Future Leaders Summit

Lenora Adkins (Chickahominy) has served as director of the Program Management & Compliance Office for the Chickahominy Indian Tribe for more than five years. In her role, she supports the entire tribal organization in program development, capacity building, and tribal council support with oversight of six tribal working groups. She holds a B.A.in sociology from the University of Virginia and M.L.S.-Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Prior to joining the tribal staff in 2020, Lenora worked in the private sector in the consumer-packaged goods industry. She has served on boards of various organizations and is an Ambassador with Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO). 

For the past three years, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe has offered a Summer Culture Camp for youth ages 5 to 12 years. Jessica Stewart has led the Summer Culture Camp, which focuses on cultural and academic enrichment. Jessica and Lenora look to strengthen one of the six pillars of Chickahominy Tribal government: Youth Development and Education. In addition, Kayla Locklear and Lenora are working with a team of linguists and an intertribal working group, Powhatan Algonquian Intertribal Roundtable (PAIR), in revitalizing, constructing, and reawakening the Powhatan Algonquian Language. PAIR consists of representatives from the eight Powhatan Algonquian-speaking tribes in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jarrod Crow (Nez Perce Tribe) has worked in the Nez Perce Fisheries Department for the past 25 years. After serving in the Army for three years in the intelligence field as a signal interceptor, he got his associate degree in graphic design from Lewis Clark State College and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Science from Boise State University. 

Marlene Dusek is a Payómkawichum, Kúupangawish, and Iipai-Kumeyaay woman, cultural practitioner, traditional land manager, kúut kíimawish (cultural fire) practitioner, weaver, language practitioner, medicine/foods maker/practitioner, artist/poet/photographer, educator, seed saver, gatherer, and community member who has always been in a relationship with her homelands since she was a child and stewarded in various ways. She has a BS in Environmental Science from Humboldt State with a minor in Native American Studies and a Master’s in Environment and Community from Cal Poly with a focus in Indigenous Natural Resource Management. She has also been a lecturer in Native American Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt for the Food Sovereignty Lab Class and other NAS classes. 

She has lived in Northern California, within the homelands of the Yurok Tribe, Hupa, Wiyot, and Tolowa peoples, alongside her Hupa/Yurok partner, where they live closely with the land through hunting, fishing, gathering, caretaking, and ceremony. She serves as the Food Sovereignty Programs Education Coordinator for the Yurok Tribe Environmental Department, working with youth, elders, cultural practitioners, and language experts to support traditional food education, gathering and processing practices, land stewardship, and cultural fire. 

Mercedes Estrada is an enrolled member of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, serving as the tribe’s treasurer. In addition, she serves as the tribe’s language coordinator. Mercedes has been involved with tribal programs from a young age. 

Darlene Franco (Wukchumni) has worked all her life in Native communities, including directing statewide Native language revitalization programs, coaching Native youth sports teams, leading health and wellness cultural programs, providing cultural curriculum development, and teaching and practicing her tribe’s culture and running ceremonies for her people. Committed to honoring her ancestors and strengthening the future of her people, Darlene’s work centers on restoring connections to land, culture, and community for generations to come. 

Rachel Gallardo is a Cahuilla woman from Torres Martinez with a deep commitment to protecting and restoring the natural landscapes of her homeland. With over five years of experience leading youth in public service conservation work, she brings both passion and hands-on expertise to every project she undertakes. 

A natural leader, Rachel was selected to participate in the Native American Land Conservancy’s Bioneers Ambassador Program, where she joined a cohort of young Native leaders in exploring environmental policy, Tribal cultural landscapes, and water conservation issues in the desert. Through the program, she had the opportunity to travel throughout the Mojave Desert and attend the Bioneers Conference in Berkeley, California. Rooted in her identity and driven by her community, Rachel’s work reflects a lifelong dedication to advocating for the lands and sacred spaces that shaped her.

Carrie Garcia has been a practicing basketweaver for over two decades. Basketweaving is important to Carrie because it has taught her to be patient, to work with land, and to learn the seasons when the materials are ready. Carrie finds joy in teaching basketry makes her happy, because it is passing on the traditions that have been left for us by her ancestors. Carrie has worked with her tribal community for the majority of her adult life, having volunteer with the Noli Indian School, worked in the Tribe’s Cultural Department and continues to work with the Daughters of Soboba and the Tribe’s basketweaving circle, which she revitalized over a decade ago. In addition, Carrie teaches traditional games, songs, and dance at the Soboba Pre-School.   

Brandon Gibson (Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw) serves as a coordinator for the tribal Alliance for Pollinators and has worked in this capacity since 2020. Brandon is committed to supporting tribal communities in installing and maintaining native plant plugs and restoring local monarch and pollinator habitats. He is passionate about providing hands-on training and technical support for tribes interested in restoring threatened pollinators and native plants. 

Chelsea Charis Gonzalez, M.Ed.,  (Payómkawichum, Cahuilla, Assiniboine Sioux) has been working in the field of education, specifically in the Native American community for over 20 years and currently works as the program manager at Chámmakilawish Pechanga School. She obtained two bachelor’s degrees; one in United States History and one in Native American Studies from University of California, Riverside, and she holds a teaching credential in Special Education (mild/moderate) and a Master’s in Education from Azusa Pacific University and an Administrative Services Credential with the state of California. Learning about the science of reading has changed the way she approaches literacy instruction and Chámmakilawish language retention in her program’s youth. 

