
Youth Programming
Empowering Future Leaders through Culture, Storytelling & Land-Based Learning
Program Overview
Our Youth Program works to increase ecological and cultural literacy through land-based camps that provide creative, hands-on learning opportunities centered in cultural connection, creative self-expression, and exposure to the Indigenous and Western science core to restoring and sustaining our homelands. The bulk of current programming is centered in Blackfoot Territory, but will expand to other homelands over the course of 2025 and to virtual platforms in order to connect and reach more youth across Indian Country. Internship and scholarship opportunities are also core to the program.
Photo by: Louise Johns
Our Goals
Deepen ecological and cultural knowledge
Elevate youth voices and visions
Support youth stepping into their own authority and agency
Inspire renewed relationship to our more-than-human relatives and their homelands
Mission Alignment
Our Youth Programs support INDIGENOUS LED’s core pillars:
Protect – Land-based learning, sacred law, conservation, and governance
Heal – Ceremony, storytelling, mentorship, and cultural practices as healing
Celebrate – Honoring youth as cultural knowledge bearers and leaders
Photo by: Morgan Newnham
Opportunities for Youth
Photo by: Louise Johns
Grow. Lead. Serve.
Explore ways to get involved and grow your skills:
Youth Camps – Learn from Elders, engage in land-based science, ceremony, and storytelling
Braided Science Camp – July 2025
Healing Camp – August 2025
Scholarships
2025 Indigenous Youth ScholarshipOpen through May 16, 2025
4 Scholarships at $1,000 each
Internships
Launching April 14, 2025Assist with camps, media, or conservation projects
Earn service hours + mentorship
Receive mentorship + a certificate of completion
Community Service
Contribute to events like Iinnii Days, cultural ceremonies, or community dinnersVerified service hours
Resume-building & leadership recognition
Recognition as a young Indigenous leader
Podcast Episode 3: Empowering indigenous youth
Photo by: Louise Johns
At the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, a conversation unfolds with Sara Little Bear, Youth Programs Manager at INDIGENOUS LED. She shares her role in designing and launching seasonal land-based camps that deepen Native youth’s ecological and cultural knowledge, emphasizing the vital role young people play in conservation. Youth participants speak about their experiences and aspirations, highlighting the importance of cultural preservation, youth engagement, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. The episode centers the power of youth voices in informing conservation and celebrates the healing strength of Indigenous cultures.
why it matters
Photo by: Christopher Carter
These programs aren’t just about events—they are about belonging. They prepare youth to reclaim ancestral knowledge, restore community, and shape a future rooted in cultural values and Indigenous leadership.
Contact us.
Sara Little Bear
Youth & Community Engagement Manager
sara@indigenousled.org