Global Heel: Colby Taylor
July 18, 2024UNC Global Affairs
Colby Taylor lives by his grandmother’s wisdom: always leave a place better than you found it.
Taylor, a recent UNC-Chapel Hill graduate from Cherokee, NC, is a proud member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
Having worked extensively with Native American tribes across the U.S., Colby possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and cultures of these communities. This summer, he further broadened his perspective through an international exchange in Chimborazo, Ecuador.
“Growing up in a tight-knit community gave me a sense of belonging, but it also made me want to give back,” Taylor said. “How can I better my community with the skillset I have been given?”
Taylor’s background deeply influences his academic and career choices, driving his desire to strengthen his community.
“I could not be prouder of Colby,” Michael Lambert said. Lambert is the co-chair for the Dean’s Working Group on Global Indigeneity and American Indian Studies and is also a member of the EBCI.
“He has never failed to impress me with his intelligence and tact,” Lambert said. “I can attest that our tribe has many youth who embody Colby’s values, which are rooted in our centuries-long struggle to defend our sovereignty and our right to exist as a people.”
During his time at Carolina, Taylor worked as a Legal Aid intern for the EBCI and studied political science, gaining expertise in political mobilization, community organization, and leadership development. Among his proudest accomplishments is addressing food insecurity at Cherokee Central Schools. He collaborated with Manna Food Bank to establish a program ensuring biweekly meal distributions, providing students with 450 meals weekly and 900 meals biweekly during the summer.
Taylor’s dedication to service and his extensive engagement with diverse tribes across the U.S., coupled with his recent experiences in Ecuador, have deeply enriched his understanding of tribal issues and cultures.
In May, Taylor and six other Carolina students traveled to Chimborazo, Ecuador, to connect with indigenous students from across the world and deepen their understanding of global Indigeneity. The trip marks the second part of the exchange: “Hearing from a New Generation: University Support for Indigenous and Rural Youth.” UNC-Chapel Hill collaborated with the National University of Chimborazo (UNACH). The program was funded by a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador and coordinated by UNC Global Affairs.
The first part, in November 2023, included a delegation from UNACH visiting North Carolina, where students engaged in activities on UNC’s campus and across the state, including workshops on cultural preservation, a trip to the Qualla Boundary and a visit to Star, NC, to learn about rural economic development through arts entrepreneurship.
“The success of this trip lay in the way UNC-Chapel Hill and UNACH students connected with each other to learn from each other — the professional work they hoped to do, the music they liked, the stories of their families and the issues that matter to them at their universities and in their home communities,” said Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, professor of anthropology and co-leader of the exchange. “Their conversations generated new ideas about how to support Indigenous studies and Indigenous students on both campuses.”
Among the many activities in Ecuador organized by UNACH, students visited environmental laboratories to learn about current community-based research, participated in a community workday preparing a potato field for planting and explored a high-altitude alpaca project. They also spent time at a Kichwa bilingual education school, where they were impressed by the commitment of the Indigenous women who designed curriculum materials and taught Kichwa. One day of the weeklong visit concluded with an evening of traditional Andean music performed by young musicians, bringing the UNC-Chapel Hill and UNACH students together for dancing and cultural exchange.
“Colby took an interest in every aspect of the trip: practicing Kichwa phrases at the bilingual school, working in the community day until his hands blistered, asking questions of senior community leaders about their activism, bargaining eagerly in the market for a poncho, and climbing above 16,500 feet on our trip up Mount Chimborazo,” Colloredo-Mansfeld said. “His enthusiasm caught on and sparked great conversations every day of the trip. We were very lucky to have him as a member of our team.”
Taylor expressed gratitude for the ability to take part in the exchange, which offered the chance to explore the varied expressions of indigeneity across different regions.
“It was an eye-opening experience that highlighted a universal struggle shared by Indigenous communities, regardless of location,” Taylor said. “At the heart of the universal challenges is to maintain and celebrate the traditional concepts of justice, community and self-determination amidst a world that often sidelines these distinct viewpoints.”
Taylor believes that supporting Indigenous sovereignty requires acknowledging their autonomy and participating in conversations that pair Indigenous wisdom with contemporary environmental and social leadership approaches.
“Moving forward requires a genuine commitment to appreciate and incorporate this timeless knowledge, essential for achieving sustainable progress and fostering a more equitable and inclusive world,” he said.
As Taylor looks ahead, he is eager to apply these insights and experiences to further benefit his community in North Carolina, embodying the principle of leaving every place better than he found it.