A recognized Indigenous leader within the global climate movement who has joined delegations at major meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including COP25 in Madrid and COP26 in Glasgow, Maka Monture Päki (Tlingit and Mohawk Tribes) on August 21 received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from Americorps. AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith and Native Forward Scholars Fund CEO Angelique Albert visited Monture Päki in her home base of Anchorage, Alaska to present the award, which honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires others to act.

In 2015, Monture Päki co-founded the Arctic Youth Ambassadors Program, which creates opportunities for Indigenous young people from rural Alaska to share their voices and offer solutions to address the effects of climate change in the Arctic. As a member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, or International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change, Monture Päki has worked with Indigenous representatives from around the world to push for government action in international climate negotiations and for centering Indigenous people’s experiences and solutions to the global climate crisis.

An Alaska Native, Monture Päki studied Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University. She then received her Master’s Degree in Public Health at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. During her studies, Monture Päki received financial and student support from Native Forward Scholars Fund, which is committed to ensuring that every Native student who wants to pursue higher education has the resources to do so. Native Forward has delivered more funding in direct scholarship dollars and support services to Native students in the U.S. than any other scholarship provider.

“We are thrilled to see Maka’s significant contributions to the global conversation on our climate crisis recognized by leading service organizations like AmeriCorps,” said Albert. “As a Native person who grew up living off the land and developed a deep respect for environmental stewardship, Maka is now bringing that experience and perspective to some of the most influential forums in the world. She exemplifies the power of investing in the education of young Native people.”

“The President’s Volunteer Service Award highlights the enduring spirit of service that unites Americans and transforms lives,” said Smith. “I was honored to join our colleagues from Native Forward Scholars Fund to recognize Maka Monture Päki for dedicating thousands of hours to environmental and social advocacy on behalf of Indigenous and non-indigenous youth and women.”

Monture Päki’s academic work and advocacy have earned her multiple awards including the World Wildlife Fund’s Youth Leadership Award, Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, Danny Wilcher Award for Young Environmental Activists, Environmental Protection Agency Carroll Jorgenson Award, and the National Parks Conservation Association’s 10 Under 40.  Her projects include Always Indigenous Media,  Data for Indigenous Justice, and Moonture, an Indigenous design studio that she established in 2020 with her husband.

Monture Päki joins a long list of highly accomplished and influential Native people whose academic careers were empowered by Native Forward. That list includes:

• U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
• National Humanities Medal recipient Dr. Henrietta Mann
• Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Orange
• Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Cynthia Chavez Lamar