On International Youth Day, Cultural Survival is happy to announce our first cohort of 2023 Indigenous Youth Fellows as a part of our Capability Constructing Program. Our Indigenous Youth Fellowship helps younger Indigenous leaders between the ages of 18-28 who’re working to remodel their communities and create alternatives for the elevation, protection, and strengthening of their cultures and traditions, whereas creating their management, organizational, and challenge administration expertise. Since 2018, we’ve got awarded 110 fellowships supporting 204 fellows.
The fellowship initiatives deal with language revitalization, land safety, media and artwork, and reclaiming of traditions, amongst different themes. The involvement and participation of Indigenous youth are basic for intergenerational data switch and cultural continuity– as at this time’s youth are the longer term leaders of their communities.
Yaritzy Soledad Naal Canul (Maya) from Mexico
Space of focus: Restoration of Conventional Agriculture
Yaritzy Soledad Naal Canul (Maya) was born and raised in José María Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico. She is at the moment learning agroecological manufacturing methods engineering on the Intercultural Mayan College of Quintana Roo. Along with being a pupil, she is a younger farmer. “My household are farmers and are my motivation in my journey,” Yaritzy says. “I’m impressed by them and the group of farmer members of the Milpa Colectiva KM50, who’ve impressed and accompanied me within the group Ka’ Kuxtal A lot Meyaj A.C. in Hopelchén, Campeche.”
Yaritzy’s fellowship challenge is “The Intergenerational Collective Milpa,” an initiative that goals to develop the range of seed cultivation within the area, in addition to to encourage extra younger individuals to turn out to be all for conventional agriculture as a supply of cultural duty {and professional} coaching.
Nallely Noh Ake and Martha Clarissa Noh Chi (Maya) from Mexico
Space of Focus: Restoration and Safety of Conventional Drugs
Nallely Noh Ake (Maya) just lately graduated from the Mayan Intercultural College of Quintana Roo with a level in agroecological manufacturing methods engineering. She enjoys nature and training sustainability, and likes to share her data with the individuals in her group.
Martha Clarissa Noh Chi (Maya) is from El Naranjal, José María Morelos, Quintana Roo, and a pupil in municipal administration on the Mayan Intercultural College of Quintana Roo. She is married and mom to a four-year-old daughter. She loves vegetation and every little thing associated to nature, studying new issues and placing them into follow, in addition to sharing her data with different individuals.
Their challenge, “Medicinal Crops of El Naranjal,” seeks to get well the data of conventional drugs of their group and share it for the well being and nicely being of the native individuals. The challenge seeks to cut back individuals’s well being care bills outdoors the group and inspire them to return to conventional drugs for his or her main care.
Evelyn Yahayri Cauich Cauich (Maya) from Mexico
Space of Focus: Meals Sovereignty
Evelyn Yahayri Cauich Cauich (Maya) was born in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. She lives along with her household locally of Xcalot-Aktal, Hopelchén, the place they domesticate corn with out using agrochemicals for the care of the well being of their land and group.
Evelyn developed the challenge “Celebration of Xcalot – Akal Native Seeds,” by which she seeks to strengthen the data about native seeds and farmers in her group. As well as, this challenge seeks to deliver collectively exhibitors and farmers in a capstone occasion to discover and share their experiences.
The Mom Earth Challenge (Kamba/Gikuyu) from Kenya
Space of Focus: Local weather Change Options
The Mom Earth Challenge, is led by 9 Kamba and Gikuyu youth, Joshua Mbindyo Mutunga, Chemitei. J. Janet, Robert Mutua Mila, Thereza Mercy, Peter Kinyanjui, Elijah Muli, Ambrose Mugume, Kenneth Gitunda, and Alex Kamau. The group, is devoted to advocating for the empowerment and betterment of Indigenous youth. With a deep ardour for social change and in depth expertise in group growth, they create significant alternatives for younger artists and entrepreneurs to thrive. Via co-creation, they’ve efficiently applied varied initiatives that promote storytelling for group empowerment, academic gatherings, cultural preservation, and self-expression inside Indigenous communities. The youth group strongly consider within the energy of collaboration and are dedicated to constructing robust relationships to drive constructive change by their fellowship challenge.
Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí (Embera) from Colombia
Space of focus: Empowerment and Management of Girls
Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí (Embera) is from the Karmata Rúa reserve within the municipality of Jardín, Antioquia. She studied Audiovisual and Multimedia Communication on the College of Antioquia in Medellin and has expertise in directing, manufacturing, and images. Her first narrative brief movie, “Akababuru: Expresión de Asombro,” was a winner of the FDC Movie Improvement Fund within the class of brief movies on ethnic populations. She has participated within the Daupará, MUCIWA Wayúu, and Emberá de Caldas Indigenous movie and video exhibitions and acquired quite a few awards for her artwork path on the Equinoxio and Fulana Fest. She additionally produced a collection of podcasts in regards to the Indigenous inhabitants of Medellín referred to as “Ijarabu, en los sueños te recuerdo” (Ijarabu, in my desires I bear in mind you), a challenge that acquired an award from the Medellín mayor’s workplace in 2021 and 2022. Seven years in the past, Irati needed to go away her reservation to pursue her college research. Nevertheless, she by no means misplaced her connection to her territory and has carried the ancestral and cultural legacy of her individuals in her initiatives.
Her fellowship challenge titled,”Kiraparamia,” is an audiovisual challenge primarily based on tales and legends of the Embera . Via this movie, she’s going to inform a narrative of the Embera Peoples of their native language with a various and gendered perspective.
Patricia Dinyando (Khew San) from Namibia
Space of Focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
Patricia Dinyando (Khew San) is a 3rd yr pupil on the College of Namibia pursuing a bachelor’s diploma in schooling. Hailing from a Khwe San group, for the previous 5 years Patricia has volunteered on the Girls’s Management Middle, contributing to its mission of empowering girls to actively take part in shaping coverage. As well as, she serves as a facilitator for the Younger San Girls and San Women Group the place she performs a significant function in empowering and supporting these girls. Patricia is creating the challenge “Khwe Folktales,” which goals to gather folktales which have been instructed for generations in her group right into a kids’s ebook, documenting this conventional data in order that it may be handed on to many extra generations.
Edizon Muj Cúmes and Marlen Muj Cúmes (Maya Kaqchikel) from Guatemala
Space of Focus: Meals Sovereignty
Edizon Muj (Maya Kaqchikel) is from San Andrés Semetabaj. His relationship with nature and the territory to which he belongs, mixed with dwelling together with his grandparents, led him to review engineering in agroforestry expertise. He’s at the moment engaged on a grasp’s diploma in ecology and the setting at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico. He believes within the milpa, the forests, and the kitchen as political areas to handle and maintain life for Indigenous Peoples.
Marlen Muj Cúmes (Maya Kaqchikel) can also be a pupil of agroforestry expertise engineering and is obsessed with nature, pure assets, and the milpa as an agroforestry system of Indigenous Peoples. She is all for positioning the milpa as a meals system that sustains communities and resists dependence on capitalist meals methods.
Edizon and Marlen are creating the challenge, “Fungi after the Milpa,” which seeks to develop data and methods on the agricultural therapy of mushroom crops of their area.
Nantu Mantilla (Pasto) from Colombia
Space of focus: Biodiversity Safety
Nantu Mantilla (Pasto) was born in Tulcán, an Ecuadorian territory bordering Colombia, to an agricultural and artisan household. She studied filmmaking on the Universidad de las Artes de Guayaquil and graduated with a grasp’s diploma in Communications from the Universidad Simón Bolívar, Andean College of Quito. She is the director and producer of a number of documentaries which have participated in nationwide and worldwide festivals. Seven years in the past, she labored as a cultural supervisor in her group in El Consuelo, the place her household has a permaculture group middle referred to as Kimbi. For the previous three years, she has been a part of the Los Frailejones Ecological Membership, which she has supported within the areas of communication and environmental schooling with a deal with the humanities.
Nantu’s fellowship challenge will develop biweekly workshops on botany from her laboratory to foster the connection amongst tradition, ancestral data, and agriculture.
