Marla Mesarina could talk about UNITY for hours.
UNITY stands for United National Indian Tribal Youth. The organization has a mission "to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian and Alaska Native youth, and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement," according to its website. It is open to any Indigenous youths across the nation, ages 14 to 24.
"The biggest thing about it is it's a place where Native youth can network and also brainstorm off each other about issues that we face," Mesarina said in a recent Bright Spot conversation on the KAXE Morning Show.
Mesarina is from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and is an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. She was chosen as UNITY's female co-president at the organization's national gathering in July. Mesarina has participated in UNITY conferences since 2022 and was the representative for the Midwest region for two years. She will serve along this year's male co-president Nathan Solorio, who she describes as her best friend.
"I think understanding yourself as an Indigenous youth is one of the most amazing things you can do, and UNITY is such a great place for that," Mesarina said.
Part of Mesarina's goals as UNITY co-president is to help start local native youth councils.
"I think youth councils are the best way to uplift Native youth and to also give them a healthy, small community within their community," she said. "I think it always starts with that one person. If you're not going to do it, who else will?"
Mesarina is a junior at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, double majoring in Ojibwe, and in science and nutrition. She would like to become a dietician and especially wants to work with Indigenous pregnant women.
"I want to give them resources, but also traditional medicines and our traditional foods," Mesarina explained.
Listen to our full conversation above to hear more about Marla's career hopes and what the Ojibwe language means to her.
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