A law student and activist from the United States is using her personal experience in the foster care system to fuel her advocacy for Indigenous children.

Autumn Adams of the Yakama Nation took part in a UN virtual event on Wednesday to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which this year focused on youth as agents of change.

“I believe children are our future. We don’t have a future without the next generation,” she said, speaking from the southwestern state of Arizona after the event.

Autumn spoke to UN News’s Elena Fu about her journey to become a strong voice for Indigenous rights.