Meet Our 2026 Cohort of Indigenous Youth Fellows from Abya Yala

Juan Carlos Mayo Velázquez (Maya), México

Thematic area: Agroecology, Food Systems, Knowledge Transmission

Juan Carlos Mayo Velázquez (Maya) is from Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo, Mexico. His deep connection to the land began in childhood, where he learned from his grandmother about agroecological practices and the traditional management of meliponinos (native stingless bees). This cultural heritage taught him that environmental conservation is inseparable from community well-being. Velázquez is now an agroecologist at the Intercultural Maya University of Quintana Roo, and a member of the Jóvenes de la Zona Maya collective, an initiative that brings together young people from the Maya communities of Felipe Carrillo Puerto and José María Morelos.

Through his fellowship project, “Strengthening Local Food Systems for Diversification and Transformation,” Velázquez and the collective seek to strengthen food security in four communities in the Maya Zone, ensuring that Traditional Knowledge is documented and preserved. For young people from the Maya Zone, agroecology is a way to protect biodiversity while honoring the memory of those who have cared for the land for generations.

Guadalupe Vanessa Uicab Cauich (Maya), Mexico

Thematic area: Education, Ecological Restoration, Knowledge Transmission

Guadalupe Vanessa Uicab Cauich (Maya) was born in Campeche, Mexico, and lives in the community of San Juan Bautista Sahcabchén, Hop, Camp. Her desire to contribute to the collective well-being of her community motivated her to create a youth group with the mission of organizing training and collective activities, promoting values of identity and social commitment, and encouraging the participation of young people in community processes. In recent years, she and her peers have taught classes to groups of children, facilitating their learning on topics related to community training and organization, through which she has developed skills in teaching and intergenerational work.

Her Fellowship project, “Eco-active Youth of Sahcabchén,” aims to continue this work by strengthening environmental awareness and community participation among young people and families in the Maya community of Sahcabchén, Hopelchén. The project will be developed through campaigns, workshops, and cultural expressions that promote responsible waste management, environmental protection, and the recovery of local knowledge, contributing to the resilience of the community and the care of the territory.

Trinity Norris (Tohono O'odham), U.S.A.

Thematic area: Indigenous Food System and Storytelling

Trinity Norris (Tohono O'odham) is a storyteller, photographer, and media creator dedicated to uplifting Indigenous voices and strengthening community resilience through intentional, relationship-centered work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Journalism from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in Global Media, with a focus on Indigenous representation and the responsibilities of journalists in Indigenous storytelling. She continues to support the Indigenous Resilience Center through communications and digital storytelling efforts, helping amplify community partnerships and Center initiatives.

Through her fellowship project, "Carrying Our Stories Forward: A Portrait & Micro-Story Project Uplifting O’odham Language Through Community Storytelling on Traditional Foodways," Norris aims to enhance the visibility and pride of the O’odham language and people. By documenting meaningful words and memories through portraits, audio reflections, and micro-stories, the project creates a culturally grounded archive that strengthens identity, supports language revitalization, and highlights intergenerational knowledge.

Shannon Dean San Nicolas and Xavier Bryce Borja (Chamoru), U.S.A.

Thematic area: Indigenous Youth Capacity Building, Art and Culture

Shannon Dean San Nicolas (Chamoru-Hawaiian) is a theater artist, musician, and composer from Guåhan (Guam), where his creative practice is deeply rooted in Indigenous values, environmental awareness, and collective storytelling. A multidisciplinary artist, San Nicolas uses music as a tool for reflection, resistance, and healing. His work blends contemporary composition with natural soundscapes, creating pieces that invite listeners to slow down and reconnect with the tåno’ (land) and tåsi’ (sea). San Nicolas is also a member of We Will Not Go Silent, a climate justice performance produced by Breaking Wave Theatre Company. Their work centers Indigenous knowledge systems, environmental stewardship, and the lived realities of Guåhan under ongoing militarization and ecological threat.

Xavier Bryce Borja (Chamoru) is a theater artist, jewelry maker, and costume designer from Guåhan whose work centers on Indigenous identity, sustainability, and storytelling through eco-conscious design. Rooted in both ancestral knowledge and contemporary practice, he uses sustainable and upcycled materials to explore the relationship among land, culture, and creative expression. An ensemble member of We Will Not Go Silent with Breaking Wave Theatre Company, Borja contributes visual and costume design grounded in Chamoru values, Indigenous resilience, and environmental urgency. He is committed to collective creation and community accountability, and leads hands-on workshops that empower Indigenous youth and community members to reclaim intentional, sustainable making practices.

Their joint fellowship project, “Echoes of the Land and Sea: A Creative Workshop on Eco-Conscious Design and Music,” aims to empower Indigenous youth and community members in Guåhan to explore eco-conscious creativity through a collaborative workshop that bridges music and sustainable design, fostering deeper connections to land, culture, and climate resilience.

Raintuy Maestri Millan and Aye Mahün (Mapuche), Argentina

Thematic area: Language Restoration, Territorial Defense, Gender Diversity

Raintuy Millan and Aye Mahün (Mapuche) were born in Lof Pillan Mawiza, an ancestral Mapuche territory located in Puel Willimapu (Chubut, Argentina). Growing up on the banks of the Carreleufu River, they have participated in activities and events from early childhood related to the caring and healing of the territory they inhabit. They are currently working on a project called “Indigenous Pluriversity in Puelmapu,” which seeks to strengthen and revitalize Indigenous knowledge and wisdom and protect Lof Pillan Mawiza's ancestral territory.

