Native Student Success Summit 2023

Co-Founder Bios

Sara Marie Ortiz is a Seattle-based educator, Native arts, lit, and culture specialist and writer of creative nonfiction, poetry, and mixed-genre work. She is an enrolled citizen of the Pueblo of Acoma, a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts (BFA in creative writing) and Antioch University Los Angeles (MFA in creative writing). She has studied formally writing, law, Native studies, theater, and film. She has published widely, has been featured in such publications as the Kenyon Review, the Florida Review, Ploughshares, and she has presented widely from her beloved birthplace in New Mexico, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and all the way to Johannesburg, South Africa. Sara Marie is also a passionate Native educator and advocate in the realm of Native arts, culture, literature, tribal languages, education, and community. She currently serves as the Native Education Program Manager for Highline Public Schools in Burien, Washington, loves watching movies and listening to all kinds of music (especially chilled electronic, old timey bluegrass, and hip hop), and has a fluffy orange cat named Mr. Pickles.

Tanya Powers (St. Lawrence Island Yupik/Alaska Native) works on creating accessible pathways and serving students in our communities. After spending nineteen years working in the community college system, Tanya has a solid understanding of instruction, baccalaureate and workforce education, addressing barriers to education, community engagement and working with traditionally under-served students. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with family, playing roller derby and reading.

Speaker Biographies

Muttellokee Eros Beaver

My name is Muttellokee Eros Beaver. My name means people gather around when I speak in the Muskogee language and it is a name only carried by my family. I am Muskogee Creek native. I’m 17 and I like to skateboard, draw and watch anime. He has also designed the logo for the Native Student Success Summit. This will be his 3rd year MC’ing the summit.

Victor H. Begay

Victor H. Begay is Navajo and his cultural history begins with his tribal clans: ÁshĮĮhíí (Salt People Clan), Táchii’niiRed (Running Into The Water People Clan), Naakaidine’é (Mexican Clan), and Kiyaa’áanii (Towering House People Clan). He is the Assistant Professor of American Indian and Indigenous Studies and tribal liaison at Cascadia College on the UW Bothell campus in Seattle.

Dr. Begay’s research interests include identity development, education policy, and American Indian and Indigenous education. More specifically, he works with tribal communities and public-school districts to design culturally grounded curriculum and secondary education policy that affirms tribal sovereignty.

Dr. Begay holds a PhD in education policy, a master’s degree in education foundations, was a high school educator, and has worked with tribal, state, and federal education agencies. He is the youngest of six children and enjoys writing fiction and trail running.

Archie Cantrell

Archie Cantrell was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington and is a member of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

After graduating with honors from Puyallup High School in 2004, Archie worked in Natural Resources for the Puyallup Tribal Fisheries Department as a Fisheries Sampler. In 2006, he changed positions to become a Fisheries Specialist. This work allowed him to participate in, and further his appreciation of all aspects of salmon culture, which is the Puyallup Tribe’s most valued natural resource.

Throughout his employment within the Puyallup Tribe, Archie has been active with tribal youth. He served on the Puyallup Tribal Youth Committee from 2005-2015, serving as Chairman for eight years. Archie then became a Youth Coordinator at the Puyallup Tribal Youth Center. The Language Department also being at the Youth Center sparked his interest in the Lushootseed movement. In 2016 Archie transferred departments and began working for the Puyallup Tribal Language Program. As a full-time advocate for the Lushootseed movement, Archie was able to work with tribal community members of all ages, and directly with Chief Leschi Schools. Starting in 2022, Archie began working for the Puyallup School District as their Native American Education Liaison.
In his spare time, Archie is an active hunter, and commercial harvester of salmon, crab, shrimp, and geoduck. Archie and his wife, Hope, have 3 children. Archie is a licensed foster parent, and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Kuwlkadim or Jared Edge

ha?A sleXil my name is Kuwlkadim or Jared Edge and I am part of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. I grew up in Tulalip and Marysville, Washington and graduated from Marysville-Pilchuck High School in 2018. I recently graduated from the University of Washington in June of 2022 with a degree in American Indian Studies and Indigenous Archaeology. I also had the honor of holding multiple officer roles in First Nations at the University of Washington, including planning the 51st annual Spring Powwow. I enjoy this work because I get to connect with various people and organizations regarding indigenous people and higher education.

Autumn Forespring

Hello! I am a sƛ̓púl’mix (Lower Cowlitz) Tribal Citizen and I use she/her pronouns. I graduated from the UW Seattle in 2021 with my Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies. I have had a passion for Indigenous access and excellence in higher education spaces since 2018 when I took on the role of Student Senate Representative for the First Nations Legacy Group at UW. My favorite part of my job is working one on one with fellow Natives and helping set up paths for success in college and beyond.

Jill La Pointe

Jill La Pointe is an enrolled member of the Nooksack Tribe and Upper Skagit descendant. Jill attended the University of Washington as a single mother of two and graduated with a master’s degree in social work. She later met her husband, John, and together they raised their 5 children on the Swinomish reservation. Currently they reside in Tacoma and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and extended family. Jill has worked in social services with Native youth and families for more than 30 years in both rural and urban communities. She also taught at the University of Washington, School of Social Work, where she received an award for Outstanding Practicum Instructor. In 2006, when her grandmother retired as Director of Lushootseed Research (LR), a nonprofit she founded in 1983, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Lushootseed language and culture, Jill humbly agreed to carry on the work. Under Jill’s leadership, LR has successfully hosted an annual Lushootseed language conference since 2010, and recently completed a film on the Healing Heart of Lushootseed, about her grandmother’s dream to bring healing to the world through music. Jill celebrates a life in recovery and remains dedicated to serving others who seek healing and support in their journey. She draws strength and healing from her work with Lushootseed Research and envisions a day when all people who visit or live in Seattle and the surrounding area will be able to see and hear the beautiful Lushootseed language and learn and grow from the traditional culture and values of the first people of this land.

