Richard Arnold

Richard is Chickamauga from the Missouri Arkansas Community.

He received his BGS in Political Science with a concentration in Psychology at the University of Kansas.
Publications

Kelly Harper Berkson

Kelly Harper Berkson's focus is language endangerment and the development of language revitalization programs. She is pursuing degrees in GINSP and Linguistics.

Dana Carter

Dana is originally from Oklahoma and is both Chickasaw and Chocktow. He received his undergraduate degree from Haskell University and is currently working on a book about the myth and reality of Little People.

Ethan Clappsaddle

Ethan is from the Qualla Boundary, Cherokee, North Carolina. He earned the B.S. in Social Sciences and Cherokee Studies from Western Carolina University. Ethan's research is focused on cultural and identity change among the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, and how the community promotes and preserves its identity today. Ethan is participating in the GINSP Cultural Preservation Management Concentration.

Carla Feathers

Carla is a 2nd year student in Global Indigenous Nations Studies.

Jason Hale

Jason is a 1st year student in Global Indigenous Nations Studies.

Mary Lettau

Mary grew up in Cookeville, Tennessee. She earned the B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Mary's research focuses on Native American women, how their roles have changed, and the way these changes affect tribal identity. Mary's long term goal is to earn a Ph.D. in Native American Studies and continue her research in gender roles while teaching at a university.

Jason Brightstar Lewis

Jason is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and his family follows a trail of removal and relocation to the Los Angeles area. His research interests are in metropolitan-urban issues related to Indigenous Peoples and nation-building from an urban perspective. He plans to spend his life in Los Angeles contributing to equitable education opportunities for Indigenous Peoples, People of Color, and all that are underrepresented and under served in mainstream education.

Carlene McGinnis

Carlene graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University in 2004 with a BS in Business Administration and a concentration in Tribal Management. She is a member Tlingit Sitka Tribes of Alaska. Research interest include traditional health care, sovereignty, and heritage preservation, the performance arts, and contemporary photography.

Sonya Ortiz

Sonya is half Winnebago (Nebraska) and Acoma Pueblo (New Mexico) and a graduate from Haskell Indian Nations University. Sonya received her Bachelor's in Elementary Education in 2005. After receiving her degree Sonya began teaching in Omaha, Nebraska with the Native Indian Centered Education (NICE) program teaching grades K-8th in academic achievement (Reading/Math) and Cultural Enrichment.

Sonya has four boys, her second eldest propelled her originally into special education (for he was diagnosed with autism at at the age of three). Sonya became active in bringing awareness about autism and special education rights into her Winnebago community through her involvement with a state-wide parent advocacy organization, PTI Nebraska.

Sonya began organizing workshops which led to annual SPED conferences targeting Native American families with special needs children within the tri-state area of: Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. Sonya has lobbied at the national level in Washington DC to allocate tribal set aside funding for special education for rural Native communities in Nebraska and is working on developing transitional supports within the Winnebago community to accommodate to the needs of special populations.

Currently, Sonya is serving as a member on the Pelathe Board of Directors and is looking forward to meeting many new and wonderful people at KU and within the Lawrence area.

Margaret Stevens

Hello, my name is Margaret Rose Stevens. I am a member of the On^ yote: aka (People of the Standing Stone), also known as the Oneida Nation of the Iroquois Conferderacy. I was born and raised on the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin.

After graduating from high school I received a scholarship to play basketball at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, ND. In December of 2004, I graduated from UTTC with my Associates of Science in Tribal Management. Upon my success at UTTC I was recruited by Haskell Indian Nations University where I finished my basketball career. In May of 2008, I graduated from Haskell Indian Nations with my Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Tribal Management.

My motivation and inspiration is my daughter, MarjaRia Morning Song Stevens. MarjaRia is half Oneida and half Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara and Dakota. Unlike myself, MarjaRia is a true Kansan. We moved here in August of 2005 when she was only five months old. She has been raised, for the most part, here in Lawrence. She has spent most of her life on the Haskell campus and on the sidelines of Haskell's basketball court.

Currently I am a graduate student in Global Indigenous Nations Studies at the University of Kansas. My emphasis within the GINS program is Environmental Studies. I also serve as the Secretary for the Global Indigenous Nations Student Association. I envision myself working with tribal governments in becoming environmental stewards in light of climate change issues.

Micah Swimmer

My name is Micah Swimmer I am Eastern Cherokee from Cherokee North Carolina. I graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University with my AA in Liberal Arts and my Bachelors degree in American Indian Studies Dec 08. During my time at Haskell I lettered in football all four years, kept my GPA at 3.0 or better and was apart of the Cherokee Club. My area of interest is Language Doc and Preservation. With my Education I plan on returning home and finding a job that allows me to put my skills to the test with my language.

Valerie Switzler

Originally from Warm Springs, Oregon, Valerie is Wasco-Warm Springs-Yakima. She graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University with her Associates of Arts in Business in 2006, then, her Bachelors of Arts in American Indian Studies in 2007. Valerie is enrolled in the Global Indigenous Nations Studies program focusing on Language Preservation. Valerie has four daughters, Ashley and MayAnne who intend to graduate in May 2009 with their bachelors degrees at Haskell. Georgianna and Evelyn are working on their high school diplomas with plans to attend Haskell. Valerie has worked in the language revitalization field for 10 years and hopes to return to Warm Springs to build a language immersion school for the three languages upon her reservation.

Victoria Walsey

I am Victoria A. Walsey and a member of the Yakama Indian Nation. I have a Bachelors degree from the University of Kansas in Environmental Studies and an Associate of Arts in Science from Northwest Indian College. I plan on pursuing my PHD and then returning to the Yakama Indian Nation to work.

Deidre White Man

(Meskwaki, Dakota, Ojibwe) I am currently a second year student in Indigenous Nations Studies. My areas of concentration are Tribal Policy and Governance and Cultural Preservation Management. After I graduate I plan to teach in a K-6 setting in Minnesota while working on my Ph.D. in Education, Youth and Community Development. My overall goal in life is to be a part of or create, an all Indigenous school that promotes family, motivation, encouragement, community development, self-empowerment, and self-awareness.
Deidre is the recipient of the KU 2007 Outstanding Nontraditional Woman Student Award. She has a bachelor’s degree from Haskell Indian Nations University and is a graduate of West High School in Davenport, Iowa. She was honored at a ceremony Tuesday, April 17, 2007. The award goes annually to a nontraditional woman student who has demonstrated academic achievement and has made a contribution to the campus or Lawrence community through her involvement

Awards Press Release

Johnny Williams

Johnny is a 2nd year student in Global Indigenous Nations Studies.