Charitie Ropati, a scientist, educator, and environmental activist, is impacting her community.

Charitie, who is Yup’ik and Samoan, is an enrolled member of the Native Village of Kongiganak and is passionate about preserving her Indigenous heritage.

“My Indigenous heritage comes before anything else. It shapes my perspective on the world and is everything to me,” says Charitie.

Charitie is also the founder of Lil Native Girl in STEM, a nonprofit organization that supports Indigenous women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Charity strongly believes that Indigenous children should have access to safe and equitable education and that it is rooted in climate justice.

She wants education systems to include the voices of Indigenous people and for Indigenous youth to feel seen in their classrooms.

“I want Native kids to dream beyond what they are told to be and for people to think about what the world would look like if Native people always had sovereignty,” says Charitie.

Charitie Ropati is also working to spread awareness about the importance of preserving Indigenous culture.

“People often think that Indigenous cultures are no longer here, but when we share our stories of survival and resilience, our stories of joy, people will know that we are not only surviving but thriving,” she says.

Charitie Ropati’s passion and dedication to her heritage are inspiring and demonstrate the importance of preserving Indigenous cultures.