Alden Walcott is an avid and active journalist who has used her talents to promote understanding and respect for indigenous identity.
A proud member of the Nansemond Indian Nation based in Suffolk, Alden wanted to write about her tribe for Virginia Public Media, where she is a member of the PBS News Student Reporting Labs’ Student Advisory Team. She chose to highlight a little-known chapter of Virginia’s racial history, the 1924 Racial Integrity Act, which reclassified all Virginians as “white” or “colored” and eliminated the option of identifying as “Indian”.
The law applied the “one-drop” rule of racial heritage, asserting that anyone with at least one drop of non-white blood must be considered “colored” and subjected to the Act’s required segregation laws. Alden’s piece describes how this erasure made it nearly impossible for some of Virginia’s tribes to gain federal recognition, because it is difficult to demonstrate the tribes’ continued presence in the state through the 20th century.
Recognizing the importance of her work, Alden’s history teacher incorporated her article into class discussions on race and policy in Virginia’s past. Click this link to view her published piece: https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-01-15/jim-crow-you-may-not-know-nansemond-literary-essay-pbs-srl
Alden continues to use her voice to lift up Indigenous perspectives and promote understanding of others’ traditions. In another piece she produced for PBS, “How Indigenous teens stay connected with their heritage” she explores how high school and college-aged Native Americans express and navigate their cultural identities, hoping to challenge stereotypes and spark meaningful conversations about what it means to be Indigenous today.
Alden cites her mother and her ancestors as her greatest motivations. “I love shouting out the people who came before me!” she says. Through her storytelling, Alden honors those voices and ensures they continue to be heard. By sharing truth and history with empathy and courage, she is helping to build greater understanding–and a more peaceful future–for all.