The American Indian Graduate Magazine - Fall 2017

The

American Indian

GRADUATE Fall 2017

Inside this Issue: • President’s Message • A Message from the Executive Director • 9th Annual AIGC Reception • From GED to Graduate Degree • It’s Okay to Cry and Ask for Help • #MakingTheGrad • ANAHSAT • And more…

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Table of Contents

The American Indian Graduate Volume 16, Number 2

Message from the President

A publication of the American Indian Graduate Center 3701 San Mateo Blvd., NE, #200 Albuquerque, NM 87110 Toll-Free: 1(800) 628-1920 Fax: (505) 884-0427

Building on AIGC’s 50-Year Legacy

Website: aigcs.org

Volume 16, Number 2 • Fall 2017

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by Holly Cook Macarro, President, AIGC Board of Directors

Publisher

Message from the Executive Director A New Opportunity to Empower Tribal Communities Through Education

American Indian Graduate Center, Inc. Editors Joan Currier Stephine Poston Production Editor Jim Weidlein Design and Layout Carolyn S. Tate

by Angelique Albert, AIGC Executive Director

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9th Annual AIGC Reception

Celebrating Champions of Higher Education

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by Stephine Poston

An Agent of Change Nothing is Beyond Limits

by Concetta Bullard

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From GED to Graduate Degree You, Too, Can Overcome

by Simona J. Charles

16

Native Women In Key Financial Careers Hattie Mitchell Joins AMERIND Risk as Director of Finance

by Stephine Poston

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AIGC Board of Directors Holly Cook Macarro, President Red Lake Band of Ojibwe Joel Frank, Vice President Seminole Tribe of Florida Steven Stallings Secretary/Treasurer Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians

Teen Mom on Her Way to PhD Surround Yourself With People Who Believe in Your Dreams

by Kaelyn Chenoa Newton

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The Shape of (Our) Fire On Learning and Re-Learning Revolutionary, Radical Love

by Tanaya Winder

Members at Large Dana Arviso Diné Danna Jackson Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Walter Lamar Blackfeet, Wichita Stacy Leeds Cherokee Nation Aurene Martin Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Ernie Stevens Oneida Nation of WI

Continued on page 4

Cover Image: Kaelyn Chenoa Newton

The American Indian Graduate

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Table of Contents, continued

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It’s Okay to Cry and Ask for Help A Story of a Navajo Transgender Woman’s Journey from a Run-Down Reservation Home to California Beachside Blessings

by Yue Begay

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Hard Work Pays Off Covering Three Shifts: Mom, Student and Employee

by Anna Brown-Jackson

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From High School Drop Out to PhD Failing Forward and Earning a PhD

by Avis Laree Garcia

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AIGC Receives Prestigious National Awards National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) Recognize AIGC

by Stephine Poston

28 ANAHSAT

2017-2018 All Native American High School Academic Team Selection

30 #MakingTheGrad

AIGC Student of the Month Program in Full Swing

by Sara A. LaBarge, M.S.Ed.

The American Indian Graduate

Donate Now! https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/ American-Indian-Graduate-Center AIGC needs your help to provide scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native Students

Please donate at aigcs.org

is now available online.

If you would prefer to receive an electronic version of our magazine, please let us know at www.aigcs.org

Contact Us Mailing List: If you are not currently on our mailing list and would like to receive future issues, please call or write to the address below.

American Indian Graduate Center 3701 San Mateo Blvd., NE, #200 • Albuquerque, NM 87110 1(800) 628-1920 toll-free, (505) 884-0427 fax Advertising: To advertise in The American Indian Graduate, please send an e-mail to: aigmag@aigcs.org Article Submissions: Submit all articles to Consulting Editor Stephine Poston, stephposton@msn.com

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Reprints and Permissions: Reprints of published articles and artwork are prohibited without permission of the American Indian Graduate Center.

Visit us Online! www.aigcs.org ©2017 AIGC, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published submissions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of AIGC, Inc.

Message from the President

Building on AIGC’s 50-Year Legacy

by Holly Cook Macarro (Red Lake Band of Ojibwe)

G

reetings! I’m excited to be penning this column as the newly elected President of the American Indian Graduate Center Board of Directors. I’ve been on the board for 2 years and have experienced some of the evolution of this 50-year old scholarship organization that has supported some of the best and brightest in Indian Country. Alumni are doctors, attorneys, scientists, business owners, tribal leaders and professors to name a few professions.

The theme of this magazine is HerStory, celebrating the stories of our alumnae. Just like many of the stories shared, I too had family championing my higher education journey and setting an example. My own mother was among our tribe’s early college graduates in the ‘60’s and went on to obtain her Master’s Degree in Education in the mid-70’s. I graduated from the University of North Dakota with a BBA and the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN) with an MBA. Much of my career has

We all know that when women feel safe and secure their families thrive and when families thrive our tribal communities respond positively. been spent advocating for underrepresented groups, mostly Native Americans, in the area of voter empowerment campaigns for federal elections, as well as being an advocate and voice for Indian country on various tribal issues in Washington, D.C.

Holly Cook Macarro

One initiative that I’m particularly proud of is assisting in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The reauthorization allowed tribes to take advantage of the law’s most significant updates: a provision that allows tribal courts to investigate and prosecute non-Native men who abuse Native women on reservations. We all know that when women feel safe and secure their families thrive and when families thrive our tribal communities respond positively.

In closing, I want to thank outgoing President Rose Graham (Navajo) for her steady leadership and service to our organization. I would also like to welcome the AIGC’s newest member of the Board of Directors, Aurene Martin (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa), President of Spirit Rock Consulting in Washington, D.C. I look forward to serving our students and encourage you to stay involved in helping the AIGC build capacity in Indian Country one scholarship at a time. Miigwech! ✦

Holly Cook Macarro President, AIGC Board of Directors

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Message from the Executive Director

A New Opportunity to Empower Tribal Communities Through Education

by Angelique Albert (Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes) AIGC Executive Director

S

o much has happened in 2017 to celebrate and recognize the resiliency of Indian women. In January millions of women, families and supporters took to the streets to march and advocate for equality; in particular women.

The Indigenous Women’s March in Washington DC garnered tremendous support to stand together in solidarity with underrepresented groups for the protection of collective rights, safety, health and families. This movement resonated with Indian Country.

Here, at AIGC, we continue to witness Native women are increasingly pursuing higher education: “Over the 30 years between 1976 and 2006, the number of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women enrolled in colleges and universities increased by nearly 200 percent, from 37,600 to 111,000. ‘Particularly notable is the fourfold increase in Native women earning masters, doctoral, and professional degrees’ over this same time period.”

(NCAI Policy Research Center: A Spotlight on Native Women & Girls, May 2015).

At AIGC we are working hard to ensure the resources are in place to ensure we can make educational dreams come true.

This edition of the American Indian Graduate magazine focuses on HerStory – a chance for our current students and alumnae to share their stories and how they triumphed to earn their degrees by any means necessary.

We are thankful for all the wonderful article submissions that speak from the heart about the importance of higher education. In many of these stories there’s a common denominator – a behind the scenes cheerleader. Whether

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The American Indian Graduate

Angelique Albert

it was a mom, dad, grandparent or teacher that stood by them and let them know anything was possible, despite the odds.

While higher education for Indian students has come a long way; there’s still so much more to do. In the coming months, AIGC will announce locations for the Know Before You Go, a college preparatory program designed to get students and their parents or guardians teed up for a successful college experience.

In the short time I’ve been here, the one thing I’ve learned for sure; more than ever Indian students are hungry for higher education. At AIGC we are working hard to ensure the resources are in place to ensure we can make educational dreams come true. The exciting part is that Indian Country is answering the call and looking to build educational partnerships that in turn lead to educated individuals, strong tribes and empowered communities. If you would like to be a part of the AIGC movement that is 50 years strong, please contact me. ✦

Angelique Albert AIGC Executive Director

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9th Annual AIGC Reception

Celebrating Champions of Higher Education

by Stephine Poston (Pueblo of Sandia)

O

n April 26th, the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) celebrated its’ 9th annual reception at the beautiful Sandia Event Center. AIGC is embarking on a 50-year legacy of providing scholarships to Native students and this year sought out champions of higher education to celebrate. It was not easy to narrow down the selection to these very deserving recipients. The honorees this year are: Cora Gaane, Indian Country Advocate Veronica Geronimo, AIGC Alumna Rita Locklear, Higher Education Advocate Pueblo PhD Cohort, Leadership Institute Dr. Shawn Secatero, Higher Education Advocate Matthew Shoulders, AIGC Alumnus To all who attended, sponsored or donated an auction item, thank you. AIGC was able to raise nearly $14,000.