John Reamer

John Reamer is an enrolled Makah Tribal member, while also being Ihanktonwon (where his grandmother is enrolled). He graduated from The University of Washington – Seattle, with a major in American Indian Studies. John grew up on the reservation in Neah Bay, Washington, it was during his time growing up that he knew one day he would like to live in the Seattle area to learn more about American Indian education, urban Indian culture, while also connecting with and learning from all walks of life that find their way to the big city. John has goals to return to college in pursuit of a master’s degree in the near future, but wanted to spend some time working within the school system in order to fully understand the work that is needed to be done to secure a better future for our coming generations. In John’s free time he loves listening to music (edm especially), going to the gym, spending time with his friends and family, watching sports, reading, and playing video games.

Jeremy Rouse

Jeremy Rouse, Yankton Sioux, is the Coordinator of Native Student Accompaniment with the Office of Tribal Relations at Gonzaga University. His work focuses on fostering community among Native students on campus, as well as doing outreach and recruitment with Native students and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Prior to his role at Gonzaga, he worked for 8 years in the Title VI Indian Education Department of Spokane Schools.

He is a current doctoral student at the University of Washington in Education Leadership and Policy. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Cultural Foundations of Education.

Donny Stevenson

Donny Stevenson is an elected member of the Muckleshoot Tribal Council and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe– a role he considers to be the greatest honor of his professional life. Donny has worked as an Executive-level leader in Indian Countryfor over 25 years, serving his Tribe and Indigenous people. He attended Evergreen State College where he earned his formal education through a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts focused on Native American Studies. Donny is passionate about accessing the traditional teachings and wisdom of the ancestors and elders to build a sustainable and successful future for all; but, particularly his Tribal people and community.

He believes sustainable futures are achieved through a lens of collaborative spirit toward unity while asserting Tribal identity, self-governance, and sovereignty. This approach ultimately builds pathways of creativity, healing, persistence, reclamation, and opportunity through the strength and legacy provided by Tribal culture and tradition.

Donny and his wife Tina reside within the Muckleshoot Tribal community where they happily raised their four now-grown children who have taken on the very personal application of the family values and principles that have shaped their lives together and a responsibility to the next generation and all those that follow. Donny truly counts himself blessed to work within and serve Indian Country and considers this work sacred; not only a very real responsibility, but also a profound legacy and true blessing to be even a small part of.

Garaline Tom

Hadeeh! (Hello!)
My name is Garaline Tom, I am Carrier First Nations from Lake Babine Nation, BC, traditionally known as Nedut’en. I grew up on the traditional lands of the Snuneymuwx First Nation, an urban city on Vancouver Island, many hours away from my traditional community and family. After high school I went to school to play collegiate basketball and graduated from Douglas College in Vancouver, BC. I received my degree in Psychology and Sports Management, with a minor in pre-counseling. I am currently receiving my Master’s in Education, Specializing in Native Education from the University of Washington Tacoma. I have a passion for holistic health and wellness, sports, and revitalizing cultural connections from an urban perspective.

Mussi cho (thank you very much)

Leander Yazzie

Leander Yazzie, Ed.D. is a Tribal Relations Manager within Green River College’s Indigenous Student Success Center. He is an enrolled Tribal member of the Navajo Nation, originally from Fort Defiance, Arizona. His clans are Tódích’íi’nii (Bitter Water), born from Tó’aheedlííníí (Water Flows Together), his maternal grandfather is of the Tábaahá (Water’s Edge), and paternal grandfather is of the Tsénjíkíní (Honey Combed Rock People of the Cliff Dwellers) clans. Dr. Yazzie has held positions at Green River College within Workforce Education, Career & Advising, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Throughout his career in Higher education, Dr. Yazzie has always advocated for Native American, Alaskan Native, Indigenous students, staff, and faculty within Washington state by attending state community and technical college (CTC) meetings and conferences. He has facilitated Native American student, faculty, and staff groups at the annual Student of Color Conference and the Faculty & Staff of Color Conference. He encourages students to use their voice to share their story. Also, at the foundation of the work, to bring visibility to our Tribal students and communities. He is currently active in Native & Indigenous educational programming as an Executive Board member of the Inaugural Washington State American Indian Indigenous Studies Advisory Board (WCAAB) and serves as Green River College’s Native American Working Group (NAWG) Chair. In the past, Dr. Yazzie served as the Native American Student Organization (NASO) staff advisor for three years. The creation and formation of these groups and organizations have been part of Yazzie’s workload for over five years. The key virtues of this work stems from patience and ambition, thus having faith and trust in institutions and its leaders.

Special thanks to our community, our youth and our ancestors. Thanks are also in order for the contributions of Native Educators from South King County, Seattle Indian Health Board, Highline College, UW School of Public Health, UW Gear Up Program, Muckleshoot and Puyallup Tribes, and the Highline College Foundation.

Thank you to our Planning Committee:
Mia Bull, Sara Marie Ortiz, Amanda Rambayon, Archie Cantrell, John Reamer, Rosa Garcia Rodriguez, Martha Sherman, Rich Summer, Garaline Tom, Jeremy Rouse, Jillian McBride-Payne, Victoria Gardner, Quadelle Satterwhite, Leander Yazzie, Robin Pratt, Sharleen Shown, Isabella Kriessler, Lokee Beaver

Thank you to our sponsors including Symetra, Port of Seattle, and University of Washington-Multicultural Outreach & Recruitment!