Eli Wewentru (Mapuche) from Chile
Space of focus: Indigenous Data and Storytelling
Eli Wewentru (Mapuche) is an artist initially from PLC – Temuco, Wallmapu, Chile. He started his musical profession at age 9 within the Padre Las Casas Youngsters’s Orchestra. He later studied musical interpretation and furthered his creative development in numerous nations in Latin America and Europe. From an early age, he shared his musical data and compositions in rural colleges inside Mapuche communities.
Eli at the moment lives in Chomio and works with musical composition, sound artwork, audiovisual media, efficiency, and as a violin instructor. He additionally takes care of animals and works the land. His work focuses on decentralizing artwork from elitist areas and massive cities, in addition to new explorations in sound with western devices, particularly the violin and cello, whereas making music linked to his cultural heritage.
Eli’s fellowship challenge proposes a cycle of actions targeted on kids ages 5 to 13 in rural Mapuche communities to generate curiosity within the change of sound, visible, and efficiency artwork.
Santos Melchor Noh Pech (Maya) from Mexico
Space of Focus: Entrepreneurial Abilities and Transmission of Conventional Data
Santos Melchor Noh Pech (Maya) was born within the city of XCalakdzonot Chankóm in Yucatan. From the time he was a baby, his mother and father taught him his mom tongue, the Mayan language. At 18 he left for the town of Valladolid to pursue his research on the Universidad de Oriente. He now holds a level in Mayan linguistics and tradition and has had the chance to work with younger college college students educating the Mayan language to kids and dealing with artisans locally.
In his fellowship challenge, Santos seeks to encourage kids to turn out to be within the creation of handmade ceramics, which is a vital cultural and financial exercise within the area.
Adonis Clifford Ortiz (Rama) from Nicaragua
Space of Focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
Adonis Clifford Ortiz (Rama) was born and raised in Bluefields county, the place he nonetheless resides. He accomplished his college research on the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean College and graduated with a level in enterprise administration in 2019.
Adonis’ fellowship challenge seeks to advertise cultural and creative occasions with the participation of Rama youth to strengthen cultural satisfaction. As well as, he hopes to develop programs in Rama for younger individuals to strengthen their linguistic expertise.
Eliana Peña (Monkoxi) from Bolivia
Space of focus: Biodiversity Safety
Eliana Peña (Monkoxi) was born locally of Palmira Lomerío in Santa Cruz, Ñuflo de Chávez province, Bolivia. Her mother and father are Monkoxi and communicate the Bésiro language. In January 2020, she entered technical coaching in gastronomy on the Mana College within the metropolis of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, ending this system in July 2021. From September to December 2021, she took a images class and took half within the manufacturing of a photobook with the challenge FotoVoz Reconexión Monkoxi.
Looking for extra coaching, in December 2021 she acquired a scholarship from the Improvement Fund for Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean for a diploma course in management for Indigenous youth for collective advocacy, along with the Intercultural Indigenous College and the Carlos Tercero College of Madrid.
Eliana’s fellowship challenge seeks to generate dialogue and exchanges between Monkoxɨ youth and different younger individuals from completely different areas of Bolivia about their life experiences and cultural id, gathering images as a place to begin.
Patricia Sucely Puluc (Maya Ok’iche’ and Kaqchikel) from Guatemala
Space of focus: Empowerment and Management of Girls
Patricia Sucely Puluc (Maya Ok’iche’ and Kaqchikel) is initially from Cantón Camanchaj, Chichicastenango. A self-taught illustrator, she holds a bachelor’s diploma in social work from the College of San Carlos de Guatemala. She has been a speaker in varied areas for youth and Indigenous girls, and has illustrated and collaborated with collectives and digital media reminiscent of Ciberfemlab within the story “Irene and Mariana, Ruda, and Rising Voices.”
Patricia’s fellowship challenge, “Ru Chuqab´ Ri Kisamaj Ri Ixoqui´Chin Kichajij Ri Ok´aslen’”(Girls’s Strengthen and Work for the Care of Life), seeks to acknowledge and reclaim the narratives of Indigenous girls, who safeguard the weather of life reminiscent of water and seeds as a manner of defending their lands. To study extra about her work and think about graphic illustrations, discover her on Instagram @Molcajette or go to her web site: Molcajette.
