Young indigenous activists fight for enduring change
Saving sacred lands, protecting traditions, fighting for climate justice and advocating for better education, these young Indigenous activists have their hands full.
Charlie Ropati is a 17-year-old from a native village of Kongiganak. Ropati has been a huge activist for education reform to help empower Native students. Graduating high school was an extreme achievement for her due to Native students having extremely low graduation rates.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is a 19-year-old member of the Mashika Peoples. Martinez has been fighting for environmental justice for most of his life. At age six, he spoke at his first climate-based event and by age eight he organized his very first protest.
Currently, Martinez is the youth director of Earth Guardians. Through the help of music, art and theater, he has been fighting everything from fracking to pesticides.
Naelyn Pike is a 19-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Her family founded the Apache Stronghold as an organization dedicated to protecting and defending holy sites as well as freedom of religion for Indigenous communities.
Both her grandfather and mother were Indigenous activists. Pike has been working with the Apache Stronghold to protect the sacred site Oak Flat from being sold to a foreign mining corporation.
