Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA —  Climate change is a hot topic on college campuses. But when Audrey-Rose Sevaaetasi started school in North Carolina, she felt like few students could relate to her perspective on the issue.

As an Indigenous Pacific Islander from American Samoa, where sea level rise and intensifying storms are an urgent concern, she struggled to find people who understood her experiences.

 “There is not a lot of Pacific Islanders present … or other Indigenous peoples … so it was very difficult to try to see eye-to-eye with a lot of people. … It’s kind of like they don’t really see where I’m coming from when I’m talking about climate change,” Ms Sevaaetasi said.

So Sevaaetasi greatly appreciates the Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress, which is held each summer in West Virginia.

She first went as a high school student and has now become a junior faculty member.

Participants take workshops and meet other Native youth who care about the climate.

 “Coming together with other Native tribes and Indigenous communities, you’re able to really build on your roots as well as sort of adapt to understand different communities. … It’s just really beneficial to bounce ideas off of each other,” Ms Sevaaetasi said.

So she says it’s a great opportunity to connect and collaborate.