The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced nearly $3.5 million in funding for eight Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) projects. The IYSC program aims to provide vocational skills training and career development opportunities for Native youth while also contributing to the protection and conservation of natural and cultural resources. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland believes that by providing early and frequent access to nature, the program can help foster the next generation of Indigenous land stewards.
The selected projects are spread across various states, including New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, and South Dakota. The grants will support initiatives such as the Intergenerational Natural Resources Summer Youth Camp at Coronado National Forest in Arizona, which will receive $48,400 to support youths from Tribal communities in the area. On the other hand, the Wood For Life program in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado will receive the largest grant of $1 million. This funding will expand the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps program and assist Native youth in reforestation efforts, wildland fire mitigation, and forestry projects.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who launched the IYSC program, emphasizes the importance of empowering the next generation of Native leaders and strengthening their connection to the lands and waters that their ancestors have cared for. The IYSC program was authorized in 2019 and is part of a partnership-based initiative. In addition to the funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Foundation has committed $1 million in projects for the IYSC, further supporting Tribal youth service corps projects.
The overall goal of the IYSC is to raise awareness of Indigenous culture and history while conserving and protecting their landscapes, stories, and shared experiences for current and future generations. The program encompasses a wide range of activities, including research projects, oral histories, habitat surveys, climate mitigation, trail restoration, invasive species removal, fire fuels reduction, watershed restoration, recreational expansion, and the development of educational and informational materials for the public. By providing Native youth with opportunities to engage in these activities, the IYSC aims to foster a strong connection to the natural world and promote Indigenous land stewardship.
