Native Americans at Brown is a student started, led and run organization. We are committed to building community amongst ourselves, the local Native community and increasing awareness about Native issues. On this page you can view the original constitution and find out more about current members and alumni. For prospective students and their families we've included some of our experiences and perspectives. We encourage you to contact us via email; please use the subject title: "Prospective NAB student." We look forward to hearing from you!

Constitution

Current Members

Makini Chisolm-Straker
Mohawk
Class of ‘05
Concentration: Religious Studies, MD’09 (yes, I’m PLME)
From: NYC
Extracurriculars:
During undergrad: I was an MPC (Minority Peer Counselor) and MPC Friend and essentially “lived” at the TWC (Third World Center); I played rugby for Brown and in the summers for Providence; in the last two years of my undergrad years, I became more active with NAB, and helped plan/staff the PowWow and the first INC (Ivy Native Council) hosted at Brown. Currently, during medical school: In my second year I was a co-leader of Brown’s Chapter of Medical Students of Choice and continue to be an active member; I do anti-human trafficking work, educating health care providers about this patient population; I continue to be involved in NAB’s efforts to organize/staff PowWow and the heritage series.
Tips: Come to NAB meetings. Get to know your fellow Native students at Brown. You can make local community contacts and maybe create something like a group of people you’ll call “family.” Take “me time” to chill out, hang out with friends, cook, whatever. Study smart and play hard; college is about getting a good education but education doesn’t just happen in the classroom. Honest. And use the resources Brown offers: Get tutors (they’re FREE!), ask for help; none of us got here on our own, only with the assistance of communities and on the shoulders of those before. Working together we can be stronger for those who will need our shoulders.
Email: Makini@Brown.edu

Dana Eldridge
Navajo, Class of 2010
Concentration: Public Policy and American Institutions; Ethnic Studies
From: Window Rock, AZ
Extracurriculars: NAB, HOPE (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere), Brown Student Radio, Surviving many Navajo Nation InternshipsI returned to Brown after taking last year off to study at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM; crazy Indian art school. A break was good, but Brown's the best, so I couldn't be away for long. I love music, adventure, and NAB (family). One day I want to work with Native American Policy to help make life better for Native people.
Email: dana_eldridge@brown.edu

Peter Hatch
Class of 2011 - Anthro? Archaeology?
From: Portland, OR (not Maine)
Extracurriculars: NAB. Brown U. Gilbert & Sullivan (theater)
E-mail: Peter_Hatch@brown.edu

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Elizabeth Hoover
Mohawk and Mik'maq, PhD 2009, Anthropology
From: NY
Extracurriculars: NAB member, PowWow dancer, Native American Women in Providence, making dancer regalia

Helen M. Johnson
Cherokee
Class of 2011
Concentration: ScB Biology
From: Tampa, Florida
Extracurriculars: NAB, PLME Senate, cello (obviously), dance, research lab
Advice for pre-fresh(wo)men: Don't worry too much about making friends quickly - the best friendships take time to develop, and are well worth the patience. If you get involved with NAB you'll have an instant support group which you will likely come to regard as a group of friends and even family. More importantly, never lose faith in yourself. The adjustment to college - socially, academically, emotionally, whatever - may be a little hard at first, but it will get better. If you start feeling discouraged, your fellow NABers will support you, encourage you, and offer advice - and as Makini pointed out, there are a ton of resources on campus. College will go by faster than you may believe, so be sure to spend each moment at Brown in a valuable way.
Email: Helen_Johnson@brown.edu

Brittany Jokl
Class of 2011, Economics
Extracurriculars: NAB member, Native American Heritage Series Co-Programmer 2008-09, Third World Center Staffer

Winnie Jumbo
Navajo, Class of 2010, Anthropology and Ethnic Studies
From: Two Grey Hills, New Mexico
Extracurriculars: NAB, Club Lax(Spring ’07), NAWIP (Native American Women in Providence), Northern Traditional Pow Wow Dancer
Tips: Ya’at’eeh! With your efforts Brown can be the greatest college experience ever. Definitely come if you are open minded and willing to learn from experiences, such as figuring out your academic interests by shopping classes from other departments that you might not particularly be interested in upon arrival. I totally found my concentrations by simply shopping classes that I initially did not find appealing (Physics to Anthropology/Ethnic Studies??). Figuring out your concentration can be overwhelming, but there are plenty of advisors and mentors available to you as student, which is an advantage for you. Visit your professors during office hours to build relationships with them, which may help you with your future academic endeavors. Brown has a variety of student organizations and NAB is where you will find a family away from home. Lastly, if you are an independent individual and want a single (room) after your freshman year, enter the housing lottery with other people regardless of if you know them, because it will increase your chances. Be happy and analytical!
Email: winifred_jumbo@brown.edu

