Amaiya Bearpaw has always loved the outdoors. Preserving and improving the land that her family and community are part of has been a force in her life. Now, as she gets ready for her senior year in geography and sustainability studies at Northeastern State University, Bearpaw is even closer to her goal of making a difference in her community — and to the land that her community calls home.
Growing up in rural Jay, Okla., with a population of just 2,500, Bearpaw became well acquainted with the land. Bearpaw, her mother, and two sisters, were often outside, spending time on Clouds Creek, which flows about 10 miles from their home. The remote community was focused on agriculture, and Bearpaw spent much of her childhood showing farm animals in county and state shows and fairs.
Growing up, Bearpaw was heavily influenced by her mother. “I learned a lot from my mother and that has shaped me,” explains Bearpaw. “She has always motivated me to be an independent woman and strive for the best, while working for everything I’ve earned in my lifetime so far.” Bearpaw also found support through her teachers at Jay High School, who helped motivate her and shape her leadership skills.
With the support of her family and teachers, Bearpaw felt confident in pursuing her dream of exploring an agricultural career at Oklahoma State University. But after much thought, Bearpaw knew that was not the right place for her. “Being closer to home makes it easier for me be an advocate for my community,” says Bearpaw. So instead, she headed to Northeastern State University.
Bearpaw was excited to begin her college education, but she wasn’t ready for some of the challenges. “I was not prepared to live with roommates,” says Bearpaw. “I felt like I did not relate to the girls I stayed with, and living on campus made me completely homesick.” Ultimately, she decided to move home. While that alleviated the homesickness, it meant commuting an hour each way to school, and less time for studies and extracurriculars.
Once Bearpaw became more comfortable at school, she began to explore areas of interest. In her sophomore year, she took an introductory course in geographic information systems (GIS), and fell in love with it. “That really sparked my interest in getting my certification in it and majoring in it,” says Bearpaw. After changing her major multiple times, Bearpaw knew this was the concentration for her, and she became excited to pursue similar topics.
Currently, Bearpaw is a part-time student researcher doing ongoing tree mapping on campus with another student researcher. “I am working on a presentation for the AISES National Conference,” explains Bearpaw. “We plan to present the data we collect on campus trees that we are going to connect to Cherokee culture. We are also going to create an interactive map for the university.”
In addition to her student research projects and coursework, Bearpaw has become involved in a number of organizations that support Native students. “I am the secretary for the Native American Student Association (NASA), president of our AISES chapter, and president of the Alpha Pi Omega Sorority–Theta Chapter,” explains Bearpaw. This involvement has helped her flex and grow the leadership skills she learned in high school and allows her to connect with students who share her interests.
For Bearpaw, one of those interests is helping others. “I love bringing up young leaders,” she says. In addition, her work in geographic studies, and her minor in Cherokee language, will help her achieve her goal of making a difference in her community. “Northeast Oklahoma and the surrounding areas need my help and my voice,” says Bearpaw.
To this end, Bearpaw volunteers with the Spring Creek Coalition (SCC). Through her work with SCC, Bearpaw has seen that poultry operations are polluting Spring Creek and her beloved Clouds Creek. “I want to be able to use my degree and career to deliver change to the minds that need it and to advocate for clean water,” says Bearpaw.
With her determination and love of the land, Bearpaw hopes to inspire others to pursue their dreams. “There are far more opportunities than meet the eye in the Native community,” notes Bearpaw. “As long as you have a dream to succeed, you will succeed.”
