Avis Ballard

Avis graduated from Indigenous Nations Studies in 2005. As a student in the Sovereignty Development concentration, and a member of the Osage and Quapaw, Avis is focusing her research on the Osage headright system and its impact on future tribal membership. Other interests include intertribal pow-wow and dancing and singing.

Brenda Brandon

Brenda is a 2nd year student in Indigenous Nations Studies, specializing in Environmental interests.

Myron Dewey

Myron is a 2nd year student in Indigenous Nations Studies. Myron's main focus of research deminstrates solutions towards Business IT, wireless technolgy, computer information systems, and digital database systems for Digital Inventory. Myron is using different types of digital media for technical solutions for Language preservation, Tribal Museum's inventory, Tribal Administration inventory, and Tribal Cultural Center inventory.

Johnnie Ann Fields

Johnnie graduated from Indigenous Nations Studies in 2005.

JoAnne Grandstaff

JoAnne graduated from Indigenous Nations Studies in 2005. As a student in the Language & Teaching track, JoAnne focused her research on the Kickapoo language among the three bands - Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas/Mexico. She is teaching English at Heights High School in Wichita, KS. and using her Indigenous Nations Studies degree to teach Diversity classes to teachers in the district. She lives in Kechi, KS.

Gil Hood

Gil graduated from Indigenous Nations Studies in 2005.

Gil describes himself as an absentee Shawnee from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was involved in the Museum Studies track with his research focused on Native Americans in the military.

Janna Knittel

Allen Knows Gun

Allen graduated from Indigenous Nations Studies in 2005. Allen researched the differences in western vs. indigenous philosophy in the area of taking and giving. He is a talented artist who portrays a new perception of the old way of life belonging to indigenous people.
Some Current Art Work by Allen (pdf)

Alexander Naha

Alexander is a 1st year student in the Cultural Preservation Management Concentration.

John Ortley

I am a member of the Sisseton/Wahpeton Oyate (Sioux) located in northeastern, South Dakota. Outside of family and work, my interest is in cross-cultural discussions of mental illness. Specifically, I would like to see the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) become more reliable in assessing mental illnesses found among indigenous populations. I hope to continue scrutinizing this underepresented topic within a Ph.D. program in Clinical/Social Psychology or Medical Anthropology.

Dianne Yeahquo Reyner

Playwright Dianne Reyner is a member of the Kiowa Nation from Meers, Oklahoma, daughter of Irene Spotted Horse and the late Thomas Spotted Horse. She received her B. A. in American Indian Studies at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) in 2001 after graduating from Lawrence High School in 1970. The focus of Dianne's research is contemporary expressions of traditional oral narratives with emphasis on contemporary Native American theatre. Dianne has taught English at Haskell and theater through the UCLA's HOOP program (Honoring Our Origins and Peoples through Native American theater).

Her play "Weaving in the Rain" was selected as a finalist in the American College Theater Festival of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. among other awards. Dianne was named one of six national finalists in the Kennedy Center's National Student Playwriting Award competition.
| News and Interests |
| Recent productions of "Weaving in the Rain" |

Anna Sarcia

I am currently the Coordinator/Executive Director of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Pathways to Prosperity Inc. It is a poverty reduction program funded partially from the Northwest Area Foundation. We were one of the 3 tribes in the country to receive funding to reduce poverty on our reservation. The work that we do is going to be used in the future to help other communities reduce poverty. You can find more information on what we are doing on our website: www.tmp2p.com.

Anna graduated in 2006 in the Museum Studies Track. Anna is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in Belcourt, ND. She earned her B.A. from Haskell Indian Nations University. Her education interest is American Indian Studies in higher education. She hopes to change policies and curriculum related to higher education and American Indian Studies at a local and national level.

Michael Anthony Stewart

Currently Michael is teaching the Introduction to Choctaw Language at the University of Oklahoma, as well as working on his doctorate in the Adult and Higher Education degree program. Previous to attending the OU, Michael taught three year at Haskell Indian Nations University in the American Indian Studies Program. Michael is an 2002 alumni of the Indigenous Nations Studies Program.

Cedric Sunray

I am from the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians (Alabama) and my wife, Randi, is from the Kiowa Nation of Oklahoma/Ponca Nation of Oklahoma. The GINSP program has enabled me to continually follow my love for our traditional languages. I currently work as the Language Organizing Specialist for the Sauk Language Department (Sac & Fox Nation) and as a teacher of American Indian Language related courses at Pawnee Nation College.

Family Photo