MAY 22, 2024

The Center for Native Health, Executive Director Trey Adcock, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Director of American Indian & Indigenous Studies at the University of North Carolina Asheville. He was named one of seven national Public Engagement Fellows in 2018-2019 by the Whiting Foundation for his work documenting a Bureau of Indian Affairs run day school in the TutiYi “Snowbird” Cherokee Community. He obtained his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a Sequoyah Dissertation Fellow focusing on technology integration at an American Indian boarding school in Oklahoma. Dr. Adcock’s work has been published in the Journal of American Indian Education, Teaching Tolerance and Readings in Race, Ethnicity and Immigration. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Native Health and sits on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Cherokee Studies.

Angelo is a cultural activist, scholar, filmmaker and professor at Rhode Island School of Design in the History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences department. Shash Jaa’: Bears Ears is Angelo Baca’s award-winning film about the five tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition that works together to protect 1.36 million acres of Utah lands through a national monument designation. He has published a widely read op-ed in the New York Times, “Bears Ears Is Here to Stay” and worked with Patagonia on the public lands film, “Public Trust”, about the political assault on Indigenous and Public Lands. He also serves on the Bears Ears National Monument Advisory Committee and the Reconciliation on Derogatory Placenames Committee appointed by Secretary Haaland. He is also on the “100 Years of Silence” team helping lift up Nuche (Ute) stories from 1923. His work reflects dedication to Indigenous research with Indigenous communities on equal and respectful terms in a collaborative fashion and accurate representation.

Shelby is the Executive Director of Indigenous Health and Wellness Connections (IHAWC). She passionately works to perpetuate Tribal sovereignty and strengthen communities. For more than a decade she has overseen and assisted with multiple Tribal, State, Federal, and education programs in regards to Tribal Language Preservation, Tribal Land & Water Rights, Tribal Education, and Tribal Health & Wellness endeavors. Shelby has always been an advocate for those seeking health and wellness assistance by connecting resources to individuals, families, communities, and other organizations. Through personal practice and implementation she knows that by actively incorporating cultural practices we are better able to find personal balance. Shelby strives to improve the lives of the people she works with by serving, strengthening, and promoting health and wellness of all sectors.

Autumn serves as the Cultural Resource Manager for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. She is an expert in Southern Paiute astronomy, ethnobotany and culture. She was raised by her grandmother and mother in a traditional home. Autumn graduated from Southern Utah University magna cume Laude with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Anthropology minoring in Psychology. She has a master's degree from New Mexico Highlands University in Cultural Resource Management. She currently resides on the Kaibab Paiute Reservation.

Shaun is a descendant of William Posey and the Executive Director of A'Nuche Non-Profit and the Project Director of the 100 Years of Silence Project. Shaun is a driving force in preserving Indigenous culture and fostering unity. His deep familial ties to community elders provide a foundation of wisdom and respect, which he uses to guide his work. Shaun's vision for the project is ambitious, aiming to reclaim cultural identity and rewrite misrepresented history, notably by renaming the Posey War. Guided by elders, Shaun's commitment to cultural preservation and social justice inspires positive change, embodying the resilience of the Aniknuche people and offering hope for generations ahead.

Yvonne has been a fierce defender for Indigenous rights, title, and sovereignty for the last 30+ years and has never hesitated when going up against Industry and government when it comes to protecting Indigenous rights and title. In 2022, she, declared Gwininitxw territories protected from all unauthorized activity. This significant step forward, using ayook (Gitxsan Law) to declare Gwininitxw territories protected is in line with Gwalx Yee’insxw, the most overarching and sacred of Gitxsan ayook (laws), and is based on passing down what was passed down to us, intact and thriving ecosystems which ensures cultural health and wellness for future generations. Gwalx Yee’insxw is therefore the governing principle for decision-making on Wilps Gwininitxw territories, which encompasses 170,000 hectares in the Upper Skeena Watershed and is the only remaining large section of the Skeena watershed that is without roads or other development and unmarred by industrial extraction. Yvonne is also a mother of seven, grandmother of twenty, and a great grandmother of four, for which she declares herself wealthy in the Gitxsan way. She also speaks fluent Gitxsan and has spent many years in retirement working as the Elder Mentor for a Gitxsan daycare, where she enjoys speaking Gitxsan to the children and sharing her many stories. She is also an amazing storyteller, with her vast knowledge, and takes every opportunity to share with others. She enjoys spending time in her community garden from the spring through early fall, where she provides hampers of fresh vegetables to local community elders and families.