Millan and Mahün have a shared vision of continuing in the path of their ancestors while embracing the diversity of their generation. Their fellowship project, called “Koneltun puelwilimapu mew,” will be focused on 2SLGBTQ+ kom pu che (Mapuche people). Through a six-day community gathering, their objective is to contribute to the revitalization of the Mapuche language by strengthening local communication in their traditional language and connection with nature.

Tania Patricia Pizango Yumbo (Kichwa), Ecuador

Thematic area: Food Sovereignty, Territorial Defense, Knowledge Transmission

Tania Patricia Pizango Yumbo (Kichwa) is from the province of Napo in the Ecuadorian Amazon. From an early age, she has been committed to defending collective rights, promoting youth and women's participation, and preserving her People's cultural identity. Her background is shaped by a great deal of training, community leadership, and organizational work focused on strengthening the territory, culture, and community life. Yumbo leads processes to recover the customs, food traditions, and traditional medicine practices of the Kichwa People, working with youth and community groups to revitalize ancestral knowledge related to food, farming, and food sovereignty.

Through her project, “Strengthening Territorial Defense and Food Sovereignty of the Kichwa Communities,” Yumbo seeks to revitalize cultural knowledge, strengthen self-governance, and promote sustainable alternatives, ensuring the protection of the territory, cultural identity, and collective rights of the Kichwa People.

Glenda Yadira Yasacama Wiakach (Kichwa), Ecuador

Thematic area: Documentary, Indigenous Communicators, Capacity Building

Glenda Yasacama (Kichwa) is from the Chuva Urku community in the Ecuadorian Amazon. From the age of 13, she has been involved in community media and communication, motivated by a desire to raise awareness of the life, culture, and struggles of her People. Her background combines community learning with a university education, allowing her to develop an intercultural vision and an ethical commitment to communication as a tool for social change.

Her project, “Communication for the Strengthening of Autonomy, the Exercise of Collective Rights, and the Construction of Sumak Kawsay with the Participation of Kichwa Leaders and Young Communicators from Pastaza,” aims to contribute to communication and identity, strengthening the organizational fabric of the Amazonian Peoples. Her main goals are to strengthen communication by creating a short film and to continue to motivate other young people to seek ways to preserve their culture and territory.

Catalina Belén Antil Arévalo (Mapuche), Chile

Thematic area: Language Revitalization, Intergenerational Knowledge Exchange

Catalina Belén Antil Arévalo (Lafkenche Mapuche) lives in the Francisco Pichún Indigenous community in the territory of Ruca Cura, Chile, where she is an occupational therapist. Her work combines technical knowledge with ancestral wisdom and collective care practices, with an emphasis on holistic health, cultural relevance, and the defense of Indigenous Peoples' rights.

Arévalo’s project, “Küme Kimün: Intergenerational Transmission of Mapuzungun and Lafkenche Cultural Knowledge,” is a community initiative aimed at strengthening the Lafkenche Mapuche cultural identity through participatory spaces for encounters between Elders and youth. Through intergenerational dialogue, the project promotes the revitalization of the Mapuzungun language, the transmission of cultural knowledge, and the strengthening of ties with the territory, contributing to collective memory and the exercise of cultural rights.

Jiktayá Pataxó (Pataxó), Brazil

Thematic area: Intergenerational Knowledge Exchange, Cultural Preservation

Jiktayá Pataxó (Pataxó) is a community leader in the village of Cassiana, located in the Barra Velha do Monte Pascoal Territory, Brazil. She works to defend the Pataxó People, guided by ancestral teachings that carry the strength of her culture and history. The Traditional Knowledge passed down by her Elders taught her the importance of oral tradition, respect for nature, and community as the basis of Pataxó life. These are not just memories, but living practices that guide her way of being in the world, and preserving them is, for her, a commitment and a responsibility.

Pataxó’s project, “Kijeme Suniatá,” seeks to strengthen the Pataxó culture both within and outside the territory. The project involves conversation circles, where knowledge is shared between young people, Elders, and the community; traditional songs, which carry spirituality and collective memory; and concrete actions such as the construction of traditional spaces and reforestation, reaffirming the ancestral relationship with the land.

Arandu Mirim collective (Guarani Mbya), Brazil

Thematic area: Indigenous Youth Communicators, Documentary, Youth-centered

Iara Para Poty (Guarani Mbya) was born in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. She has a bachelor's degree in Social Anthropology from the State University of Campinas and will coordinate the “Kunumingue Nhemboaty” project in conjunction with the Arandu Mirim Audiovisual Collective, which is composed of young Guarani people from the Jaraguá Indigenous land. The project aims to link the demands, interests, problems, and experiences of Guarani Mbya youth through conversation circles and workshops organized by young people, for other young people. The meetings will be recorded in a short documentary centered around the question: ‘What do we want for our future?’

The Arandu Mirim collective was created by youth from the Jaraguá Indigenous territory who have training in videography and editing. Today, they use their skills to show their reality to non-Indigenous society to change the public perception of Indigenous Peoples in the city of São Paulo. The collective sees audiovisual media as one of the main tools to combat prejudice and racism against Indigenous Peoples and promote dialogue about what it means to be Indigenous in the city.