We look to continue to make this annual event bigger and better. If you are interested in partnering, sponsoring or donating please contact the AIGC development office at (505) 881-4584.

Again, congratulations to the honorees!

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The American Indian Graduate

Gabriel Bell (AIGC) and Matt Shoulders

Dr. Shawn Secatero and Angelique Albert

Rita Locklear

Joan Currier and Cora Gaane Ernie Stevens (AIGC Board Member)

The American Indian Graduate

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The American Indian Graduate

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An Agent of Change

Nothing is Beyond Limits

by Concetta Bullard (Lumbee of North Carolina)

“W

hy are you wearing a Dartmouth t-shirt?

No one from Fairmont goes to Dartmouth.”

Those were the words I heard going to my next high school class after I returned from visiting Dartmouth College for a weekend. I attended Fairmont High School in Fairmont, North Carolina. I was wearing a Dartmouth College t-shirt and a teacher made such a comment to me. I was appalled but I simply smiled and replied, “I’m attending Dartmouth in the fall.”

The ability to turn negativity into positivity was a skill I learned quickly growing up. I lived with my mom and step-dad and I was the youngest of four children.

Neither of my parents received a college degree and I witnessed firsthand the financial struggle trying to pay the electricity bill or buy groceries to feed a family. My parents worked hard and managed to provide for me and my siblings. Their hard work and dedication created the foundation of my perseverance and desire to succeed. From elementary to high school, I pushed myself to reach my fullest potential, never settling for anything

Concetta Bullard

My first year at Dartmouth was the most difficult.

For the first time in my life, I experienced racism. While I was aware of overt racism towards ethnic groups, I never felt that my race was an issue until Dartmouth. I desperately wanted to go home, back to the place that I felt the most comfortable. However, I soon realized that despite the issues of race on campus, there was an immense strength and unity within ethnic groups on campus. This display of support encouraged me to con-

While interning, I worked with and met amazing Native women who quickly became role models. These women shared their stories not only of struggle but survival. Their stories inspired, encouraged, and changed me. other than an “A.” I understood from a young age the significance of an education and the many opportunities education would afford me. I also understood that I was not expected to succeed because of my circumstances.

I graduated from high school as valedictorian of my class and received the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Before graduation mom gave me a teddy bear that reads, “Go for your dream. God will be with you.” I still have this teddy bear as a constant reminder of the woman who first saw my potential and abilities. When I see it, I am quickly encouraged and motivated to reach my goals. As a first-generation college student from a low-income family, I was both nervous and eager to attend Dartmouth College.

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The American Indian Graduate

tinue at Dartmouth and taught me the power and beauty of being a Native woman. Although I struggled to adjust to the academic and social culture of Dartmouth, my remaining years were an amazing experience and I am forever grateful. I joined Alpha Pi Omega Sorority Inc., the oldest Native American Greek letter organization in the country. The sisterhood provided spiritual, personal, and emotional support and continues today with a network of amazing women who provide love, encouragement and power.

My experiences at Dartmouth cultivated a passion not only for learning but for being an agent of change. Both my academic studies and personal experiences compelled

me to take an active role in combatting issues surrounding race, ethnicity, class, and gender. This passion for social justice and change influenced me to complete an internship at the Indian Education Resource Center in Pembroke, NC. The Center and its staff played a vital role in my academic success from middle school to high school.

I wanted to give back to my community and to the Center.

While interning, I worked with and met amazing Native women who quickly became role models. These women shared their stories not only of struggle but survival. Their stories inspired, encouraged, and changed me. After completing the internship, I knew my passion was education and I soon made plans to return home for graduate school to pursue a career in education. After my studies at Dartmouth and completion of the internship, I made a personal goal to help reduce and/or eliminate obstacles that hinder the success and personal growth of students.

Today this remains my goal because I met so many people who helped me to overcome obstacles, accomplish goals, and be successful. While volunteering and working I continued to seek guidance and support from the circle of women that I grew to admire and respect.

After graduating from Dartmouth, I attended the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and earned a Master’s in Education in Professional School Counseling.

I thoroughly enjoyed graduate school because I knew the experience would help me accomplish my personal goals.

I took the advice of professional women that I greatly admired and decided to volunteer in local schools. I assisted school counselors with their daily activities and met with school principals about their expectations of school counselors. I am grateful for the advice of those women because they believed in my talents and abilities. In addition to this volunteer experience, I worked part-time at a local community college. While volunteering and working I continued to seek guidance and support from the circle of women that I grew to admire and respect.

Before I graduated with my Master’s, I suffered a great loss. My stepdad passed away from lung cancer. I vividly remember that day. Seeing him suffer in the hospital and knowing I was going to lose him felt as if my own heart was being ripped out. My stepdad helped my mom raise me since I was a baby and unlike my biological father, he never once walked out on me. My stepdad always told me how proud he was of me and I never once doubted his love for me. I remember my last conversation with him. I had many school counselor job interviews and was rejected many times. I felt discouraged, hopeless, and worthless. A few weeks before he passed I had two interviews and was not hopeful about either of them.

During my last conversation with him I said, “Roger, I

hope I get one of these jobs.” He responded, “I hope you do too, baby.” The week Roger passed away, I received two separate offers to work as a school counselor. I knew at that moment I was right where I needed to be and my hope was restored.

I worked as a school counselor for two years before accepting a position in higher education. While I enjoyed working as a school counselor, I knew my talents and skills were more useful in higher education settings. Today I have the privilege of working at Methodist University as the Assistant Academic Advising Coordinator. I’m able to work with a variety of students and provide academic support and guidance to assist them in their educational endeavors. My work in education is very rewarding and I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of others and, subsequently, to our future.

In August 2013, I married and in 2017 our daughter was born. Balancing being a wife, mother, career woman, and doctoral student is extremely difficult and challenging, yet I cannot imagine my life any other way.

From the beginning, my husband has been supportive of my educational endeavors and career interests. When I experienced loss, hardship, and rejection he continued to be by my side and gave me unconditional love and support. I am currently pursuing my doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I have completed coursework and I am working on my dissertation proposal. There have been countless times that I wanted to quit the program because of the difficulty of balancing my roles as wife, career woman, and mother. However, I continue to press on as I gain strength from my loving family, friends, and mentors. My research interest focuses on the impact pre-college programs have on Native American students’ transition to college. In the future, I would like to extend my research and develop a Native American college student transition theory.

I would not be where I am today if not for the incredible women that played a role in my journey. From my mother, to the women of the Indian Education Resource Center, the women of Dartmouth, the women of Alpha Pi Omega, and the women in my community; each were part of God’s plan to bless my journey with strength, love, encouragement, and endurance. These Native women taught me the power of perseverance, the power of giving back, and the power of unity. It is my purpose to bless other women that cross my path, to help others understand that their circumstances do not define their destination, and to teach my amazing daughter that absolutely nothing is beyond limits. ✦

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From GED to Graduate Degree

You, Too, Can Overcome

by Simona J. Charles (Shoshone-Paiute)

M

y name is Simona J. Charles. I am a member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada. I am Shoshone, Paiute and Hispanic. I was raised in Burns, Oregon and Owyhee, Nevada. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve as an event coordinator, fashion designer, youth director, student, employee, public speaker and single mother. I have dedicated my life to helping others on matters that are close to my heart.

Growing up, I carried a lot of pain. I clearly recollect times I wanted to quit carrying on with life altogether.

Afraid of death, I expressed my pain by using alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and dating at a very young age. I often questioned my purpose in life and the circumstances my family had to endure.

I blamed my mother for her absence. Both she and my stepfather struggled with alcohol and physical abuse.

My mother overcame substance abuse as a result of a near death experience. However, I felt like the damage had already been done. Thankfully, my elderly grandparents stepped in, raising my siblings and me, and taught us the power of prayer, hope and most importantly the power of forgiveness. Was life perfect going forward?

