Rooted and Rising
Celebrating the Young Women of Northern Youth Project
“Women aren’t heard enough, we just aren’t. It’s everyone else making the decisions... There is definitely a need for young women to be heard! And to be able to do this work without having the backlash of our communities... it’s an equality thing. This work here that we are doing is helping.”
In the high desert of Northern New Mexico, young women are rising—quietly, steadily, and with so much corazón.
At Northern Youth Project, these girls and young women are tending more than land. They’re moving water through acequias like their abuelos did, planting gardens where futures bloom, caring for animals with steady hands, making remedios like their abuelitas, and feeding their people in more ways than one. They do hard work—digging, lifting, learning, building—and they do it with laughter, strength, and joy.
And they are not alone. The work is held in community, and we honor the men and adults who show up with humility and heart to mentor, share tools, and make space for these young women to lead. Their quiet support is powerful and rooted in respect and reciprocity.
This simple slideshow honors the unsung. It’s a glimpse into the everyday brilliance of young women who are often unseen, but never unfelt. This is for the girls who show up! For the ones who shine with the light of their ancestors, even when no one’s watching.
