Yurok Youth at Yale

Klamath, Ca., (KIEM)- Two young people from Klamath visited Yale University on March 30th, to bring traditional Yurok knowledge to future scientists at the ‘Ivy League’ university.

Samuel and JonLuke Genshaw are the co-founders of the Ancestral Guard, a Native American youth group. The guard addressed the social and economic challenges faced by the Yurok, Hoopa, Tolowa and Karuk Tribes, by revitalizing tradition.

Advocating for healthier lifestyles, they introduce young people to traditional foods, and deliver meals to expectant mothers. They run education programs about traditional plants.

In Connecticut, they spoke with students in the Forestry and Environmental Studies Department. The goal? Bringing an indigenous perspective to future ecological leaders and decision makes. Integrating sustainability and tradition.

“We appreciate your scientific method,” Samuel Gensaw said. “It gives us the information we need to understand how our environment is changing. The academic world can also utilize our indigenous perspectives to help understand how systems are linked. Our environment isn’t just a physical place … It provides all of our food. Food and environment are, therefore, linked. Both go together. And both give us life.”

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