Our Emerging Leader Award is granted to applicants who demonstrate a deep commitment to addressing gender and sexual violence against Indigenous people, who are utilizing their studies to lead ongoing efforts to raise awareness, support survivors, or prevent future violence. Each Emerging Leader Award recipient is given a $500 honorarium.
CAITLYNN
THOMAS
Caitlynn is Arikara (Three Affiliated Tribes), Yankton Dakota, and Navajo. She attends the University of New Mexico, and is a senior and studying American Indian Studies. Her main goal is to help her communities and other tribes be able to have a flourishing education and language programs. With that in mind, she feels like those efforts go hand in hand with MMIW and efforts to protect our women and girls, because we learn our morals and values from our teachings through our language.