This interview is a longer version of one that appears in a special edition of Habitat Magazine, Summer 2024
NATALIE WALOVEN is a lifelong Maine resident. She will graduate from Yarmouth High School in June and attend Dartmouth College in the fall, with the intention to double major in linguistics and another field, in order to continue her efforts to learn and preserve my indigenous language. This year, she was the first Native American Intern for Royal River Conservation Trust (RRCT), where she researched and wrote about a new RRCT property named for Wabanaki mythology, led a series of affinity hikes in the spring, and wrote the organization’s land acknowledgment to be used on their information panels. As a member of the indigenous sector for the Yarmouth Community Alliance on Racial Equity (YCARE), she has taken large responsibility in spearheading greater indigenous awareness efforts in the local community. She is doing work in the renaming effort for a waterfall in Yarmouth, studying meanings with language experts, submitting forms to the United States Geological Survey, and sending letters to the Town Council. She has also been doing work with the Yarmouth History Center to increase awareness and education of this history.
What inspired you to do this kind of work?
My earliest interest in my indigenous heritage originated from my grandmother. When the Canadian government sent her to a residential school, they forced her to reject her traditional language and beliefs. Although she passed some years ago, her legacy still lives on, and she continues to be my greatest inspiration. Through school, I was able to start an extended learning opportunity–a program that Maine schools offer to allow students to pursue their interests for credit–to learn about my language, via which I was able to reconnect with family on the reservation, particularly with my elder and mentor, Dr. Imelda Perley. While I originally intended the project to be just an analytical examination of language, Dr. Perley taught me how deeply our language runs within our culture, and how important our culture is to our identity. The more I learned, the more I’ve come to understand both the beauty of and the risks facing my Maliseet culture, and subsequently, the need for activism. Furthermore, I’ve found that oftentimes, cultural preservation is quite intertwined with land preservation, and this relationship is what drove me to work in conservation.
What advice would you give to young people who want to get involved in environmental or conservation work?
The best thing any individual can do to get involved, in my experience, is to pursue every opportunity placed before them. At the start of my junior year, I never would have believed that I would gain the knowledge, perspective, and opportunities that I would have by the following summer, much less where I am now. My internship opened the doors for my work with towns, the community, and Maine Audubon, but I never would’ve been able to acquire my internship without my work with YCARE, and I never would’ve been involved with YCARE without my work in my ELO, and I never would’ve started my ELO if I had hesitated or had second (or third or fourth) thoughts about my interest. Often, we overestimate the work required to just start getting involved in initiatives, when in reality, all it takes is open eyes and a willingness to put in the effort. If you’re devoted to your work, people will notice, and you’ll find yourself with additional opportunities. Every project is always looking for increased participation–people can only make initiatives stronger–so don’t hesitate to put yourself out there!
What can adults do to support youth in a meaningful way?
In general, expressing any support has a positive impact on youth, but the most impactful way to do so is to be an active proponent and participant in their work. My parents have gone above and beyond to help me in my efforts, from attending YCARE meetings to keep me updated at school to offering their ideas, knowledge, and time to my causes. For adults already involved in environmental activism, consider incorporating new outlets for youth to get involved, as younger generations are not only invigorating and passionate, but they also provide a different outlook. By working with youth, adults get both the personal values of helping conservation, as well as the opportunity to pave the way for the next generation of strong activists. And ultimately, protecting the future is everyone’s responsibility and goal.