“My Indigenous heritage comes even before my name. It has shaped how I view the world. It is everything to me.” —Scientist and education and environmental activist @charitieropati (Charitie Ropati) “I am Yup’ik and Samoan and was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. I am an enrolled member of the Native Village of Kongiganak and grew up knowing and understanding the value of education and subsistence ways of living,” says Charitie, who founded the nonprofit @lilnativegirlinstem (Lil Native Girl in STEM) to support Indigenous femmes, girls and women in the field. “I firmly believe that an Indigenous child’s access to safe and equitable education is rooted in climate justice. I want education systems to amplify the voices of my ancestors and I want Native youth to feel seen in their classes. I want Native kids to dream beyond what they’re told to be. And I also want people to think about what our world would look like if Native people have always had sovereignty. People believe that we are not here anymore, but when we share our stories — our stories of our survival and resilience, our stories of joy — people will know that not only are we surviving but we are thriving, too.” Photo by @charitieropati