Ashley McDonnell
Upper Mattaponi
Class: 2012
Concentration: English and Sociology
From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Extracurriculars: NAB member, Best Buddies Peer Buddy, Habitat for Humanity member, Anime Society member, Sunday Ice Patrol at Meehan
Email: ashley_mcdonnell@brown.edu

Loyola Rankin
Dinè (Navajo): Haltsooì (Meadow People Clan), Naakai (Mexican), To'aheedliinii (Two Rivers Flowing Together Clan), Naakai (Mexican)
Class of 2011, English concentrator
From: Coyote Canyon, New Mexico
Extracurricular: Native Americans at Brown, Co-Programmer Native American Heritage Series 2008-2009, Third World Center Staffer, Frybread Tester
Tips: When coming to Brown, be yourself. I know it sounds strange, but I have come to see that in high school we hide who we are or what we could be most of the time. At Brown would be the time to show to others and, more importantly, to yourself just the kind of person you can be. It is scary to see how much you can change in a single semester but it is true. I go home and my friends and family cannot believe how confident, knowledgeable, strong, and mature I have become yet still able to retain the baby they know. At first the time here was slow and it seemed harsh but it got better because I found Natives at Brown (NAB). It was not just because I was Native American, but the members actually cared about how my day was going and the issues I was facing. It really did feel like a family because of our small number. I found that this is the perfect environment for me; a small campus, near a large city for weekend trips, 8 hour plane trip home so when things get hard I do not have an easy escape, wonderful deans, great way to establish networks in Native communities as well as others.
There are negative side effects to going to a school with less than 1% Native American population. In classes there have been negative comments toward the Native Community that are insulting. Most either do not care or find that we are not what they expected so dismiss us as “wannabes”. There are the chances to educate those around us about Native Americans, to get rid of the “mythical figure” and most have been interested and willing to learn. Coming from a Reservation where there are Natives all around, the shock is staggering. Being away from the Native community makes the problems we face all the more harsh but much more clear on how to fix the problems our communities face.
My advice for academics is to learn how to take effective notes, visit professors, do the assignments and go to class. Simple, but easy to forget with so many activities here at Brown. The freedom tastes so rich that it is very easy to procrastinate. For someone who had the issue in high school (ie me), it is a test filled with temptation.
Email: loyola_rankin@brown.edu

Brittany Ross (on left)
Oglala Sioux!
Class: 2012
Concentration: Public Health maybe?
From: Porcupine, South Dakota
Extracurriculars: I enjoy being around the people I love and watching and playing basketball, softball, and volleyball. Currently a NAB member and was a member of Circle of Sisters at NMH. I love watching sports and kids and love eating:D.
Email: Brittany_Ross@brown.edu

Tyrell Skeet
Navajo, Class of 2009, Visual Art
From: New Mexico
Extracurriculars: NAB member

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Alumni

Nanobah Becker
Class of 1997
Concentration: Anthropology
From: Albuquerque, NM
Currently living and doing: filmmaker in LA (got my MFA in Directing from Columbia University School of the Arts in 2006)
Future dreams/plans: making films
Extracurrics at Brown: NAB and TW related things (programmer, etc.--there were only a handful of us at the time--we had to do every role/represent on every committee), orchestra
What NAB meant to me: A place I could get together with friends and be myself
What my transition to Brown was like: Very difficult for me--I was academically unprepared and spent my first semester in the Rock trying to catch up.  It was also hard at times being so far from home in such a different academic/social/physical environment, but I wanted to be there and stuck it out through the hard times.  I'm so glad I did--going to Brown is a rare privilege and it prepared me for life in innumerable ways.
Email: nanobah_becker@hotmail.com