Michael Jack’s Parks and a Recreation Department’s motto is “Show Up and Show Out”  and his youth council’s motto is “Be the CHANGE you want to see”. Michael Jack has served his Tribe for over fifteen years in a variety of capacities, as a Social Services Director and Tribal Councilman and Tribal Vice President. Michael Jack hold a bachelor’s in both business administration and health & human services/ management and is a proud graduate of University of Arizona and University of Phoenix. Although accolades are great to have on a resume, Michael Jack believes that his true accomplishments in life are being a father and grandfather to his six children and four grandchildren with his wife Becca.   

Jada McCovey (Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk) comes from generations of cultural fire practitioners, and believes in the responsibility to utilize good fire as an inherent part of traditional knowledge frameworks. As a young person, she intends to advocate for resource protection and policy changes that serve the integrity of Tribal people now and long after. Jada is a graduate from the University of California Davis where she studied Native American studies and environmental studies. She serves as the Community Organizing Manager at FireGen.

Elan Medart has been involved in the Protect Chuchwalla campaign and is excited to be part of Quechan and other tribes in the Colorado River Valley and southern Nevada, as they succeed in their quest to create two new national monuments, the Chuckwalla and the Kw’tsán. These lands are more than geography to Elan, as they carry the stories of his people, his culture, and his connection to the Creator. 

Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho is from Zuni Pueblo and her clans are dakkya:kwe (frog) deyan yadokkya:kwe awan cha’le (child of the sun). Tahlia is a proud graduate of Zuni High School and ventured to the Pacific Northwest for her undergraduate and graduate education. After receiving her Master’s degree in education from Portland State University, she returned to her hometown of Zuni to teach 7th grade language arts. She loved the youth and the classroom but knew there were foundational needs beyond academics. The opportunity to work for Zuni Youth Enrichment Project has allowed Tahlia to foster the growth, resilience, and holistic wellness of Zuni youth through engaging programs that are rooted in the strengths of Zuni culture. Being a ZYEP summer camp counselor when she was in high school, Tahlia feels honored to work for the organization that supported her to strive for her goals as she grew up. She feels a deep sense of responsibility to continue the ZYEP tradition of providing high quality activities and caring mentors to youth. Tahlia would not be able to do this work if it weren’t for her sons, husband, family, ZYEP team, her mentors, and the Zuni community. 

Elizabeth Paige is a desert naturalist and a citizen of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. She is committed to cultural preservation and to supporting Indigenous leadership in science and conservation. Paige currently serves as the Education and Stewardship Program Manager for the Native American Land Conservancy (NALC). 

Cassaundra Pino grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is enrolled in Acoma Pueblo and has family ties to San Felipe Pueblo. She is the Policy Manager for the Native American Land Conservancy, an inter-tribal non-profit based in southern California. Previously, she worked as the Media and Community Engagement Specialist for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. She obtained a B.S. in Ecology Environmental Organismal Biology and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Kansas, and a Masters of Social Science degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. She was a member of Kansas’ D1 Women’s Swimming Team and the UCLA Club Triathlon Team. She grew up swimming and running, which is where she derives her passion for public health and sports. She is interested in learning new pathways for Indigenous Peoples to improve their holistic mental, physical, and spiritual health while navigating the current challenges of our world. 

Rosie Salinas has been teaching art for more than 20 years. She currently teaches workshops at several local tribes, including Soboba and Morongo, in addition to classes at Idyllwild Arts Academy. Rosie is passionate about teaching her students traditional cultural knowledge and how to identify basketweaving materials in nature, saying, “I want them to be able to identify the plants and grasses, the things we pick, and where and when we pick.”

David Streamer is from the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians in Southern California. David was elected to serve his tribe as a tribal council member in 2018 and re-elected in 2019. Born in his home on the reservation, David continued to serve his tribe while attending ASU Law, with his sole focus on making a positive impact in his community. He ran for council because he thinks young people need to step up and help be a bridge for reservation families. David wants to help create more tribally owned and operated businesses and help the youth with educational assistance. It is important to David that young people finish high school and go to college. David is a thoughtful tribal leader who has harnessed the power of good for his community.  

Sienna Thomas (Piipaash and Tsitsistas) is an expert on plants, specifically focusing on the ethnobotany of the desert region, particularly plants used by the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla tribe, where she previously worked as an Environmental Technician and educator; she is known for sharing knowledge about the cultural significance and practical uses of native plants used for medicine, food, fiber, and basketry.

Sienna’s commitment to preservation and education is further exemplified through roles such as Board Member at Malki Museum, Board of Directors for Friends of the Desert Mountains, and Council Member for the Riverside County Green Party. Sienna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from Arizona State University and an Associate of arts in anthropology from College of the Desert. 

Samantha Morales Johnson Yang is an enrolled member of the Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians whose work bridges art, science, and cultural preservation. Trained as a marine biologist, she brings an interdisciplinary approach to environmental education grounded in Tongva knowledge systems. Since 2020, she has served as the tribe’s biologist and ethnobotanist, supporting conservation efforts and cultural revitalization. Samantha is a proficient basket weaver, educator, and environmental activist, creating work that honors Creator and teaches audiences of all ages about Gabrieleno culture, marine life, and ecological responsibility. Inspired by a lifelong love of both science and storytelling, she is committed to sharing Indigenous perspectives on environmental stewardship and sustaining cultural practices for future generations.