Ivy Pete is an Indigenous student activist working to empower Native American youth through policy work and civil service. Growing up in Spokane, Washington, Ivy quickly learned that the voices of urban Native youth were often missing from the important conversations and key decisions impacting all our lives. Driven by a passion for change, Ivy is an advocate for the elimination of race-based mascots, land conservation, equitable education and practice, and civic engagement for Native youth. She led the movement to retire her high school’s derogatory “Indian” mascot and championed the passage of legislation in Washington State to regulate the use of Native American names, symbols, and imagery in public schools.  

Ivy is the only Native American currently serving on the Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) of Washington State: a group of 22 young people codified by state law to advise and lobby the legislative bodies of the state regarding issues pertaining to youth. She was also the student advisor to the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors and served on the mayoral youth commission. She currently serves on the Native American Advisory Committee for her district and the Washington State Indian Education Association Board of Directors (WSIEA) where she organizes events, actions, and communications to Native students. She is currently employed at the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) where she works as a youth organizer. In 2021, Ivy was named Indian High Schooler of the Year by the WSIEA and named ACLU of Washington’s Youth Activist of the year. After high school, Ivy will attend Georgetown University to study political science and government, with a concentration in tribal affairs. She is honored and humbled to serve as an advocate of her people and empower other Native youth to do the same.