Draft:Lyla June Johnston



Lyla June Johnston (born 1989) is a public speaker, scholar, performance artist, educator and environmentalist.

Johnston, who has Diné, Cheyenne and European American heritage,   grew up in Taos, New Mexico. She graduated from Stanford University with honors and a B.A. in environmental anthropology. She later graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in education, specializing in community curriculum development. She is currently pursuing an doctoral degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Indigenous Studies. Her doctoral focus lies at the intersection of Indigenous land management and Indigenous food systems.

Art career
Johnston also works on poetry and music. She served as a citizen journalist and national organizer during the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota.

Johnston is also the founder of the Regeneration Festival in Taos, New Mexico.

Johnston was depicted by artist collective Indecline, alongside Noam Chomsky, Malcolm X and Angela Davis.

Political career
In December 2019, Johnston announced her intention to run for New Mexico State House of Representatives, District 47, against incumbent and Speaker of the House Brian Egolf. Johnston has focused on climate change, fossil fuel industry regulation, water conservation and environmental justice as her primary platform issues and identifies as a progressive member of the Democratic Party.