Absolutely not! Our family endured many more trials and tribulations.

However, those tumultuous times taught me to be resilient and advocate for myself and my family. After the loss of my grandfather, I began to connect with Indigenous social workers who could help me work through the pain and teach me to advocate for myself and my family. At the age of fifteen, I became an emancipated adult to help care for my family. At sixteen, I became a single mother. Despite others looking down on me, I had family, social workers and a few community members encouraging me – nothing was impossible to accomplish with the Creator by my side, coupled with hard work and dedication.

Through the following years my older brother took steps toward higher education and encouraged me to do the same. I can recall this being one of the most difficult decisions I had ever made in my life. I was about to leave

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The American Indian Graduate

Simona J. Charles

At the age of fifteen, I became an emancipated adult to help care for my family. my family on the reservation to pursue something I had no idea if I could truly accomplish. My grandmother’s words to me at that time were, “It is time for you to live.” With just a GED education, I jumped on a Greyhound bus with my four-year-old daughter on my lap and pregnant with my second child. I left Nevada to attend Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. There I learned about systematic oppression and laws that were set in place to destroy families like mine. I began to understand the cycle of generational trauma and lack of resources that affected my people on a daily basis. It was then that I realized how trauma and a lack of resources can push any individual to feel hopeless and despair, and the reasons one would resort to substance abuse to deal with life, historical trauma, and its hardships.

After my second-year at Haskell my grandmother passed. Lacking sufficient funds, I was unable to attend her funeral. Tragedy would hit our family again. I received a phone call telling me that my brother, who my grandparents adopted at the age of five and raised with us, had passed away. Equally distressing at this time, I was in an

unhealthy relationship, pregnant with my third I had come too far to turn child. I chose to leave Haskell to move closer to back. I felt it was important home with the idea that I could make my relationto advocate for my people ship better. I quickly ended up single, out of school, – as those who had done so homeless, and struggling in a town away from my for me. What better way to family. It was then I had to dig deep. I remembered do this than by obtaining the words of my grandmother, family and mema Master’s degree in Social bers of my community who encouraged, me telling Work? Today, I am enrolled me I could accomplish all my dreams. in the Master’s program in During the time I was homeless, I landed a Social Work at the George great job working for Citi Bank. My supervisor Warren Brown School of encouraged me to finish my education and helped Social Work at Washington me transfer to Kansas City, Missouri. I decided to University in St. Louis, hit the ground running and returned to Haskell. Simona with her uncle Missouri.

Rain or shine I would travel an hour to and from While working to school while working full time, studying and doing volununderstand the hardships Indigenous people have teer work – all while being a single mother of three beautiendured, a quote has stuck with me while I have purful children. sued my education, reminding me that we, as Indigenous Eventually, I begin to see the fruit of my hard work. people, serve a great purpose in life: “I fought to keep our I received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and a land, our water, and our hunting grounds – Today eduAmerican Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) Ad Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an cation is the weapon my people will need to protect them.” emphasis in management at Haskell. I came to realize Chief Washakie (Battle of Two Hearts) ✦

The Buder Center for American Indian Studies is a premier graduate program in Social Work. We are committed to preparing and supporting future American Indian leaders to practice in tribal and urban settings, making significant contributions to health, wellness, and the sustained future of Indian Country.

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Provides opportunities for full scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Natives from the Kathryn M. Buder Charitable Foundation

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Offers a flexible curriculum that allows you to customize your course of study

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Assists with securing your practicum through our established network of sites within American Indian communities

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Offers dual degree programs with architecture, business, divinity, education, law, pastoral studies, public health, and urban design.

Phone: (314) 935-4510

Website: buder.wustl.edu

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Native Women In Key Financial Careers

Hattie Mitchell Joins AMERIND Risk as Director of Finance

by Stephine Poston (Pueblo of Sandia)

H

attie Mitchell (The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation), a certified public accountant, recently joined AMERIND Risk as the Director of Finance.

Ms. Mitchell’s impressive resume highlights include being elected and serving as Tribal Council Treasurer for her tribe in 2012. In 2013, she was selected as a 40 under 40 emerging leader in Indian Country by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. In April 2017 she was elected Treasurer of the Native American Financial Officers Association (NAFOA) Board.

AMERIND Risk is in the business of “tribes protecting tribes,” through affordable and sustainable insurance products and services for Indian Country.

The American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) has a long-standing partnership with AMERIND Risk through sponsorships that support scholarships for

Hattie Mitchell

Indian students. AMERIND Risk truly is committed to keeping tribal dollars within Indian Country.

AMERIND is dedicated to recruiting and retaining Native American professionals. AIGC had a chance to interview Ms. Mitchell about her first impressions at AMERIND Risk and the importance of higher education.

Higher education is everything when it comes to being a leader especially in the field of finance.

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AIGC: What were your first impressions of AMERIND?

and got to know each other outside of the work place.

Mitchell: AMERIND’s values are aligned with my values which made it easy to transition into the company. I came just in time for the company retreat where the team reaffirmed the mission and values of AMERIND. The mission is easy to remember “Tribes protecting Tribes” and most of (if not all) the employees already knew what it was because it is on the building, the walls, and anything else we can see.

It was great to experience that AMERIND values family. After the retreat, most of the employees attended the company picnic where we met each other’s families

AIGC: What is the role AMERIND plays in Indian Country?

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Mitchell: I have worked for other Native companies and most of them agree that the company should support native businesses to keep money in Indian Country. Here at AMERIND, I’ve seen firsthand diligence in buying from Native American vendors.

One of the commitments that stands out is AMERIND is generous to tribes and Native American non-profits through charitable contributions and service

throughout Indian Country. AMERIND’s annual golf tournament is an example of that commitment.

Additionally, the AMERIND workforce is largely made up of members of many tribes. It’s a great feeling to be a part of a team that is representative of Indian Country working together to help other tribes get affordable and sustainable insurance solutions.

AIGC: How do you see yourself carrying out AMERIND’s vision?

Mitchell: At AMERIND’s annual conference I will be given the opportunity to present to the members and reiterate we are practicing AMERINDs mission and values. In April of 2017, I was elected to be the Treasurer of the Native American Financial Officers Association (NAFOA) Board. Serving on the NAFOA Board allows me to be connected to Tribal Leaders whom I will be representing for NAFOA and AMERIND sharing the message of keeping money in Indian Country and serve as a resource.

AIGC: How important was higher education in your career?

Mitchell: Higher education is everything when it comes to being a leader, especially in the field of finance. When I was starting out in college I had no idea what major to declare. After seeking advice from my teachers and mentors, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a leader for my tribe. Then the next questions was: “What do I need to do to get there?” A mentor guided me to accounting and finance because he said “If you are going to be a leader for your tribe you will need to learn how to read and understand financial statements.” When you look at the financial statements, it tells a story, a story that I want to be able to tell my tribe how we are doing and where we are going. Tribal business is more complex now than it was when my mother was Tribal Treasurer.

In the 1990’s, my mother was elected to Tribal Treasurer for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. As a teenager, I would see my mom carry out her duties such as payroll and paying the bills. Now the tribe has a twenty-member staff to carry out all the necessary financial

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Native Women In Key Financial Careers duties. One day, we were on a drive on the reservation and she took me to the site where the casino was going to be built. It was hard for me to believe that empty field was going to be turned into a casino let alone that I would become the person that approves its budget, expansions and hires the board of directors to oversee it on behalf of my tribe.

With the casino came more paved roads, buildings and money to be invested for the future. Seeing the changes gaming brought from the beginning made me realize the importance of understanding business, accounting and finance practices. There’s not a “how-to manual” per se on how to become a tribal leader; most of it comes from experience. From approving new buildings to investing in other businesses using a limited liability corporation (LLC) to advising a non-profit on how to

back to my tribe. This is something I value- leaving my tribe or company better than when it started. I will always be able to contribute to my tribe no matter where I am. I can always go back and I will with more experience and wisdom.

AIGC: Any final thoughts?

Mitchell: Attaining higher education allows you to be proactive in thinking, and you can address smaller issues before they become larger operational issues. You do not have to rely on someone else to tell you there is a problem, you can see it for yourself and you will have the tools to fix it.

