50th Annual National UNITY Conference, GRIC Member selected to serve on National UNITY Executive Council
Emma Hughes
Gila River Indian News
Youth from the Akimel O’odham/Pee-Posh Youth Council and the Gila River Royalty Court recently returned from the annual National UNITY (United National Indian Tribal Youth) Conference held July 10 – 14, in Oklahoma City.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the annual conference brought together Indigenous youth from across the United States to participate in leadership development workshops, cultural activities, and keynote presentations. Throughout the event, attendees had the opportunity to learn from tribal leaders, professionals, and peers while celebrating their cultures and traditions.
During the annual gala, sponsored by the Gila River Indian Community, Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis welcomed attendees with opening remarks, celebrating a night dedicated to Native youth leadership.
The evening was even more memorable with Akimel O’odham Pee-Posh Youth Council President Landon Martinez, 19, being elected to serve on the 2026-2027 National UNITY Council Executive Committee as the Western Region Representative. Gov. Lewis had the honor of administering the oath of office to the newly elected UNITY Executive Committee Representatives.
“I am ready to represent this region the best that I can and grow as a family,” said Martinez. “Thank you to everyone already for the very warm welcome!”
The National UNITY Executive Committee represents the UNITY Network on common concerns to ensure they are studied and addressed with a positive and unified voice. This is accomplished through midyear and national meetings and projects that develop leadership skills of Native youth by drawing upon their heritage and teachings.
The Western Region is one of the largest regions represented at the UNITY conference, making the responsibility of representing its youth particularly meaningful. It serves Arizona, Nevada, and Utah and has 65 affiliated youth councils within the UNITY network. The current UNITY headquarters office is also located within the western region in Mesa, Ariz.
In his new role, Martinez plans to be more interactive with youth councils in the region and highlight their efforts.
“What I would like to do is uplift a lot of these [youth] councils that are doing great work, that are out in their own communities making change,” He said. “I want to attend as many of the youth council meetings that I can as Western Region Rep.”
Martinez is dedicated to helping the Community through youth leadership by serving on the AOPPYC since 2023, to create opportunities for youth, strengthen connections, and support youth engagement. He was also part of the Phoenix Indian Center’s F.I.N.A.L (Future Inspired Native American Leadership) Youth Council.
While the election is a significant accomplishment, Martinez said the journey into youth advocacy has been deeply personal and one of the biggest sources of inspiration has been the memory and legacy of his late uncle, David Williams.
“Anything I do, I always think about him,” Martinez said. “I think about what he would think, what he would say to me.”
He shared that people sometimes approach him and mention that they resemble each other, something that serves as a meaningful reminder.
“It makes me feel good that his legacy is still here, that a lot of people still see him within me,” Martinez said.
He currently attends Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as a sophomore, where he is studying Aeronautical Science-flight to become an airline pilot.
Through his involvement, he continues to develop valuable leadership skills while giving back to the people and the community that has supported him.
He credits the youth council, friends and family for helping him reach this point. He thanks his mom, Precious Miguel, for her continuous support and encouraging him to get involved with youth leadership and run as Western Region Rep.
“Thanks to the youth council for teaching me everything that I do know, the friends I have made along the way and ultimately my family, they’re the ones that help push me into positions that I’m in now,” Martinez said.
He also encourages other youth to take chances on leadership opportunities, even if they feel uncertain at first.
“One of my favorite sayings is ‘always be comfortable with the uncomfortable.’ So pushing yourself to do something that you usually don’t do,” he said.
The National UNITY Conference continues to provide Native youth with opportunities to grow as leaders, celebrate their heritage and build relationships that extend well beyond the conference itself.
The AOPPYC provides GRIC youth the opportunity to contribute individual perspectives and insight into the ongoing activities in the Community. There are currently six at-large positions open to youth who are interested in serving a one-year term with the youth council. For more information, call (520) 562-1866 or email youthcouncil@gric.nsn.us