Darricksen Begay
Tribe: Dine'
Class: Alum - 2005! Woot Woot
Concentration: Psychology and Ethnic Studies
From: Oak Springs, AZ /Fort Defiance, AZ(Navajo Nation Rez)
Then: My transition to Brown was amazing that started as soon as I stepped onto campus. As I first walked through Faunce Arch I was hit with, what felt like, a wave of acceptance. I was meeted and greeted from students in TWTP to the President of the school. Instead of me trying to find NAB, NAB found me and I was committed to them ever since. I loved my time at Brown and can honestly say it has been a significant factor in helping me find my voice and confidence. My experience was largely due to the upper classman in the NAB group. They took me under their wings and provided me with direction and knowledge. They were my family that supported me in my decisions, they were the ears that listened when I had a problem, the words I listened to when I needed advice, and at times the shoulders I needed to cry on when I wanted to quit. I was very fortunate to have 8 seniors, my NAB angels, to help me through my first year who I still keep in contact. They are my family and I miss them everyday. If it wasn’t for NAB I don’t think my time at Brown would have been as fulfilling as it was. It was the support of my fellow NABers that gave me the courage and strength to step outside my comfort zone and to make the most from my time at Brown. I was apart of a lot of amazing events such as NAB’s annual Pow Wow, a symposium, Ivy Native Conference, faculty search for Native Students, and even developing our own class. Every year that I came back more and more Native’s starting showing up. I was always amazed that despite our different backgrounds, tribes, and beliefs we were always able to come together and help each other to reach our goals and make them happen.
Extracurriculars at Brown: NAB member, Pow Wow Planner, TWC programmer (3 & 1⁄2 yrs.), Machado House Board member (2 yr.), TWTP staffer, intramural sports (volleyball, softball), Brown Presidential Liaison, avid supporter of NAB dinners and golden brown fry bread!
Now: Currently I reside in Phoenix, Arizona and work for a therapeutic foster care agency and mentor for foster children. I am preparing to go back to school for a master’s in Psychology and eventually would like to start up my own practice working specifically with Native children in foster care.
Retrospect: As a Navajo boy from the reservation the move to RI was a little daunting but as I mentioned before I was able to find a place for myself and build a strong foundation. At times it was hard and at one point I considered leaving Brown. For those of you who are considering coming to Brown or at Brown now and would like to connect to NAB alum please don’t hesitate to contact me for more insight or to answer some questions. For me Brown changed my life and I will be forever grateful for the experience but more importantly the people that made the experience. Peace, D
E-Mail: Darricksenb@hscaz.com

Eleanor “Ella” Breath Kindness
Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation
Class:  2002
Concentration:  B.A. Cultural Psychology - Honors
Thesis:  An Examinatinon of the Psychological Effect of Colonization:  Boarding Schools and the Crow Experience.
Current Residence:  Billings, MT
Current Place of Employment: Native American Development Corporation
Current Job Title: Business Development Specialist
Level of Education:  Masters in Management and Business Administration from University of Mary
Extracurricular Activities:  NAB (Native Americans at Brown), the Minority Recruitment Council, and the Independent Concentration Committee.
What NAB meant to me:  Without NAB, Natives Americans were virtually non-existent!  A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into creating NAB so I hope it continues as a long-standing organization.
Transition to Brown:  Coming from a isolated Native American reservation in southeastern Montana to Providence, RI was a transition in itself.  My first thoughts were to find people like me who could empathize with my experience.  The TWC and NAB were great support systems.
Email: crowchica47@yahoo.com

Mikel Brown
Mohegan
Class: 2008
Mikel Brown is an '08 graduate with a degree in Ethnic Studies. She is a member of the Mohegan Tribe and currently lives in Groton, CT. Her senior year, she co-programmed for NAB with Delphina Thomas for the series "Artistic Expression: Modern Perspectives of a Modern People." She enjoyed helping to bring vibrant artists and their works to NAB the Brown community. Mikel would like to encourage incoming students to consider a concentration in Ethnic Studies and to make friends with fellow NAB members.
Email: NativesatBrown@Gmail.com

April Laktonen Counceller
Alutiiq
Class of '02
From: Kodiak, AK
Concentration: Anthropology and American Civilization
Since graduating from Brown I have worked for the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository in Kodiak, AK, where I am currently the Alutiiq Language Manager. I got my M.A. in Rural Development from University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in 2005 and am currently working towards a Ph.D. in Language Planning and Indigenous Epistemologies, also at UAF. I am married to Jeremy Counceller and have a little girl, Emagale Alice, as well as two dogs, Siska and Lady. I have a blog for those who want to follow my exploits: http://isiik.blogspot.com
Email: NativesatBrown@Gmail.com

Nitana Hicks
Class of 2003, AB Sociology, Ethnic Studies
I’m Mashpee Wampanoag from Mashpee, MA.  I am currently living in Berkeley, CA and working in Oakland at the American Indian Child Resource Center where I am the Education Specialist.  I tutor middle school and high school Native students in our after school program as well as help find summer programs and internship opportunities for the youth and assist juniors and seniors with the college process.
Email: nitanahicks@hotmail.com

