# @washu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DIcuondsFTm
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/37711445-washu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4a54a4c2d7.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-15T01:32:05.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** WashU (@washu) — https://gondola.cc/washu

## Caption

Although Native people make up just 2% of the U.S. population, their presence, resilience, and contributions far exceed numbers. Daryn wants you to know—they’re still here.
 
“I don’t need your apologies. I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. I need you to take action. I need you to advocate.”
 
For Daryn, advocacy is more than words—it’s action. 
 
Born in Tucson, Arizona, Daryn is a proud Navajo woman enrolled under the Colorado River Indian Tribes. During her photo session, she wore a ribbon skirt, a gift from her mother purchased at her sister’s powwow. The ribbon skirt is a symbol of identity, resilience, and Indigenous pride. To wear one is to carry the strength of those who came before.
 
Daryn’s mother is more than a source of support. She is Daryn’s inspiration—the foundation of who she is and the driving force behind where she’s headed.
 
She hopes to work across both urban and non-urban Native communities, creating spaces for healing and mental health support. Having grown up as an urban Native, she understands the challenges of navigating identity away from tribal lands.
 
Daryn’s dream is bold: to open a Native youth center—a space for education, mental health resources, and advocacy. 
 
“I want to be part of the change.”
 
As a first-year MSW student, Daryn is taking the first steps toward making that dream a reality.

#FacesofWashU #WashU

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## Tags

washu, facesofwashu

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