Lowlander Center sponsored Tegan Billiot from Pointe au Chien Tribe and Savannah Lynn Ancar of the Atakapa Ishak-Chawasha Tribe to be part of the NAACP's Environmental and Climate Justice Youth Delegation.
They are part of a delegation of six African American and Indigenous/First Nations youth climate activists from coastal communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Hawai’i whose communities are already experiencing the impact of sea level rise.
The delegation participated in an experiential learning program focused on connecting experiences across regions, building capacity skills to make policy, and telling stories/disseminating information through media. The program included meetings with local youth climate activists, climate scientists, and government officials, guided reflection, production of photography and videography, and creation of spoken word and other art forms, as well as a visit to the arctic region to see the melting glaciers.
The program concluded with a planning session for their continuing work upon returning to their communities, focused particularly on advancing equitable adaptation policies on sea level rise planning.
Read more about the trip and meet the other delegates here.