by Cindy Andrecheck
Bethel has two new Arctic Youth Ambassadors for the 2025-26 cohort: Emma Daniel and Corin Pike.
Arctic Youth Ambassadors is a program established in 2015 by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As stated on their website, “The Arctic Youth Ambassadors Program elevates youth voices in international arenas, empowers future Arctic leaders, and builds greater understanding about life in the arctic.”
Emma Cungauyar Daniel grew up in Bethel, daughter of Clarence and Julia Daniel, who are originally from Tuntutuliak; she has 5 siblings. After graduating from Bethel Regional High School (BRHS) and the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP), Emma is currently enrolled at UAF in Fairbanks in the Natural Resources and Environment bachelor’s degree program.
Corin was also raised in Bethel; his parents are Edward and Heather Flores, and he has one sibling. This spring Corin plans to graduate from BRHS and is now in his fourth year as an ANSEP student. Next fall he will attend UAF and major in wildlife biology and conservation, with the goal of becoming a federal wildlife officer in Bethel.
Both Emma and Corin are excited about the opportunity to voice ideas and observations that youth in the arctic are concerned about. Emma is interested in water quality and waste issues, not only as they impact humans (i.e. the use of honey buckets in rural Alaska), but also their bearing on salmon health and populations in our rivers and streams.
Ecology of the land is a topic Corin finds intriguing. The warming climate and melting permafrost in Bethel has brought about the growth of trees, which in turn provides habitat for birds which were not common here in the past. How will our relationship with plants change as new species emerge?
During their orientation meeting January 17-20, 2025, both Ambassadors hope to receive guidance to find a particular focus of interest for their term of service.
There are also opportunities for travel to US and international destinations to observe and present at conferences and meetings. The first of these opportunities is the Alaska Forum on the Environment in Anchorage in February, the largest gathering in Alaska of environmental professionals from a multitude of backgrounds across the state. Past ambassadors have traveled all over the US and as far away as Iceland, Finland, and France, telling Alaska’s story.
One last topic Emma and Corin both talked about was the loss of Indigenous languages and cultures among the peoples of Alaska, and the effect it has on the arctic. Local knowledge about the environment is being lost and can not be reclaimed once the elders who guard it are gone. They hope to make the case to national and international communities that Indigenous languages and cultures are worth preserving.
The duo is looking forward to meeting new people, forming new relationships, and learning new skills as they start their adventure as Arctic Youth Ambassadors. We look forward to hearing more from them in the future.