I was fortunate to have great supporters while pursuing my higher education. On many occasions, I had

I find it necessary to pay tribute to those strong women that made the way before me, such as my grandmothers, my aunties, and my mother. I feel indebted by the support and knowledge that they have given me and will look for ways to give back and see the future generation succeed even more. break even. Learning the skill to analyze financial statements has given me more opportunities than I can ever imagine. Having these skills informs your decision making in a variety of settings. Not only am I able to help my tribe, I can help other tribes. Joining the AMERIND team contributes to that goal of mine.

There are a few ways to lead; thus far I’ve chosen to lead by example. I have obtained my undergraduate in accounting and finance, my CPA and CFE designations.

My hope is that other students see it can be done and are encouraged to pursue their educational goals as well.

AIGC: What advice do you have for students pursuing financial careers?

Mitchell: Financial knowledge is needed in any management position. You will need to know the basics for managing a budget and maximizing profits for shareholders.

Indian Country has a need for key financial positions. When I was treasurer for my tribe it was difficult to fill financial positions with qualified tribal members at the gaming operation and tribal government offices.

Having this skillset gave me more opportunities outside of my tribe to grow professionally by learning best practices of other companies; these are tools I can take

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to spend long periods of time away from my people and my reservation where I practiced my religion. My elders would say, “The reservation will always be here to come back to.” I find it necessary to pay tribute to those strong women that made the way before me, such as my grandmothers, my aunties, and my mother. I feel indebted by the support and knowledge that they have given me and will look for ways to give back and see the future generation succeed even more. ✦

Attention AIGC Alumni!

Submit your story to American Indian Graduate 50th Anniversary Issue

AIGC loves to publish stories on the academic achievements, professional successes and community involvement of our alumni and current students.

Please email you story ideas to AIGC at aigmag@aigcs.org.

If you wish to have the American Indian Graduate magazine mailed to you, please visit aigcs.org.

Teen Mom on Her Way to PhD

Surround Yourself With People Who Believe in Your Dreams

by Kaelyn Chenoa Newton (Coharie Tribe)

A

s a teen mom from the Coharie Tribe, a small tribe in North Carolina, statistically speaking, I was not supposed to graduate high school-let alone to graduate with a 4.29 grade point average. I had so many reasons to give up, but I kept going and never felt tempted to thinking that I could not achieve my goals. While writing my scholarship application essays I had so many things to write about. I wanted the essay readers to know that I had potential and that I was worth it.

I have been fortunate to have so many people support me and tell me that I could do it. My nominator and my recommender helped me by ensuring that I had all parts of my application turned in on time. If there is one thing that I could say to scholars, and other students, it would be to surround yourself with those who support you. I know that I would not be where I am without the support of family, teachers, school administrators, my Indian Education Coordinator and my 4-H leader. In moments of self-doubt, I had people praying for me and encouraging me to keep going.

The Gates Millennium Scholarship has changed my life. It has given me the opportunity to attend college with my daughters by my side, completely debt free.

I’m grateful because there are so many single moms who must put their education on hold to raise their children. I am humbled that this has not been the case for me.

I completed my undergraduate degree at Campbell University with a major in early childhood education and I obtained a teaching degree in kindergarten to 6th grade. While in college, I served as the Diversity Chair and coordinated campus activities such as a Native American Powwow.

I found I had a passion working with low income mothers encouraging them to make a better life for themselves and their children. The day after I graduated college, I started my career in working with low income families. I began a job as a parent educator- a perfect fit!

A teen mom, now qualified to offer parenting advice to other mothers.

Kaelyn Chenoa Newton

While pursuing my master’s degree, I began working at a preschool. I decided that a degree in school counseling would be a practical avenue to help students and families by administering to their social and emotional needs. Most recently, I worked for a counseling agency, counseling youth in low-income situations and as an intern under a school counselor.

If there is one thing that I could say to scholars, and other students, it would be to surround yourself with those who support you.

This summer, I graduated with a master’s of education in school counseling. My next step is to begin my PhD in school psychology. The Gates Millennium Scholarship has given me the opportunity and a platform to help others. My journey has been difficult, but it has been so worth it. I’ve never regretted the choices I’ve made. My advice to other scholars is to go for it! Don’t give up when things get tough. Believe in yourself, the only limitations are the ones that you set for yourself!

Understanding this concept has been key keep me going.

There is so much that we, as women, tell ourselves that will bring us down. Surround yourself with positive people, who believe in your journey and dreams. ✦

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The Shape of (Our) Fire

On Learning and Re-Learning Revolutionary, Radical Love

by Tanaya Winder Gates Millennium Scholar

I

t was not the first time a stranger had messaged or emailed me about what I call, “heartwork,” but it was the first time someone wrote to me as a mother.

She had seen my TED talk and said her daughter had attempted suicide – twice. She asked, “How did poetry and writing help you to heal?” She ended her email with, “Thank you for what you do and it does make a difference to me and probably a lot of other Moms.” This happened nearly two years ago and it is a moment of impact I return to quite often because it reminds me of the shape of my impact.

When I responded, I thought of my own mother: how she raised me and my sister; how her mother, (my grandmother) who had been forcibly removed from her reservation as a little girl and was raised in a boarding school, was still able to pass on the love that raised my mother. It was a love so revolutionary and radical, a powerful fire unable to be extinguished. So, when I think of my impact, the reach and shape it has, I think about fire – the power each of us has to ignite sparks of light, healing, growth, and love into each other’s hearts. I call this the shape of our fire.

I visualize the universe as an ocean and I try my best to be a lighthouse – shining with the best intention, light, and love I can imagine.

I imagine it as moments of impact, connection, and a web of light being weaved through each heart we encounter on our paths. I tell myself, “You have been given certain gifts, now how will you use them?” I visualize the universe as an ocean and I try my best to be a lighthouse – shining

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Tanaya Winder

with the best intention, light, and love I can imagine. For me, this means continually learning and re-learning love’s revolutionary power to create change.

It comes down to impact. If art is a weapon, one can use it as a shield. If it be a knife, one can use it to free oneself from the straightjacket traumas of childhood and ancestral blood memory in which many try to bury themselves in until they become so small, unable to breathe – and forget they are magic. They forget they are love(d).

On the path, facts and reality float around in blinding rates. I am constantly reminded that among Native Americans ages 15-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death. On one reservation I visited there were signs throughout the forest, driving by one read YOU ARE LOVED. So, on the next day of my artist residency I gave my students a prompt: If you could have any superhero power what would it be and why? Nearly all of the girls responded: Invisibility.

In that moment of impact, I remembered how hard, difficult, and at times, unbearable, it was to be okay with being seen – as an Indigenous person, as a Native woman, as an artist, a dreamer, etc. I decided to respond in action based out of love – I created something to fill that dark space I thought needed some light.

Continued on page 25

It’s Okay to Cry and Ask for Help

A Story of a Navajo Transgender Woman’s Journey from a Run-Down Reservation Home to California Beachside Blessings

by Yue Begay (Navajo)

F

or as long as I could remember, I was feminine.

Not female. No, I don’t think of myself as a cisgender female. Let’s clear that up. However, I am a woman of trans experience. I’m a different type of woman. A woman and an entity that’s been there since the beginning of time. Nádleehí (Changing Ones).

That’s what they called people like me ałkʼidą́ą́ʼ (long ago, in the distant past). I heard these stories when I was young. From brief mentions in Diné Bahane’ (Navajo Creation Story) though at the time, I never thought anything of it. That’s how it is on the Navajo Nation.

Even though that’s a place set aside for us in this scary, alien, modern world, we are taught at a young age that our ancestor’s lived experiences are “myths, superstition, fairytales.” We are conditioned to our history as not real or having of any meaningful significance. As a young girl dressing up as a boy, that’s what I thought the Nadleehi were. Some other entity, like Tééhoołtsódii (Big Water Creature) or Haashch ‘ééshzhiní (Black God), that were the “other” in my creation narrative. It wasn’t until my teens and into my womanhood that term will have a profound impact in my life.

Yue Begay

Towering House Clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Black Sheep Clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Water’s Edge Clan. I am 24 years old and currently work at APLA Health. My mother’s name is Johanna. This is how I identity – as a Navajo woman and a transgender woman. I am a Gates Millennium Scholar.

