WASHINGTON, D.C. — Twenty nine high school students from the Seminole Tribe of Florida spent a week in D.C. this month participating in Close Up 2025, a program that provides opportunities to learn about civics, government and history.

In total, 104 students attended the program from 14 tribal nations from March 9 to 13. It was the 25th year students from the Seminole Tribe of Florida attended Close Up.

On March 10, students spent most of the day creating tribal action initiative projects to present at United South and Eastern Tribes “Impact Week” meeting. The poster projects revolved around problems and issues in their communities and proposed steps to improve. Seminole students presented on public safety, tourism and youth engagement to tribal leadership, including Big Cypress Councilwoman Mariann Billie.

Senior Victoria Osceola Benard was one of the presenters for her groups’ project and read a part of the sovereignty statement students put together for USET leadership. She said something she will apply at home are the tribal action initiative projects.

“It was those boards we made [for the tribal action initiative project]. I’m going to take those back because of the safety of all the reservations — I really want to fix that,” Osceola Benard said.

With Councilwoman Billie there, Osceola Benard said, she felt like her voice was heard.

“She understands us because she’s from our same tribe, especially when we were coming up with ideas, she understood our concern [and] tried to give us more ideas or she would explain stuff for us. That’s why I felt comfortable. We’re all natives, but we work differently. So to have someone who can represent us is really nice,” Osceola Benard said.

Shawn Ralston (Seneca), curriculum design manager with the Close Up Foundation, attended the program as a student. He said he may not have realized it at the time, but the program helped forge his political identity and gave him the opportunity to connect with others.

“That program helped me … embrace my life more because I was away from my own community. I could do things differently here, talk differently, and people didn’t have any sort of expectations. And my role is hoping to extend that experience to other students,” Ralston said.

With the tribal action initiative projects, Ralston said it’s a way for students to open up and learn more about the size and scope of government.

“But they walk around, they can both see that their communities may look similar, they may face similar problems. They can also see that those problems are very specific to the places that they live and the people that they live with. So yeah, it both allows them to create community through shared experience, but also what’s in front of them, how different we all are,” Ralston said.

During the week, Seminole students heard from Councilwoman Billie and multiple staff from the Environmental Protection Office. Krystle Bowers, Joseph Johns, Alfonso Tigertail, Mario Londono and Megan Mills presented on what their positions are all about and what their day-today looks like. In addition to learning about different careers and working on projects, students took photos on Capitol Hill, toured memorials and monuments, and participated in various activities.

“My favorite was definitely the Abraham Lincoln [Memorial]. I didn’t expect it to be that big – but it’s huge, and I think it’s a cool experience to see. As well as seeing where Martin Luther King Jr. [gave] his ‘Dream’ speech, and how it looked when he was talking. That was cool,” Jr. Miss Seminole Violet Osceola said.

It was Osceola’s first year attending Close Up, and she said one of the most impactful parts was the group activities and workshops.

“I really like the questions they asked, and we were put into groups with other people. So, I got the chance to talk to everyone in my group, and I really like that, seeing their perspective on things, and also their how much they know as well, because there are a lot of things that I didn’t know that they brought up, and I hope to take that back,” Osceola said.

This year was junior Yani Smith’s second time going on the Close Up trip. Coming into the trip, she knew about American government and how it works, but learned more about how tribal government and sovereignty tied into it. She said she recommends the trip because there’s something that everybody can get out of it.

“Coming on this trip, it just gave me new knowledge and new perspectives and new experiences. Yes, I got to meet a lot of people from different tribes from our area, and, yes, I learned a whole bunch of things. But I feel like it’s more than that. It’s not just meeting people, it’s not just learning things. The experience, as a whole, … everybody can get something. Even if … you don’t want to go into politics in general. … Even if you don’t right now, who knows, in 10 years, you might change your mind, and then you can get new perspectives. No tribe is the same. … Nobody’s experience is the same. And it gives you a new perspective.”

Meeting students from other tribal nations and learning about their various experiences is a highlight, Smith said. She, and other students on the trip, said buying into the program, participating and talking to others is vital to making the most out of it. Willo James, senior, also said one of the program highlights was making new friends and meeting people. Something James hopes people takeaway is that they can make an impact.

“We can make a difference. It doesn’t matter how old you are, where you come from, whatever. Just know that you can make a difference,” James said.

Along with that key takeaway, Smith said she wants people to know that Native youth want to be a part of conversations about their communities, politics and other topics.

“I want people to know that we do want to be here – Native youth – we do want a space. We do want to be able to be in these conversations and talk about how we see things,” Smith said. “Our tribal initiatives presentations, that’s … one of the spaces that we get to have a voice in. So being able to talk to those tribal leaders and them listening to us is really good. I just want people to know, especially the adults and anybody, even young people that are reading this, …. [as] Native youth, we do want to be in these conversations. We do want to help, and we do want to make a difference, and we want to know more, and please include us in these conversations.”

Martha Santibanez, 9-12 advisor for the Seminole Tribe, has been attending Close Up for three years. She said one of her favorite parts is seeing the students come out of their shells.

“There’s something that sparks in them. At first, they’re really shy. Not all of them, some of them, but they are very quiet. And then I think when they start meeting other tribal members or their own family within their own tribe, they open up. They’re not as shy, they’re a little bit more outspoken,” Santibanez said. “And even the students that you would think wouldn’t be brave enough to stand up in front of a crowd or even speak, how they open up is great, and to see them use this later on, that makes it even better. It makes me feel like I’m doing a good enough job, because they’re growing, they’re learning, they’re progressing, and somehow I was able to help with that. … I love it. I love the kids.”

Something Ralston said students should have an understanding of leaving Close Up is how they can influence their communities.

“What tribal governments are, what they provide to their community, the underlying the unfulfilled treaty and trust obligations of the federal government to their tribal nations and their communities, that’s all a good thing to know and a good thing to wrestle with,” Ralston said. “But I would say that they should leave with an understanding that them as Native people, can be separate from the political structures and institutions that they’re interacting with and impact their lives. I think there’s not a ton of emphasis put on the fact that change can come with from within communities, and it doesn’t have to be connected to whoever they elect. In recent years, we’ve focused on a citizen action role to counterbalance that. I’d want them to leave with, I’m not saying that the tribal government in your community is going to solve all your problems. I’m saying that if you dedicate yourself, if you learn what you need to learn and apply that to the world, you’re not always going to get the best result, but in our democracy and in your community, it’s possible.”