Brisa Lezly López Mamani (Aymara) from Bolivia
Space of Focus: Biodiversity Safety
Brisa Lezly López Mamani (Aymara) is concerned in theatrical artwork and the restoration of ancestral data. She is 17 years outdated and within the fifth yr of highschool on the Porvenir de Cañuma Instructional Unit within the District of Calamarca, La Paz, Bolivia.
The target of her fellowship challenge is to guard ancestral data, get well wholesome Indigenous meals, and convey consciousness to the care of the non secular lifetime of water to youth by academic and creative actions.
Ninari Chimba (Kichwa) from Ecuador
Space of Focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
Ninari Chimba (Kichwa) identifies as a lesbian lady from the Panzaleo and Otavalo Peoples in Ecuador. She is a main faculty instructor, singer-songwriter, actress, researcher, advisor, and workshop chief who approaches her work from an anti-racist, campesino, ecofeminist Indigenous perspective. She has vital expertise in intercultural bilingual schooling and has consulted within the areas of schooling, gender points, and artwork.
Ninari’s fellowship challenge,”Muyuntik shimi” (Cycle of Native Language), will create a holistic written module of fundamental stage Kichwa schooling with an Indigenous ecofeminist and anti-racist perspective. As well as, she’s going to arrange workshops utilizing musical and creative methods.
Saraí Jiménez Orozco (Mixe) from Mexico
Space of focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
Saraí Jiménez Orozco (Mixe) is a speaker of Ayuuk from San Marcos Moctum within the municipality of Totontepec Villa de Morelos, Mixe, Oaxaca. She holds a level in Administration and Sustainable Improvement from the Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk A.C. of the State of Oaxaca in Jaltepec de Candayoc Mixe, the place she additionally taught Ayuuk. She was a part of the postgraduate program of the College of Deusto Spain in Human Rights in 2022, and at the moment collaborates with Servicios del Pueblo Mixe within the Division of Gender and Mixe Girls.
Her fellowship challenge, “Atëëmt” (Seed of the Phrase), is an initiative that contributes to the revitalization of Ayuuk among the many kids of the Orquídeas Peoples, documenting their experiences of dwelling with the Ayuuk language and what it means to talk the traditional language locally of San Marcos Moctum.
Lucero Quiroz Zaragoza and Quetzaly Quintas Arista (Zapoteca) from Mexico
Space of focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
From a really younger age, Lucero Quiroz Zaragoza and Quetzaly Quintas Arista (Zapoteca) have been obsessed with their cultural heritage. Quetzaly studied linguistics and has devoted her life to the revitalization of the Dadi’idznu (Zapoteco) language, providing Dadi’idznu language lessons. Lucero is at the moment learning Pc Programs Engineering. Each aspire to strengthen their Dadi’idznu tradition and language amongst Indigenous youth.
Their fellowship challenge, “Gibäñ dadi’idzn,” seeks to revitalize Dadi’idznu by the gathering, creation, and dissemination of textual content and audiovisual supplies on a digital platform to be used in educating the language in academic establishments or for self-learning.
Kseniia Bolshakova (Dolgan) from Russia
Space of focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
Kseniia Bolshakova (Dolgan) is a language activist and author and member of the
Dolgan Tribal group Yydyna (“Moonlight” in Dolgan). Kseniia was born and raised within the native Dolgan settlement of Popigay on the Taymyr peninsula in northern Siberia. Kseniia’s work is concentrated on revitalizing the languages of Siberia and the Far East. She at the moment works as a content material supervisor of the Yakut language studying utility, Sahalyy, as an editor of the lexical database and digital dictionary of the Chukchi language. She can also be a linguistic information coding assistant on the Kumandy language at Dartmouth Faculty.
