Reflecting on her experience as a Latter-day Saint who has lived all over the world, she sees the global church facing some challenges. In New Zealand, many young single people are leaving the church, she reports, making it that much harder for those young people who would like to stay to do so. She thinks one reason so many are leaving is because there has not been space created for dialogue about the complexities of the tradition, the challenges, and the faith crises that so many are experiencing. She believes that in the United States there is more room for these complicated conversations in Latter-day Saint communities.
As Natasha pursues her work studying systemic bias in New Zealand and specifically, against Maori communities, Natasha is planning to work for positive change in New Zealand. Her attention is particularly focused on young Maori women and what she can do to mentor them. She reports that there is an increasing amount of interest and attention among New Zealanders of European descent to confront the legacies of colonization and to work for justice for indigenous populations.
