We will be joined by Apryl Deel-McKenzie (Diné, MSW) and Pearl Walker-Swaney (White Earth Nation + Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, MPH) from the Native Governance Center. Apryl and Pearl will lead a discussion about Indigenized communications during COVID-19. Check out their resources on this topic at https://nativegov.org/resources/coronavirus/

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About Apryl:

As program manager for Native Governance Center, Apryl supports the implementation of the organization’s Tribal Governance Support and Leadership Development programs. She is a citizen of the Diné Nation and has years of experience working with Indigenous communities on issues related to education and college access, including a position at Diné College. Prior to joining the Native Governance Center team, she completed her master’s degree in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in American Indian/Alaska Native studies. While completing her degree, she also gained skills in the areas of social entrepreneurship, community development, and policy work. She is passionate about Indigenizing the future by reconnecting to our ancestral knowledge, teachings, values, and language.

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About Pearl:

Pearl supports the implementation of Tribal Governance Support and Leadership Development programs as one of the organization’s two program managers. She is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and has family from White Earth. Pearl grew up in the Bemidji area, and she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Indian Studies with minors in Chemistry and Ojibwe Language from Bemidji State University in 2011. Pearl went on to complete a Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in Health Management and Policy from the University of North Dakota in 2014. Before joining Native Governance Center, she was the INBRE Project Manager at North Dakota State University and worked with Tribal colleges to build research capacity. Pearl is also an alumna of the Native Nation Rebuilders program from Cohort 7.