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Demitrius Payne
Demitrius Payne at the Native Youth Gold Championship (NYGC) this past summer. This is one of the largest gold tournaments for native youth in the country. Demitrius was the starter.
While Raising His Sister, Attending College, and Navigating as an Afro-Indigenous Man, Demitrius Payne Continues to Rise

 
My name is Demitrius Payne I am 23 years old and am a NB3FIT Program Coordinator for the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation. I’ve been the lead for the NB3FIT Jr. golf program since 2018. Not only do I lead our Jr. golf program, but I also assist in the other direct service programs NB3FIT offers such as soccer, track, and cross country.

Also, I am trying to further my education by attending Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). After the completion of my education, I plan on continuing to pursue a career in the golf industry. The titles of leader/coach are not the only titles that I carry with me, I also carry the titles of older brother and parent. Since the passing of both our parents I have taken on the responsibility of raising my younger sister while also trying raise myself at the same time. We were both born and raised in the Pueblo of Laguna, and that is where we both live today.
 
What key moments defined you as a leader?

To be completely honest I’m not sure I have one or am able to choose one. I say this because I believe being defined as a leader doesn’t happen in one moment, I believe it happens when one has the skill to be patient and to grow as a person. These skills have defined me more as a leader than any one moment ever could. I firmly believe these skills define any leader because without these I have seen other leaders not be as successful or as effective in their fields as they could be.
 
In my short time working with NB3, not only have I been lucky enough to give back to other indigenous communities, but I have also been given the opportunity to give back to my own community on multiple occasions. Two events that stand out the most to me are: the time I was asked to lead P.E. sessions at the local elementary school in my community, and when I got the opportunity to run an 8-week summer golf camp for youth from my community. These two projects mean the most to me because the golf camp I lead for the youth from my community was my first project as lead for the Jr. golf program. This was also my first true leadership experience outside of the classroom. My experience leading P.E. was one of the best experiences I’ve had working with youth because some of the kids I worked with during that time had already been to my summer golf camp the year before and were familiar with me. Now when I go outside to walk our dog, take out the trash, or just go to the park, the youth that I got to meet always come up to me and say “hi” or just come give a high-five/fist-bump. These small gestures mean so much to me because it shows me the skills and developmental lessons that I try and pass on to the youth stick with them. They also are practicing what they have learned.

How do you connect with your ancestral roots professionally and personally?
 
Connecting with my ancestral roots has been a difficult task for me growing up on the reservation. You might expect it to be easier to connect with my roots being that I am on my people's ancestral lands, but that just wasn’t the case. As an Afro-indigenous man, I’ve always felt it difficult to connect with my Pueblo culture because there was always this feeling that since I am not full-blooded pueblo, I wouldn’t be accepted. This has turned out to be partially true throughout my life. I have gotten dirty looks from some men whenever I try to participate or speak our indigenous language. Sadly, because of this, I was turned off from participating in our language and traditional ceremonies.

I didn’t really start trying to connect to my culture until my sophomore year of high school when my tribe’s indigenous language was offered at my school - Native American Community Academy. It was taught by two of the elders from my community, and this was the first time I felt accepted by someone in my community outside of family. Although I am not fluent in my language, learning helped open a door for me to connect with some of the elders who are more accepting than the generation after them. This journey of connecting with my culture has been difficult, but it is a journey I am willing to take on.
 
As a leader, what motivates you to move forward in adversity?

We all face adversity and it looks different for everyone. I am no exception. Growing up as an afro-indigenous youth on the reservation there was never a shortage of challenges to face and overcome. The hardest part was finding the motivation to face them.

Before I learned about the benefits of continuing my education and being the first in family to attend college, my main motivation was making my mom proud. Being raised by a single mother wasn’t easy - we had struggles like any other family would but instead of having both parents there to deal with it; it was just my mom. Seeing how hard my mom worked to support her two kids and make sure they had everything they ever needed has always motivated me to put forth my best effort in whatever I do. Even after her passing, I still try to make her proud.
June 2022 Conference Summary in Photos and Videos
We had an inspiring conference in June after two years of virtual gatherings due to COVID. If you missed that, you can still be a part of the experience through the photos from the 2022 GlobalMindED conference, as well as seeing the complete program for connections and inspiration.



Video remarks:
Honoring the 2022 Inclusive Leader Award Winners. Please see their stories:
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