International Indigenous Youth Conferences

Second Annual International Indigenous Youth Video Conference on the Environment

In response to a request from the U.S. Consulate in Ykaterinburg, Russia, our office facilitated a International Video Conference on March 14, 2007. Participants included youth from Ufa-Shigiri (Russia), Sarawak (Malaysia), and the Kiowa Tribe and Kialegee Tribal Town (Oklahoma, U.S.A.). The theme for the conference was "Our Communities, Our Environment, Our Future." Goals for the initial conference included exchanging information about communities, introducing current local issues, and most importantly, beginning to forge lasting relationships. This event was the culmination of efforts by EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs, the U.S. Consulate in Ykaterinburg, the U.S. Embassy in Kuching, Kiowa and Kialegee Environmental Departments, AZAM (Sarawak), and the Urals Refugees Association (Russia).

The U.S. portion of the Second International Indigenous Youth Conference on the Environment and Culture took place March 6 at the University of North Texas Gateway Center. The videoconference, which was conducted with generous support from the U.S. State Department, also included students from Baskiria, Russia; Kuching, Malaysia; and Kampala, Uganda. It focused on global climate change and efforts within the native peoples' communities to deal with the problem. The conference also looked at ways indigenous cultures affect and shape environmental protection in their communities.

Twenty-two Native American student participants from Oklahoma -- from the Kiowa, Wichita, Apache, Comanche, Osage, Lakota, Kialegee and Navajo tribes – were welcomed by students from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. After a shared dinner, the group was treated to a viewing of "Here Comes the Sun," a presentation at the UNT planetarium, and storytelling led by a Kiowa tribal leader.

To view the 2008 Video Conference, click here.