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Mission
Restore ecosystems and the sustainability of communities, cultures, and economies.
PANEL 7 of 7
November 16, 2023 | 11:25am-12pm
Emerging Leaders: Tribal Youth Voices
Program Description
Youth have inherited an incredible responsibility to address ecosystems that are out of balance. Tribal young adults will share their experiences in ecological restoration, conservation, policy, cultural resource protection, and community engagement as they create new paths forward for the land and future generations.
Moderator: Saraya Hamidi • Cherokee Nation • Blue Forest, Indigenous Partnerships Manager
About Saraya
Saraya Hamidi is Indigenous Partnerships Manager for Blue Forest. A member of the Cherokee Nation with a professional background in racial and social justice advocacy, Saraya holds a Bachelor’s Degree in financial economics from Columbia University. As a liaison between Blue Forest, their partners, and Native Nations, Saraya leads the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives throughout projects across the Western United States.
Presentation Recording
Panelists and Presentation Summaries
Daranda Hinkey • Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes • Karuk Tribe Programmatic Operations Coordinator
Daranda Hinkey shared that her path has not been linear and her role as a young person committed to restoring balance to ecosystems has taken many forms, from earning a degree in environmental science to returning home to co-found People of Red Mountain. Daranda emphasized the importance of providing youth with opportunities in various sectors to grow and express themselves while being guided and supported into leadership roles.
“I feel those connections and I feel responsibility as a young Indigenous woman to be a steward of those places and speak for those who cannot.”
About Daranda
Daranda Hinkey currently works as the Karuk Tribe Programmatic Operations Coordinator. She graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Policy. She is also a part of a tribal organization called People of Red Mountain who values the protection of sacred landscapes and indigenous knowledge in the McDermitt Caldera. Daranda is Paiute, Shoshone, and Bannock from the high desert of Nevada, Oregon and Idaho.
Seneca Hescock • Klamath Tribes and descendant of the Northern Paiute • Lomakatsi Tribal Ecocultural Restoration Practitioner
Seneca Hescock shared the value of returning to his roots by working in the woods, doing what he loves, and teaching others ITEK through skills he has learned. He emphasized that many elders (those who hold the knowledge), are often passing away before they can teach the youth, but supporting those who can teach is essential to reconnecting with the earth and getting more Tribal hands on the land.
“I implore everyone to go out into the woods once in a while; go on a hike, go pray […] always stay connected with yourself. Never lose who you are as a people, no matter where you’re from. We’re all Indigenous to someplace—believe that—you all come from somewhere.”
About Seneca
As a member of Lomakatsi’s Tribal Ecological Forestry Crew, Seneca restores forest health by reducing hazardous fuels through ecological thinning, hand piling, and controlled burning, and participates in specialized ecocultural restoration projects. He is an enrolled member of The Klamath Tribes and descendant of the Northern Paiute peoples. Seneca joined the Lomakatsi team in July 2022 and earned certifications as a Firefighter Type 2, including Wildland Fire Chainsaw operation, First Aid/CPR, and Wildland Fire Incident Qualifications. He is also a certified Cultural Monitor.
Tule O’Rourke • Yurok Tribe • Yurok Tribal Forestry Department, Silviculture Forester
Tule O’Rourke talked about opportunities throughout his life that have shaped his work in protecting and restoring the land, including earning a degree, working to build forestry skills, and becoming a leader in protecting sacred sites. He highlighted the people who mentored him along the way and his goals to mentor younger kids—teaching an open mind and respect for those who come from different backgrounds.
“When you have one common goal, it doesn’t matter too much about who you are, you just want to come together and achieve that goal. We’re all different people, we have different morals, religions, political parties, but I think most would agree, most people in this room would like similar things: We would want to protect the earth, and try and restore it as much as possible.”
About Tule
Tule O’Rourke is a Silviculturist Forester at the Yurok Tribal Forestry Department. He is also a member of the Yurok tribe and was born and raised on the Reservation which is along the Klamath River. Tule graduated from Southern Oregon University with a degree in Environmental Science & Policy. Following graduation, Tule started working for Lomakatsi Restoration Project as a Forestry technician. This experience was invaluable for him as he was able to learn many different aspects of Forestry and learned from numerous different professionals within the company.
Jordan Bruyn • Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians • Rogue Action Center, Co-Executive Director
Jordan Bruyn elevated youth empowerment toward action through mentorship and connecting opportunities for growth and development. She talked about her role as co–executive director of a nonprofit that focuses on leadership development for a just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all through youth-driven policy advocacy, community-building, and fighting for systems change away from extractive economies.
“I had the opportunity to go to college, and that was actually my road home. That was where I met my mentors, and the people encouraged me to find people. They let me write every assignment on reconnecting. Fun fact: Native storytellers, native artists, they make really great grant writer and strategic comms people. It’s within us.”
About Jordan
As a first generation college graduate, Jordan Bruyn studied Criminal Justice/ Criminology and Native American Studies as a Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Scholar at Southern Oregon University. She became more involved in local community organizing and mutual aid efforts during the covid-19 pandemic and 2020 wildfires as a volunteer and intern with Rogue Climate and Rogue Action Center. Now as Co-Executive Director of RAC, she is dedicated to developing new leaders and enjoys finding collaborative solutions to reach our collective liberation. She is an enrolled member of Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.
Video Screening
Tribal Hands on the Land
This 20-minute short film, centered on Lomakatsi’s Tribal Ecological Forestry Training Program, explores how collaboration with tribes and tribal communities through ecological restoration initiatives is setting the stage for the return of cultural fire and building more resilient ecosystems and communities.