Empowering young leaders: BLM participates in Native Youth Climate Leadership Adaptation Congress

For the past seven years, the Bureau of Land Management has sponsored Native American college students to attend the Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC) held at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. NYCALC is a week­long environmental conference for Native American, Alaskan Native, and Pacific Islander high school and college students interested in addressing environmental issues in their communities.  

Hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and sponsored by various federal agencies, such as the BLM, the purpose of NYCALC is for Indigenous youth to share their knowledge and experiences, build leadership skills, and develop Indigenous community solutions to address climate change. 

This year the BLM sponsored four Native American college students to serve as Junior Faculty to mentor and guide high school participants; hosting ice breakers; coordinating activities and workshops; and sharing their own experiences with the students over the course of the week.  

During this time, Junior Faculty also attend career and personal development workshops hosted by the Aspen Institute trainers’ team, who are made up of some of BLM’s former Junior Faculty members. 

“This program has really opened my eyes on why youth outreach is so important to Native American youth and further solidified the path I want to go down,” Ethan Wheeler (Navajo) said. 

At the beginning of the week, the high school students are given a theme to address and work in groups to develop solutions to bring effective change to their communities. This year’s theme was: “As Indigenous youth, how can you use the knowledge of your ancestors, elders, and family to build climate resilience?”

By working in groups, students created topics to answer this key question, such as education, storytelling, elders, water, and cross-cultural sharing. At the end of the Congress, the students presented their solutions on these topics to the group and received feedback from their peers.  

“I realized how many students truly love their communities and how much they value their natural resources and want to protect them from overdevelopment and exploitation,” BLM Junior Faculty member Evelyn Enos (Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham) said. “Many of these students will go on to pursue higher education and work to reimagine how our communities can thrive and not just survive in these changing times.” 

Central to the NYCLAC is the celebration and preservation of Indigenous culture and tradition. Through storytelling, art, music, and cultural performances, participants reaffirm their identities and strengthen their resolve to protect their ancestral lands. This cultural pride serves as a driving force behind their commitment to environmental conservation.  

This year BLM sponsored an art mural for students to express their cultural pride and connection to the environment. Their theme was cross-cultural connections to achieve environmental justice. Brooke Wheeler, BLM Arizona State Youth Lead, who organizes BLM’s participation at NYCALC, was the coordinator of this workshop.  

“We don’t often think of art as an important part of environmental conservation. Art is a natural part of Indigenous people’s expression of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK),” Brooke Wheeler said. “By working on the mural students were able to share their culture, sustainable land use practice, and climate adaptation strategies with each other.” 

NYCLAC serves as a crucial platform for Indigenous youth from various communities to come together, share knowledge, and strategize effective responses to climate change. By the end of the Congress, students and Junior Faculty are empowered to create change in their communities and have made lasting friendships.  

“My biggest take away was the community through culture,” BLM faculty member, Sumaya Quitugua (Acoma Pueblo and Chamorro) added. “I enjoyed speaking to others and sharing our culture differences and similarities. I appreciate that NYCALC branches to our Pacific brothers and sisters. I learned more about my own culture as well as learned that we are more similar than what is to be believed.” 

By bringing together diverse perspectives and experiences, the Congress facilitates the exchange of ideas and the development of innovative solutions. This collaboration extends beyond the event itself, forming lasting networks that support ongoing initiatives in Indigenous communities worldwide.