Some background to my story. It seems Diyin Dine’é (The Holy People) had it planned that my life will be full of surprises and drama. “You were the most difficult to birth and raise out of all my children. I almost had you in the back of a taxi cab as it was going uphill to the hospital during a Flagstaff winter. Not only that but

For as long as I could remember, I was feminine. Not female. No, I don’t think of myself as a cisgender female. Let’s clear that up. However, I am a woman of trans experience. I’m a different type of woman.

Yá’át’ééh shik’é dóó shik’is dóó shidine’é. Yue Begay yinishyé. Naakai Dine’é nishłí. Kinyaa’áanii bááshishchíín. Dibéłzhiní da’shicheii dóó Tábąąhá da’shinálí.

Naadiin dį́į́ʼ shinaahai. APLA Healthdi naashnish k’ad.

Shimá Johanna wolyé. Ákót’eehgo t’áá Diné Asdzáá nishłí. Ákót’eehgo t’áá Nádleehí nishłí ałdo. Gates Millennium Scholar nishłí.

Hello my family, friends, and people. My name is Yue Begay. I am of the Mexican People Clan. Born for the

when you came out, you kept crying. We didn’t know why. We fed you, changed you, burped you, and tried to put you to sleep. But you would keep crying. We took you to the doctor’s to find out why. Turns out you had a broken collar bone when you came out of me. Even then, you couldn’t just be like the rest of the kids. You always demanded attention and affection. You always had to get your way. But you surprised me as you got older.

You were in honors courses in high school, AP courses,

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It’s Okay to Cry and Ask for Help and even received all these awards. You were president of clubs, and you had talent. You played the piano. You were different than the rest of my kids. Different than anyone’s kids,” shimá jiní (Mom says).

They say when your child is gay, lesbian, or transgender, they will show signs when they are young because they are innocent and don’t know society’s expectations until the family punishes them. At that point the child will start to conceal the thing that got them into trouble. For me as a young Navajo girl, that’s how it was. I couldn’t be a girl openly and freely.

I knew the words fag(got), queer, homo, and even b*tch at a young age. I didn’t know what they meant but I know what they conveyed from my family’s facial expressions and intonations.

We children are smart like that. From a young age to until puberty, I tried to be a boy as much as I could, though the girl leaked out of me every now and then.

Yue Begay, on the left I entered puberty during a dark time in my life. It was the summer after I finished my seventh grade year. My family were drinking again but the police and social services got involved this time.

Long story short, we got sent into foster care which is a failed system (which is another story), a children’s home, and ultimately at a boy’s youth home. While I was trying to reconcile the trauma and sudden changes happening externally, I was also trying to grasp and understand these changes inside of me. My femininity seemed to blossom out of control. It was like a little girl in jingle dress went to full blown fancy shawl in the course of three months. How I viewed myself was intensifying. How I was behaving naturally was changing. As a child, I would censor myself; now as an adolescent, women was in my walk, in hair flip, the way I smiled, the way I would angle my face so my good side would be reflected in the sun to anyone who was looking at me. Every mannerism I had begun to intensify. Even interactions with boys my age changed. Sure, the derogatory terms were still being flung at me but at this point, I developed a thicker skin. To be hated was the norm now, to be treated unfairly was expected. Even the boys’ curiosity and unfair treatment of me versus how they treated ciswomen was cherished. (I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s true). To be acknowledged by a guy was magic.

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To be kissed sent a rush that was addicting. I started to put value into validation I felt from men. This was a lesson I soon learned very hard but not quick enough.

Fast forward to high school, everything seemed to be going okay. I had a roof over my head that had busted windows and holes, with no running water, gas, or plumbing but hey, my family’s alcoholism and drug addiction lowered which at the time was tolerable. My family was back together and that’s what mattered. Despite my situation, I somehow managed to receive awards for being an outstanding student at school. No, I worked hard for it. I did that. There were days we didn’t have food (this wasn’t new), but not having water was harsh. I needed water for every aspect of my life. To stay hydrated, take medication, cook, bathe in, wash hands, wash dishes, illness, etc. There moments where I had to beg family members to use their garden hose for potable water and then, carry some 15-20 jugs of water back to our shack of a house. This is the norm for some Navajos. We are taught conservation and even emptiness at a very young age.

Anyways, high school was both a blessing and a living hell.

Even though I was getting A’s and B’s in these advanced courses and doing these extracurricular activities that would get me accepted into these big-time universities, there was still one issue: Oh yeah, I had just come out as transgender. If being a feminine gay wasn’t enough, to be transgender seemed to be sacrilegious. See as a gay man, you are still admitting you are a man. As a transgender woman, it seems as I want to be a woman and still like men. To some Navajos (and certain school administration), being transgender was like the next level after gay. The intolerable level. It was more selfish in their eyes. That’s how it was. This wasn’t 2012-2016 Obama era like it was. No, this was 2009, on the Navajo reservation. Being gay even in Hollywood was scandalous. Lady Gaga hadn’t even taken off yet. The world just wasn’t ready for transgender. I didn’t care. I couldn’t lie no more. I’ll tell you why.

During my high school career, a film debuted that would soon change the LBGTQ and even the Native American community for the better. Two Spirit, the

documentary by Lydia Nibley that looked at PreEuropean contact Indigenous America and how gender and sexuality was different than the rest of the colonized world. It was also followed murder of a Navajo teen, Fred Martinez (Rest in Power, sister). I saw that trailer on Youtube and the feeling I felt during and after I watched it. I can’t describe it. The closest thing I can describe it as is a blessing. A relief. Unchained. Unashamed. Within

Navajo Nation, I was so full of hate for my own people.

What they did to me. Even my school administration who intimidated me for being transgender. I was glad I left that all behind. But the trauma still followed me.

It was still inside me. I still blamed other people for my mishaps and incidents. I blamed my mom, grandma, so many people. That’s all I knew to do – to seek out someone to pin this hatred on. I didn’t do anything wrong

Sure, the derogatory terms were still being flung at me but at this point, I developed a thicker skin. To be hated was the norm now, to be treated unfairly was expected. that sphere and realm of freedom, that’s what I felt. I did my research more. That’s when I learned that people like me were celebrated and accepted in Diné lifeways and in other cultures. Not only were they real people, but that they’ve been there since the beginning. Remember Nádleehí? The term from the beginning of this story?

That was them. They were real in this world and real in our holy creation narratives. To see and link that connection from my child memories was probably one of the most profound feelings I’ve ever felt. That feeling is what drove me to excel more in high school.

I was successful. I graduated top ten in my class in 2011 from Monument Valley High School. Not only was I getting acceptance letter after acceptance letter from top universities, but a gift sent by my ancestors and the Holy People came. I still remember it. I didn’t open my envelope until I met up with my mom, who was still buzzed. I didn’t care. I wanted to share this with her no matter. We opened it together. I remember my heart dropping and my mom screaming and crying tears of joy. My name and the words “Gates Millennium Scholar recipient.” Out of thousands of applications, I was awarded. Actually, my school had the most GMS recipients that year. My life had only just begun. I flew out to California State University, Long Beach later that summer to start my life.

Go to college! You won’t regret it. However, go when you are ready. Don’t make rash decisions. College requires a certain mindset and paradigm. I’m fortunate my high school’s AP courses prepped me). After 5 years, switching majors, meeting many people and creating a family out here, I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts: Anthropology with an Emphasis on Linguistics and a Certificate in American Indian Studies in 2016.

I want to stress the importance of education as it pertains to American Indian Studies. When I left the

so someone must’ve. It wasn’t until I started taking American Indian Studies courses that I began to understand why things are the way they are in Native country.

American Indians and the Federal Law was probably the most eye-opening course I’ve ever took. It explained so much in a language I understood. I started to see why my grandmother still hurts today. Why I or any Native still had to haul water in the 21st century. I started to pin point where all this intergenerational trauma stemmed from. This was medicine. Education. It helped me in so many ways that modern medicine failed to do so. Please, Native brothers and sisters, learn about our history. Take American Indian Studies courses at your institution. It won’t be a waste if you’re worried about that. No, only non-Natives can think like that. Sure it don’t matter in their field or lives, but it does and will for you personally, spiritually, and even professionally.