Kseniia’s fellowship challenge, “Haka Huruk: Transmitting Dolgan Values by Creating Dolgan Literature,” focuses on revitalizing the Dolgan language by storytelling and growth of bilingual literature in Dolgan and Russian. Kseniia will write tales and create a ebook that will likely be shared amongst Dolgan communities. The content material will even be uploaded to an accessible digital platform to facilitate entry overseas, selling Dolgan tradition and language.
Youth Group Tulwoob Koony (Ogiek and Koony) from Kenya
Space of focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
James Kwemoi (Ogiek), Ruth Chesang (Ogiek), Miriam Naibei (Koony), and Emmanuel Kiplimo (Ogiek) are from the Ogiek group of Mount Elgon and actively promote their Indigenous roots, cultures, and languages by group radio and multimedia platforms. They’re involved with the decline of Koony language audio system among the many youth.
Their fellowship challenge, “Revitalizing the Endangered Koony Language,” goals to extend the variety of fluent Koony audio system and to create consciousness in regards to the significance of selling and strengthening Koony language and tradition. For instance to their individuals how the Koony language is an integral factor of their tradition, they’ll conduct and facilitate Koony language lessons and create supplies for adults, youth, and youngsters to reclaim their mom tongue. Fellows will even document classes for digital and social media shops in an effort to proceed the educational course of.
Gerard Beelt (Minahasa, Tombulu) from Indonesia
Space of focus: Revitalization of Indigenous Languages and Preservation of Historic Websites
Gerard Beelt (Minahasa, Tombulu) is from the Minahasa Peninsula in North Sulawesi province, Indonesia. He has educated nationally and internationally to boost his theoretical and sensible data, which culminated in his participation as an Indigenous youth within the INSPIRASI Program run by New Zealand’s UnionAID and Indonesia’s BaKTI Basis. He additionally takes programs in Social Science and Public Coverage at Auckland College of Expertise.
Gerard’s fellowship challenge, “Sumungkul Wangko,” seeks to revitalize the Minahasan tradition, customs, and traditions by restoring elements of Minahasan heritage such because the waruga (historical sarcophagus) and the toitow (anthropomorphic stone), that are historic and non secular websites historically utilized by the Minahasa individuals in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. He’ll create documentation and publish a bilingual ebook within the Bahasa and Minahasa languages to introduce the youth to Minahasa data, traditions, and language. He additionally plans to develop a documentary movie on Minahasan tradition and language.
Pueblo and Barrio Collective (Lenca, Afro-Indigenous) from Honduras
Space of focus: Indigenous Data and Storytelling
The Pueblo and Barrio Collective is an area for group sharing and the primary group led by Afro-Indigenous Lenca youth and youth of underrepresented genders. Their radio program, “Sembrando Rebeldías,” airs on Thursdays on Disonancias Radio, a digital group radio station, and on the COPINH Group Radio, Radio Guarajambala 100.3 FM, which can also be rebroadcast by different Lenca group radio stations.
The Collective works to maintain the historic reminiscence of the Lenca Peoples by the restoration and follow of their Indigenous languages, artwork, meals sovereignty, self-governance, and different applied sciences and media.
Kamëntsá Weavers (Kamëntsá) from Colombia
Space of focus: Entrepreneurial Abilities and Transmission of Conventional Data
Leydi Johana, Nelly Adriana, and Erika Viviana (Kamëntsá) are from the Kamëntsá Indigenous group of the municipality of San Francisco, division of Putumayo. They’re often called the Kamëntsá Weavers. Kamëntsá Weavers was fashioned with the aim of strengthening conventional weaving methods that promote the tradition and creative expressions of Kamëntsá Peoples for the following generations. Their households’ participation has been basic on this course of, as this transmission of information has allowed them to weave their very own tales, ideas, and therapeutic by the threads.
Their fellowship challenge, “Strengthening and Restoration of an Ancestral and Cultural Material of the Kamëntŝá Indigenous Group: Basketry,” goals to consolidate collaborative working teams locally to share new data and creativity about conventional basketry to encourage different artisans and to create modern equipment with conventional which means. This change will generate new, modern methods whereas selling the Kamëntŝá tradition and language. The entire exchanges and teachings will likely be held in Indigenous languages.
