a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Aspen/Fresh Tracks, Bureau of Land Management, and New Mexico Wildlife Federation.

Throughout the week of NYCALC, the youth worked towards developing a climate adaptation project to take back and implement in their home communities. This year's adaptation projects were focused on how Indigenous youth can use traditional knowledges with western sciences to address environmental issues and build climate resilience. Alongside this, they participated in educational workshops, traditional crafts, cultural exchange activities, a kayaking trip on the river, a career fair, and had the opportunity to listen to Indigenous speakers and performers. This year featured actor and artist Charley Hogan, rapper and fancy war dancer Supaman, and musician, scholar, and community organizer Lyla June. At the end of the week, the youth presented their projects for the chance to be awarded a mini grant to help put their projects into action.

While at NYCALC,  I represented the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center at the career fair. I was able to connect with many of the youth groups and share information about student opportunities available through AIHEC, the tribal colleges & universities (TCUs), and the U.S. Geological Survey. Additionally, I was able to give insight and advice on pursuing higher education and climate career pathways, as someone with experience in both of these areas. I was also involved with one of the service projects that take place at NYCALC as a way to give back to NCTC and show appreciation for hosting the event. My group worked on removing invasive species, such as wineberry, along one of the many walking paths at the NCTC campus. It was so inspiring to see how passionate so many of the youth are about climate resilience and to see their dedication to continue to be climate adaptation leaders.

During the week, I was grateful to have the chance to connect with the Southeast and Northwest Tribal Climate Resilience Liaisons and other colleagues from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. NYCALC is an excellent example of the importance of creating opportunities for Indigenous youth to engage in climate adaptation and resilience and their strength as leaders in this area.