I met other Two Spirit people in Los Angeles who were like me during college. Who lived a life parallel to mine. I was so happy to learn I wasn’t alone. It was through these Two Spirit people that I got in contact with the organization that I’m employed by today, the Red Circle Project at APLA Health. If you’re a gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, Two Spirit Native reading this.

Just know you’re not alone and you can do it. We are our ancestors’ prayers. Their efforts. You can and will be successful, however you define success. It will come. Trust and believe them. ✦ Ahéhee’ (Thank you).

PS: I have the best relationship with my mother a transgender woman could pray for. She calls me her daughter and uses the name I’ve chosen. It wasn’t easy at first but we got there together. I wouldn’t wish for anything more.

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Hard Work Pays Off

Covering Three Shifts: Mom, Student and Employee

by Anna Brown-Jackson (Narragansett)

I

’m Anna Brown-Jackson, member of the Narragansett Tribe in the State of Rhode Island. I became a “nontraditional” student in 1995, because I was newly divorced and the proud mother of two beautiful little boys, Allan Jr., 4, and Myers, a newborn. I was employed at a local urban Indian agency but had been laid off (again) due to a lack of funding. Fortunately, I would be rehired after funds were renewed.

My grandparents told me that if I returned to the reservation and lived near them, they would watch my children while working and attending school. I decided to listen to their wisdom and do just that. I returned to college as a full-time student, and after quite a few years of hard work, graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island (URI). Shortly after my graduation, I walked into

advice on what I would do differently, it would be to go to college straight out of high school. Although I am

Without AIGC, none of this would have been possible. I applied for several scholarships and grants that I found in the magazine subscription and did in fact benefit from some. The money was so helpful – from gas money so I could get to and from class, to paying for books that I desperately needed. the Human Resources office at the same University and applied for several jobs. I am now an Accountant and have been working at URI for over 16 years.

My educational journey was not an easy one. I was a commuter with a family so I didn’t get involved too much with campus activities. I went to school year-round, even in the summer, so that I could graduate on time with my class. My kids were my priority and I knew that regardless of everything else, they needed me most. Fortunately, my grandparents watched them even if they were sick so that I could go to school and work. If I could give anyone

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grateful for my children, it is much easier to take care of one person. I did make the Dean’s List a few times but I had to work extra hard to earn that spot. Jokingly, I told my professors that I worked three shifts: mom, student, and employee.

During this time, I made an extra effort to stay active in community, tribal affairs and events. I volunteered for everything from helping tribal elders to being a chaperone for tribal youth during school vacation, tribal summer camps and other activities. When I chaperoned, I brought my sons with me all the time. This gave them a

chance to meet other youth who were also experiencing the same things they were in and outside of school.

At one point during these years, my two sons and I were looking homelessness in the eye. The Narragansett Tribe was very helpful and supportive of us. I took advantage of quite a few programs to help me reach my goal of homeownership. Today, our family lives a couple of blocks from the ocean, within our reservation.

Without AIGC, none of this would have been possible. I applied for several scholarships and grants that I found in the magazine subscription and did in fact benefit from some. The money was so helpful – from gas money so I could get to and from class, to paying for books that I desperately needed. If there is a message I could send out it would be, hard work does pay off when you’re trying to reach your goal but you cannot give up. ✦

The Shape of (Our) Fire/Tanaya Winder Continued from page 22

I created an indigenous artist management company called Dream Warriors Management where I manage up and coming Native American hip hop artists Frank Waln, Tall Paul, and Mic Jordan. It is a collective of artists who believe in heartwork – pursuing passions, dreams, and gifts to better loved ones and communities while also uplifting others. We travel the country spreading revolutionary, radical love through poems, singing, and rapping our way from reservation to city, community college to university, sharing our gifts, performing, and empowering communities. Together, we created a scholarship for high school seniors who want to pursue the arts. We encourage other hearts to unfold into heartwork.

The shape of our impact is a fire that burns brightly to show we are resilient, alive, and here. It is my hope that through the collective we can all be lighthouses to reflect back to each and every person – the shape of their fire and the potential of their impact. ✦

READY TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WORLD? DO THE UNEXPECTED. Learn more: peacecorps.gov/volunteer

Visit Dream Warriors Management at https://dreamwarriors.co/

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From High School Drop Out to PhD

Failing Forward and Earning a PhD

by Avis Laree Garcia (Arapaho)

I

am from Ethete, Wyoming, a small community located in the middle of the Wind River Reservation. My father was Eastern Shoshone, my paternal grandparents were both Eastern Shoshone. Since I was raised by my Arapaho grandparents, I identify as Arapaho.

Today, many Native Americans are more than one tribe but only identify as one. As an Arapaho woman I am a wife, mother of three children, aunt, granddaughter, sister, cousin, and grandmother. I share that because my family relationships are an important part of my life.

Family relationships have been key to my educational journey. Long story short, I dropped out of high school my junior year and took the General Education Development Test (GED) the next day. My first attempt at college was a disaster. I got caught up in the party scene and I failed college miserably. I had no discipline and no idea how to study or manage my time. This experience made me feel like I was not college material.

I held on and continued with college; although there were many times I almost gave up. When I wanted to give up I remembered I needed to do this for my family and community. I faced many obstacles. I did not come from a wealthy family and I lost my mother at a young age. My grandparents sacrificed a lot to raise me and my siblings.

As a college student, the biggest barriers and stressors to higher education is a lack of resources and finances.

Every single scholarship I received brought happy tears to my eyes. One of the key scholarship providers that helped me reach my goal of earning a PhD was a fellowship from the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC).

Receiving the AIGC fellowship helped significantly in helping me to make ends meet and allowing me to focus on my studies. I even received a $500 stipend to assist me with a national conference presentation, a requirement to graduate from my program. Being required to attend conferences and present at them is a financial burden to a struggling college student- AIGC was there to help and I will be forever appreciative.

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Avis Laree Garcia

Every single scholarship I received brought happy tears to my eyes. One of the key scholarship providers that helped me reach my goal of earning a PhD was a fellowship from the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC).

Education is a huge part of my life. My grandparents always wanted the best for me, and I am the first in my family (on both sides) to earn a college degree. I am an advocate for Native American education and my goal is to help other with my education. I always felt that most people don’t understand what Native American life is like or how education can serve as a valuable tool to Native Americans.

Presently, I am diligently completing job applications in the counseling profession seeking a faculty position or administrative leadership within a mental health agency. In the meantime, I am thankful to the tribes on the Wind River Reservation for offering me contract work to provide me with income until I secure work. ✦

AIGC Receives Prestigious National Awards

National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) Recognize AIGC

by Stephine Poston (Pueblo of Sandia)

I

n March, AIGC received the Chairman’s Leadership Award at the 2017 National Indian Gaming Association annual trade show in San Diego, California. Chairman Ernie Stevens reaffirmed his commitment to higher education in supporting AIGC and their nearly 50-year legacy of providing scholarships and support services to students pursuing post secondary education.

This Spring, the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) honored AIGC with Education Program of the Year Award for its transition to college program, Know Before You Go (KBYG).

KBYG is an outreach tool to prepare Native American high school students and their families for college. It focuses on college access and readiness, financial literacy and the transition for students and their families to college life. The curriculum is unique because it incorporates the experiences of current native students and their unique challenges and barriers to college. AIGC partners with a local college or university to bring students and

their family members onto a campus, with tribal and high school higher education professionals, and with Wells Fargo staff who present financial literacy training. AIGC-funded college students participate as student mentors. The Know Before You Go program is made possible by a grant from Wells Fargo.

According to a statement: “NAFOA recognized the Know Before You Go program for its outstanding work in preparing students for college, which in turn boosts the success rate of college graduates.” ✦

Healthy Foods Healing: Mind. Body. Spirit.

Dolores (Seneca/Comanche descent) is now 91 years old. She knows that part of the reason she continues to be healthy is due to her diet. Dolores is active in her community, and hopes to encourage other American Indians to include healthy foods into their diet so they may live fulfilling lives, too.

The Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) recommends men and women work towards eating a healthy diet to reduce your risk of cancer.

For more research-proven ways to lower your cancer risk:

8 ways .w ust l.e d u

(NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens and AIGC Executive Director Angelique Albert) SCC25693_PECaD Ad-Delores healthy eating-QuarterAd.indd 1

12/20/16 12:14 PM

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ANAHSAT

2017-2018 All Native American High School Academic Team Selection

T

he American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) is proud to announce the 2017-2018 All Native American High School Academic Team (ANAHSAT). This is the 12th cohort of this prestigious recognition program that celebrates excellent academic achievement among exceptional high school seniors in Indian Country.

