Jon Waterhouse emcees the Inter-tribal Youth Climate Change Congress in Sheperdstown , WV

On July 4th, the US Fish & Wildlife Service kicked off its week-long Inter-tribal Youth Climate Change Congress where Jon Waterhouse, Indigenous Peoples Scholar at Oregon Health & Science University, and Mary Marshall were honored to present and emcee. Taking place at their 500+ acre National Conservation Training Center in Sheperdstown, WV, this USFW event brought in close to 100 Native American Youth, representing various tribes across the country. The event focused on the many aspects of how climate change is effecting lives on the reservation, and on mitigation and adaptation. Jon shared, “The quality of storytelling these youth possessed was powerful and inspiring - from new spins on traditional Native song and dance to filmmaking, we saw great potential in these young people and look forward to following their paths into adulthood!”

Article and photos by Mary Marshall