Showing up, staying rooted, and remembering our responsibility to the next seven generations.
I came into the year thinking there would be a lot of time to get things done. But somehow, January has flown by in the blink of an eye.
The office has been pretty quiet these past few weeks, mostly because the youth program has been busy preparing for their “Vision to Voice” spring youth conference. Even when things feel quiet, there is always something happening behind the scenes. This is the season of planning, organizing, and getting ready for what the rest of the year will bring.
January is the time we map the year out. What communities are we going to visit? What community events do we want to support? Where do we want to table, share resources, or help people register to vote? These early months are about setting intentions and building a foundation for the work ahead.
At the beginning of this year, I’ve been focusing on telling the story of civic engagement.
When people hear the words “civic engagement,” a lot of them curl up into a ball. It sounds intimidating or political, or like something that doesn’t have anything to do with everyday life.
But really? You are doing it already and don’t even know it.
Civic engagement is simply taking care of each other and taking care of your community.
It can look like attending a meeting—whether it’s city council, a Head Start parent meeting, a school board meeting, or a tribal council meeting. Even if you don’t say anything, you are still showing up. You are learning. You are paying attention. And maybe someday you will take the next step and speak up.
That’s how it starts.
From there, you might decide you want to take a leap into something bigger. Maybe you run for local office. Maybe you serve on the school board. Maybe you become someone your community can count on to bring concerns forward and help shape decisions.
Civic engagement simply means that you care enough to take care of each other and your community—not just for today, but for the next seven generations.
Our traditional teachings remind us that we have a responsibility to one another. And I can’t help but feel like we are losing some of that.
When did we stop taking care of each other? When did we stop showing up for our communities?
The truth is, we haven’t stopped completely. We still see it every day—in the way people help their relatives, support community events, speak up for children, and look out for elders. Civic engagement is already in us. We’ve been doing it for centuries. Sometimes we just need to name it and remember that it matters.
If you want to learn more, follow us on social media as we continue to show what civic engagement looks like in real life, in our communities, and through Native leadership.
And remember, one of the simplest things you can do right now is to check your voter registration, register to vote and make sure your friends and family are registered for the upcoming elections.
And then cast your ballot.
There may come a day in this country where our right to vote will be taken from us … so let’s not take it for granted.