ANAHSAT students represent our nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native students who have achieved incredible academic performance, balanced with leadership and commitment to their communities. Each student receives a monetary award, which may be spent at the student’s discretion.

ANASAT was established to increase awareness of academic achievement of Indian high school seniors among their peers, Indian Country and the public, and to increase recognition of Indian student success and

capabilities as a positive motivation for pursuing academic excellence and higher education. The program strives to increase academic achievement and role models as positive influences in Indian Country, alongside increasing teacher, administrator, parent and community involvement by recommending nominating and supporting student participation.

Ten impressive American Indian and Alaska Native students are chosen each year. Judges read and review the student’s outstanding academic, artistic or leadership endeavor. The students must describe an outstanding endeavor in their own words through an essay. Teachers and community members nominate the applicants which adds another perspective to the student’s character. ✦

Kendra Becenti (Navajo Nation) High School: Eldorado High School, 3.96 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Stanford University in Indigenous Nations Studies

Presley Coonts (Chickasaw Nation) High School: Rock Canyon High School, 3.91 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado Boulder in Business

Jennifer Begay (Navajo Nation) High School: Bosque School, 3.9 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Colorado College in Bioengineering

Jordan Cutsinger (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) High School: Circle High School, 3.89 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Kansas State University in Engineering and Management

Jennifer Benson (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) High School: Foothill High School, 3.88 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of the Pacific in Secondary Education

Graham Eaton (Cherokee Nation) High School: McAlester High School, 4.11 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma in Business

Shayleena Britton (Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley Reservation) High School: Round Valley High School, 4.0 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Academy of Art University in Visual Arts

Sara Gurule (Navajo Nation) High School: Navajo Preparatory School, 4.15 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at New Mexico State University in Agriculture

Katelyn Butler (Cherokee Nation) High School: Brooker T. Washington High School, 3.83 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma State University in Natural Resources Studies/Management

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Congratulations to the 2017-2018 AIGC All Native American High School Academic Team.

Alyssa Herrod (Navajo Nation) High School: Piedra Vista High School, 4.05 GPA Pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Fort Lewis College in Elementary Education

Shayleena Britton Graham Eaton

Alyssa Herrod

Presley Coonts

Jennifer Begay

Katelyn Butler

Sara Gurule

Jordan Cutsinger Kendra Becenti Jennifer Benson

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#MakingTheGrad

AIGC Student of the Month Program in Full Swing

by Sara A. LaBarge, M.S.Ed. (Menominee Nation)

A

IGC introduced the #MakingTheGrad campaign as an incentive to highlight AIGC Scholar students dedicated to academic excellence and community engagement. Each month, the committee chooses one graduate student and one undergraduate student that are funded by AIGC Scholar students to showcase the caliber of our students and celebrate their achievements. The selected students that we showcase on our website and social media platforms receive a certificate as well as a Visa gift card in the amount of $50 dollars.

Since its’ inception, the program has had a large pool of well-qualified applicants. Each student that submits their name to be selected as a Student of the Month only needs to submit once, those submissions roll over each month. The selected students have the opportunity to be chosen as our Student of the Year at

Sara A. LaBarge

our annual reception, an event that also celebrates the achievements of our students.

AIGC is committed to serving our students through graduation; thus the #MakingTheGrad hashtag. When you see our stories about our students, please feel free to share them and include the hashtag.

To complete at submission to be considered for AIGC Student of the Month, please complete the form located on our website by following the link www.aigcs.org/makingthegrad.

The 2017 selected Students of the Month to date include: January Crystal Tulley-Cordova Blue Gap, AZ, Navajo Fellowship Graduate Student Crystal Tulley-Cordova grew up on the Navajo Nation; the vast area where she grew up afforded her the opportunity to be an explorer and scientist. Her interest in science began in the fourth grade with a water filtration science project. She has a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences and Master of Water Resources with a concentration in Hydroscience from the University of New Mexico. Currently, she is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the

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University of Utah. Her research interests include learning more about the interactions of precipitation, surface and ground waters. For the past three years, she has led water research projects collaborating with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and Navajo Nation Water Management Branch examining precipitation at 40 sites, and ground water at 200 well sites. Last year Crystal was recognized for her research and awarded the Environmental Protection Agency’s STAR Fellowship.

Aside from being in school, Crystal has worked at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, CH2M HILL, former NM Senator Jeff Bingaham’s Office, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Bryant Middle School, Highland Park and

Escalante Elementary Schools. In 2014, she was awarded a Sequoyah Fellowship and third place for her research from the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and an Environmental Science/Studies award for her research from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.

Gavin Brucklacher Philip, SD, Pine Ridge – Oglala Sioux Gates Millennium Scholarship Program Undergraduate Student Born and raised in a town of 800 people, I have always enjoyed the “small town” life. Moving from Philip to Spearfish, I was given brand new opportunities to meet life long friends and watch my career objectives inch closer. The community that surrounds Black Hills State University is a one-of-a-kind, ranking as the #7 university for outdoor adventures and making another showing as one of the Top 200 colleges for Native Americans. Blessed with having a town and community that supports students at BHSU with scholarships and donations, one never has to feel

like they are left out. Making the BHSU Dean’s List five semesters in a row, I am constantly being pushed to excel and make the most out of my undergrad stay in Spearfish.

Being an avid hunter and fisherman, I have met several friends and neighbors that enjoy the sports as well, making the weekends well worth the wait. When I’m not in the wood shop or taking a ride through the Black Hills on my four wheeler, I’m working as a Network and Computer Programming Assistant or studying for my many finance and business classes. Volunteering my time as a Presidential Student Ambassador from 5-10 hours a week, I get to converse with BHSU alumni and donors as well as my professors and friends. With an anticipated graduation date of May 2018, I am contemplating the idea of graduate school or taxidermy school. Time will tell where I’ll be in just over a year, and I know I’ll be satisfied with the choices I’ve made.

February Felina Cordova Flagstaff, Hopi AIGC Fellowship Graduate Student Felina Cordova is originally from Flagstaff, Arizona and is a member of the Hopi Tribe. She will graduate with her Doctorate in Public Health with a minor in Family Studies and Human Development. Her dissertation reserach with the Hopi Tribe is focused on stress and resiliency in Hopi family caregivers; those providing care to a family member that is elderly, disabled or has cancer or a chronic disease.

Felina received her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and her Master’s Degree in Public Health, both from the University of Arizona. She is currently an American Indian Research Center’s for Health Doctoral Fellow, American Indian Education Fund Graduate Fellow, and American Indian Graduate Center Fellow. She has been

a scholar for many other organizations while at the University of Arizona as well: Testasecca Memorial Scholar through the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Hopi Tribe scholar, Cobell scholar, Helen Roberti Scholar, UofA College of Public Health Maternal and Child Health Scholar, Zuckerman Family Foundation Scholar.

Most recently she has received the UofA Centennial Achievement Award for Doctoral Student. During her time at the University of Arizona she has also received the University of Arizona Peter Likins Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award as President of the American Indian and Indigenous Health Alliance, the UofA Native American Student Affairs Outstanding Graduate Student

AIGC is committed to serving our students through graduation; thus the #MakingTheGrad hashtag. When you see our stories about our students, please feel free to share them and include the hashtag.

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#MakingTheGrad

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Award for Academics, and the Reva T. Frankle Award from the College of Public Health.

She has established a scholarship at the UofA for Native students, coordinated a Native professionals seminar series, and leadership workshop for native students at the UA. In addition, she is a published author of textbook chapters and peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research internationally.

generations and I will pave through the way. Practicing to become a physician will be a lifelong job and it will benefit our Native people with positive acts. Lastly, I am very honored I have received the Gates Millennium Scholarship, it will make my aspirations become a reality.

Ahee’hee(thank you)!

Bah Bigman Big Mountain, Arizona, Navajo Gates Millennium Scholarship Program Undergraduate Student

Tyler Parisien Belcourt, ND, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Gates Millennium Scholarship Program AIGC Fellowship Graduate Student

Yá’át’ééh shi ei Bah Ruth Bigman yinishye. Dinéadzaa nishli.