Mr. Lehi is a White Mesa Councilman of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. He serves on the Bears Ears Commission recognized by Proclamation 10285 for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. He is a founding member who worked to establish the original Bears Ears National Monument in 2016. He served as Co-Chair for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and as a Board Member for Utah Diné Bikéyah. He currently helps lead the 100 years of silence efforts to reclaim history of Nuche (Ute) stories by emphasizing healing, resiliency, and common ground.

Crystal is a PhD candidate in American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona, and a mother of three beautiful children; Natse Qweenah, Detumu, and Tsa-su. Professionally, she serves as the Tribal Administrator for her home nation, the Walker River Paiute Tribe. There she oversees the Executive Branch of their government and drafts and reforms the governing documents that govern their nation to ensure that they are culturally relevant, reflect the lifeway and traditional values of the Agai Dicutta Numu, and protects their lands against large mining corporations, the US military, and other federal agencies. At the University of Arizona, she focuses her studies on the Federal Indian Policies that govern and provide both the guidelines and restrictions on Native Nations ability to assert their own sovereignty. She has invested in the protection of tribal lands, resources and continues to fight legally and politically to ensure that the tribe’s interests are included in regard to lands directly impacted by outside agencies. Her commitment to understanding and disseminating knowledge to Native Nations is a high priority that is evidenced in the work she has done and continues to do. Crystal always returns back to the traditional knowledge that the land is inherently tied into our holistic being and the protection of it is an inherent responsibility to ensure balance in life remains.

Co-Executive Director, Training Resources for the Environmental Community (TREC) April is well versed in a variety of models of shared leadership and decision-making. She is adept at change management, and utilizes a strengths-based approach to her work. April is a certified coach and has a deep passion for transformation and justice. She brings over a decade of experience working with nonprofit organizations to better fulfill their mission and consults on a number of topics, including strategy development, conflict management, board development, leadership cultivation and managing organizational change. She holds an MBA in Nonprofit Management and a Masters in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University. She is a board member for UUSC, an international human rights organization. April is grateful to live on the land of the Kānaka Maoli in Honolulu, Hawaii. In her free time, April enjoys karaoke, cooking with native plants, and spontaneous adventures with friends. She connects with her heritage through a disciplined study of chado 茶道(Japanese tea ceremony) and Zen meditation in Kalihi Valley.

Ruben is a digital storyteller who manages communications and partnerships for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. Born and raised in Albuquerque, he earned a BA in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. Ruben brings professional experience as a policy analyst and copy editor, along with expertise in digital media and communications. His work is driven by a profound commitment to fostering inclusive institutions that promote well-being and community health.

Brett is a staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). For more than 25 years, Brett has been a fierce advocate in the field of Indian Law. Prior to joining NARF, he spent several years working in private practice and for nonprofits focused on domestic violence responses, genetic research and Indigenous Peoples, and Indian health policy. More recently, his work at NARF focuses on the Indigenous Peacemaking Initiative, Sacred Places Protection, and Boarding School Healing. In addition to his direct legal work, Brett’s specialized knowledge and experience has allowed him to serve Indian Country in various ways. He has written extensively on issues including peacemaking, boarding school healing, and Indian health policy. He has taught as a peacemaking trainer, mediation specialist, and international Indigenous rights advocate. In recent years, he has served as a judge in several tribal courts of appeals.

Cynthia is a PhD student at UC Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. She is a Tribal Agricultural Fellow, a Castanea Fellow, and an RPL Native and Indigenous Rights Fellow. She serves as the co-founder for the Women of Bears Ears and founded Utah Diné Bikéyah’s Traditional Foods Program. She currently serves as a consultant role for the Conservation Lands Foundation, providing educational and technical support to conduct outreach to Tribes. She brings her experience in Bears Ears community organizing, programming and interest to advance tribal sovereignty and self-determination through Native-led nonprofits and Native-led research.

Jonah Yellowman is Diné, from Halgaito located in Monument Valley UT. He is of the Many Arrow Bitterwater clan and born for the Redhouse clan. He was a founding Board Member of Utah Diné Bikéyah and served as the Spiritual Advisor. He is a traditional practitioner; a Roadman, who helps the medicine people and herbalists to protect Mother nature through offerings. He understands that through prayers and ceremonies we can find harmony and balance. He is self-employed as a traditional artist specializing in Native American beadwork and painting.