Honor Keeler
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Class of 2005
Concentration: Anthropology
From: New York and Pennsylvania by way of parents from Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and New York/Co. Clare, Ireland (I never know how to answer this question)
Currently Living: Albuquerque, NM
Attending: the University of New Mexico School of Law, Class of 2010, pursuing the American Indian Law Certificate
Working at: the American Indian Law Center
Future Dreams and Plans: Becoming a lawyer in Intellectual Property and Indian Law, working with international museum directors, facilitating international repatriations, and promoting alternative business options to tribes (as well as encouraging entrepreneurship among indigenous people)
Extracurriculars at Brown: NAB, Celtic Cultural Organization, All-Ivy Native Council, Ivy Council, Leadership Alliance.
Brown Transition: Honestly, Brown was a great and unique place to go, primarily because of the people I met at NAB. The members working with NAB the 4 years that I was at Brown brought their talents together and achieved amazing things. They kept in mind the future Native students that would come through the school and tried to make NAB a solid community of encouragement and support focused on ensuring the graduation of Native students, the recruitment of more Native students, and increasing Native studies courses offered at the school, as well as the education within the Brown Community of indigenous cultures. This created a legacy that, hopefully, will be continued by each new member that joins the organization. Despite any differences that each member may have had, we stuck together and kept our goals in mind.
Email: Honor.Keeler@gmail.com

Darren Modzelewski
I graduated in '02 (oh-deuce!) and concentrated in history and anthropology/ archaeology.  I didn't let anyone know at the time, but going to Brown was an uncomfortable process, but ultimately worth it. Trying to find a space, socially and economically was a challenge.  It was oddest thing to see the same students driving new cars every month and hard to feel as though I didn't quite belong anywhere.  Eventually I found my groove, and NAB was a big part of that.  After graduating I was a Fellow at the Federal Preservation Institute of the National Park Service and helped develop implement a training program directed at teaching government officials about their legal and moral responsibilities to consult with Tribes before their agencies did anything that might have negative impacts.  I left the Park Service in '03 and entered graduate school at U.C. Berkeley to begin working on a Ph.D in archaeology.  My current research and subject of my dissertation questions the way cultural anthropologists and archaeologists have delimited past cultural boundaries and the implications of the underlying assumptions on legal practice, specifically NAGPRA.  When I complete my Ph.D I will attend law school and focus on Federal Indian Law.  My goal is to combine the two fields to better protect sacred and heritage sites.
Email: Darren.Modzelewski@alumni.brown.edu

Mallory Phillips
Mohawk
Class: 2008
From: Lancaster, NY
Concentration: Mathematics, Economics
Currently living and doing: Lancaster, NY at Merrill Lynch (Bank of America)
Extracurricular Activities: NAB member, Native American Heritage Series Programmer 2007-8, University Fund Board

Philip Sanchez
San Felipe Pueblo
Class of 2005
From: Sacramento, CA/San Felipe Pueblo, NM
Currently living in: Brooklyn, NY
Work: I work in the Office of Corporate Responsibility at Time Warner Inc. where I manage Time Warner's philanthropic dollars to nonprofit arts organizations.
Future dreams/plans: Eventually go to business school.  Down the road, I'd like to manage a portfolio of non-gaming enterprises either for my community or one nearby.  Until then, I'm pretty happy doing the philanthropy thing.
Extracurriculars at Brown: Had a couple short stints in crew, sailing and cycling.  Was the NAB fundraiser my sophomore through senior years.
What NAB meant: Was my family and home away from home.
Transition to Brown: My transition wasn't too bad, actually.  I went to an all boys Catholic high school, so I got all the culture shock out of the way early.  Coming to the East Coast for the first time, though, was a bit of a trip.  Houses were so close together, few people had yards and it took me a while to get use to the local accents.
Email: philip_sanchez@hotmail.com

Deana Wagner
I grew up in the small town of Caney, KS and I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.  I graduated from Brown in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Health.  The network of friends that I developed as a member of Native Americans at Brown (NAB) is priceless.  It was difficult for each of us to be away from home, but we often reminded one another of the importance of our presence at Brown and provided needed support when times were tough.  I am extremely proud to have been a part of starting the annual Spring Thaw powwow, forming the Ivy Native Council, and initiating Brown’s Native faculty search. NAB helped me transition to life away from home, and the activities we did allowed me to grow as a leader and develop lifelong friendships.
Upon graduation from Brown, I taught high school science on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for two years as a charter member of Teach For America's 2004 South Dakota corps.  Currently, I am in my second year of a two-year Master of Science program at Harvard School of Public Health where I am concentrating in Maternal and Child Health.  I believe that in order to significantly change the health of Native people, we need to strengthen Native families and ensure that Native kids have the support they need to thrive in our ever-changing world.  Next year, I will continue to gain the skills necessary for designing quality public health prevention and intervention programs in a doctoral program.
Health and education are very important to me, and in my mind they are inextricably linked to one another.  My experiences at Brown and my time spent teaching at Pine Ridge have taught me the value of mentorship and peer support in education.  As I continue my pursuit of a career in Public Health, I remain interested in supporting Native students in their academic endeavors and I would be thrilled to speak with prospective and current students at Brown.
Email: NativesatBrown@Gmail.com

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