Naakai Dine nishli, Taachinii bashishchiin, Taabaha dashicheii, Dzlini’nii dashinali.

Shima ei Irene Benally wolye, doo Shizhe’e’ei James Bigman wolye.

Shimasani doo Shicheii ei Ruth doo Joe Benally wolye. Dziil Nit’sa da’na’sha. Tso’stid sa’da shi na’hei. Neuroscience ei Susquehanna University ei iiniishta’. Hello my name is Bah Ruth Bigman. I am a young Navajo woman. My clans are The Mexican Clan, born for the Red Streak Running into Water. My maternal clan is Edge Water and my paternal clan is Manygoats Clan. My mother is Irene Benally and my father is James Bigman. My grandparents are Ruth and Joe Benally. I am from Big Mountain, Arizona. I am 18 years old. I study neuroscience at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

My educational goals blossomed at a young age from helping my elders, especially my grandmother. I plan to attend medical school after I graduate with a bachelor in science. I am interested in medicine because today there are rarely any Native American physicians, I only know of two. Additionally, my grandmother herself is a Navajo medicine woman, in our own traditions she helps others who are in need of a spiritual blessing. Knowing only two Native American physicians, I hope to increase the numbers in the future. Being raised and growing up on the Navajo reservation, I only witnessed Navajo people working out of state, leaving their family’s behind for months.

Our own Native people need a new career path for future

Boozhoo (Hello), my name is Tyler Parisien and I am an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota and I am Bear Clan. I am a descendant of Ojibwe, French, Irish and Cree and I was born and raised in Belcourt, North Dakota on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation.

I received my bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of North Dakota in 2011 and 2014 respectively. My field of study is Medical Laboratory Science and I worked in the medical field as a medical laboratory scientist for three years before I found a passion for academia and teaching. Since then I have held various positions with the Turtle Mountain Tribe and Turtle Mountain Community College as an instructor for the health sciences. Currently, I am working for the HEART (Health Education Access through Rural Training) Project through Turtle Mountain Community College as a mentor/tutor for the students, while also teaching adjunct for the medical laboratory technician program. Through my involvement with the Gates Scholarship and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), I realized that I had a passion for education and mentoring of Native American students with their journey through higher education, which led me to decide to pursue a Doctorate of Education from Concordia University-Portland, which I will complete in 2019.

The Gates Millennium Scholarship has allowed me to accomplish my goals of obtaining a college degree by removing financial barriers and allowing me to focus more on my education then on how to fund it or how to get by financially. The Gates Scholarship challenged

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March

me to look beyond my original goal of obtaining only a bachelor’s degree. The combined support of the Gates Scholarship and the American Indian Graduate Center has allowed me to finish a master’s degree and both programs continue to support me through my Doctoral degree. I will earn my Doctorate of Education in 2019 and hope find work with a university that will allow me to better support Native American Students.

Nicole Boardman Bellingham, Fish River Tribe of White Mountain Gates Millennium Scholarship Program Undergraduate Student I am Nicole, a strong-willed and hard-working young woman who is interested in medicine, the environment, and public health. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in the beautiful state of Washington, where the spirits of my Native American ancestors fill the forests, lakes, and mountains that live around me. I am currently a junior at Yale University, where I am learning more than I ever thought possible - in both academic and non-academic settings. I have learned many life lessons during my time spent on the East Coast, where I am exposed to an incredibly diverse array of cultures, races, ideas, and perspectives every day. I am a premedical student, as my long-term career goal is to become a doctor in family practice. My major is in Environmental Studies with a focus in Environmental Health; I hope to integrate knowledge of plant medicine into my future studies as a medical student, especially as it relates to traditional Native American healing practices. Every day, I work my hardest to pursue my goals, and I am excited for what my future has in store.

April Tyler Hallmark Mannford, Oklahoma, Cherokee Gates Millennium Scholarship Program Graduate Student Tyler Hallmark grew up in Mannford, OK, an hourand-a-half drive from the Cherokee Nation Capitol in Tahlequah. After being named a Gates Millennium Scholar in 2011, Tyler went on to earn a Bachelors in

Communication at the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO. During his time at CU, he was active in various leadership organizations, volunteered with local high schools and organizations, and traveled to more than 35 countries. Tyler then pursued his Masters in International Educational Development at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, where he also currently serves as a Graduate Research Assistant for Penn’s Center for Minority Serving Institutions. His research interests revolve around student access to and persistence in higher education, specifically focusing on low-income, first-generation, and indigenous populations. In addition to his time in university, Tyler has interned both domestically, with the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education in Washington, DC, as well as internationally, with Contact North | Contact Nord in Ontario, Canada.

After he completes his Masters in May 2017, Tyler will begin his PhD in Higher Education at The Ohio State University.

Damon Clark Asaayii (Bowl Canyon), NM, Diné ANAHSAT, AIGC Fellowship Graduate Student Damon is Tó’áhání, Near the Water Clan, and born for Tábąąhá, Near the Water’s Edge Clan. Mr. Clark is a student in Cabot House concentrating in Social Studies with a focus on Indigenous Communities in Contemporary America. His senior thesis was on Diné Entrepreneurship.

At Harvard, he has been President of Native Americans at Harvard College, Vice President of the Ivy Native Council, an Undergraduate Minority Recruiter for the Admissions Office, a member at the Institute of Politics, and a participant at the Phillips Brooks House Association. As an intern, he has served in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Department of Commerce Office of the Secretary, and the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. This past summer he was a Public Policy & International Affairs Junior Summer Institute fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy at Princeton University.

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#MakingTheGrad

May Heather Gordon Homer, AK, Nome Eskimo Community AIGC Fellowship, Graduate Student Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon was born and raised in Homer, Alaska. She is Inupiaq and a tribal member of the Nome Eskimo Community. Ms. Gordon has a B.A. in Race and Ethnic Studies (University of Redlands, CA), a M.S. in Sociology (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and is in the Indigenous Studies PhD program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her dissertation research looks at how selfdetermination in rural Alaska Native communities affects their sustainability and well-being.

Ms. Gordon is active in internships, conferences, and publishing. She participated in the Washington Internships for Native Students program during the summer 2010 and interned at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs Arctic Social Sciences. Her work at NSF led into her master’s research which examined results from interviews on relationship building conducted in a remote community in Greenland with Inuit and at the NSF with Arctic scientists. The results inform researchers of actions they can take to build trusting relationships with communities. In 2014, she participated in the Native American Political Leadership Program through George Washington University and interned at the National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center. In the summer of 2016, she interned at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage. There she worked on workplace diversity issues and helped develop a Diversity Committee at the office.

Ms. Gordon has attended and presented her Master’s work at multiple international conferences. Some of these include the American Science and Engineering Society 2010 National Conference, the 2012 International Polar Year Conference in Montreal, Quebec, the International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences VIII in Prince George, British Columbia, the 2012 Inuit Studies Conference where she was an invited speaker. Her Master’s work is published in Northern Sustainabilities: Vulnerability, Resilience, and Prosperity in the Circumpolar World.

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The American Indian Graduate

Randilyn Thompson Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Cherokee Gates Millennium Scholarship Program Undergraduate Student Hello, My name is Randilyn Thompson and I am a Gates Millennium Scholar cohort of 2014. I am a junior at Northeastern State University pursuing my first Bachelors degree in Psychology and possibly a double major in Sociology.

I serve on the leadership boards of many organizations and I am the campus based leader and president of NSU’s GMS organization. As of right now I plan on graduating in the fall of 2019. I dedicate myself fully to being the most prominent student I can be and strive to maintain my GPA. I find passion in community service and excelling in my education. I am the oldest daughter of four girls to a single mother. Setting an example for my sisters and teaching them that they can do anything they set their minds to is my ultimate goal. ✦

Attention AIGC Alumni Attention AIGC Alumni: To insure that we have all your current information, please take a minute to visit our web site (aigcs.org) or send an email to (news@aigcs.org) to update your information. Be sure to include your previous address so we know we have the right individual.

We’re very proud of all our alumni, so… while you’re updating your information, please let us know what’s been going on with you. Also, if you would like to submit an article for our magazine, about your educational experience and how education has changed your life, we would welcome your story.

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