Notoka Tekpatl Kuauhtzin. Niwalewa Nawa wan Tsalagi chanehke. Osiyo. Tekpatl Kuauhtzin dagwado. Didegu Nawa ale Tsalagi yvwi. Greetings relatives, my name is Tekpatl Kuauhtzin. I am 20 years old and I am a student at UCLA studying American Indian Studies with an emphasis on our environment. I need your help to achieve the next step in my education as an Indigenous youth. This quarter, I was offered an opportunity to participate in a travel study program to Guam called Native Justice: Social Movements in Guam. This travel study opportunity advances my plan of action in terms of my educational pursuits, however I currently do not have the means to pay for the program in full as a university student. I have secured a scholarship to cover the cost of the course fee of $5,400. However, the 4-week program’s total cost is roughly $9,000 USD including food, transportation and flight. So I am humbly turning to my community to seek out aid in covering the remaining cost of the program. I have avoided travel studies after multiple encounters with programs that exploit Indigenous wisdoms and circumstances of oppression/hegemony. This program is different because it is Indigenous-led by a professor from Guam, and focuses on community-based learning. I am including an excerpt from the program’s description: “Over a period of four weeks, students will thus explore native forms of justice in the widest sense possible. From the ecological preservation of jungle and reef habitats to the ongoing quest for indigenous Chamorro self-determination, students will receive training in and everyday exposure to the social movements of Guam, the Mariana Islands, and the wider Asia-Pacific. By way of weekly field trips to cultural landmarks, food fairs, local museums, and World War II battle sites, students will also immerse themselves in the island’s political and social landscape.  Finally, students will partner with various non-profit organizations, conduct original research projects for them, and critically reflect on the multiple meanings and applications of social justice.” I want to further broaden my understanding of international relationships between Indigenous Peoples connected through waters, and more importantly I want to deepen my understanding of other Indigenous worldviews in relation to the pedagogy of land and territory. Upon securing my Bachelors of Arts in American Indian Studies, I will continue on to study law and its significance in contemporary Native sovereignty and ecological preservation/rematriation. While there, I will be documenting my process visually and telling story through my lens as part of my scholarship guidelines, but more importantly as a passion. As an Indigenous creative, I like to view my art as very much being the documentation of decolonization and autonomy on top of being self expressive. Furthermore, it is a form of healing when approached as visual medicine and is a vital component to the process of self determination and community work. I am very grateful for any contributions to this journey. This opportunity would not be possible without the help of community. Growing up, my teachings have revolved around community and reciprocity. I grew up in a school community and have done work internationally to advance the rights of Indigenous Peoples globally with forums like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). My high school career was made up of delegations throughout Indian Country and beyond, voicing our concerns for Indigenous/maternal language conditions and self determination in education, on top of excelling in A-G university requirements. Fast forward a couple years and I am currently in school at UCLA attaining my B.A. in American Indian Studies. During my second year of university, I served as a youth-guide and volunteer in Native Wellness Institute’s annual Warrior Camp. During the conclusion of the camp, the youth-guides and trainers, all with a drive to combat the intergenerational traumas present in our lives, gathered and we held a closing ceremony. It went on for 7 hours and out of that and guidance from elders, the movement known as Indigenous 20 Something Project (I20SP) was born. I20SP is a prayer. It is a collective means, from South to North, to promote intertribal collaboration and wellness in our communities. We are steadily branching out across North America, South America, and the Pacific Islands. I20SP, my passion in visual storytelling with photography/video, and university have been my life since. This new opportunity will help me cultivate a more powerful sense of global community and a rooted sense of self. Wado, weyetlatsohkamachilistle nokniwan. With love and appreciation, Tekpatl.