Work Experience

Kayaaní Commission Coordinator | Sitka Tribe of Alaska

• Schedule and facilitate Kayaaní Commission meetings and work sessions
• Carry out duties of Kayaaní Commission grants and priorities, including: development of Special Forest Products (Non-Timber Forest Products) management plan, invasive plants management plan, Tribal community garden plan and proposal, Sheet'ká Ḵwáan smokehouse history research and narrative drafting
• Work with a variety of government and organizational partners across Sitka and the Southeast Alaska region
• Prepare grant reports and write grant applications for Kayaaní Commission project funding
• Participate in Resource Protection Department harvesting, fishing, conference hosting, and other STA all-staff events

Publications:

• Smokehouses of the Sheet'ká Ḵwáan
• Invasive Plant Management Plan
• Tribal Community Garden Plan

Youth Program Cultural Coordinator | Sitka Trail Works

• Aided in designing and running the Lingít Aaní Trail Works Camp offered to middle-school aged students in collaboration with Sitka Tribe of Alaska
• Coordinated with local culture bearers and Native educators to provide place- based activities rooted in Tlingit culture; including harvesting, traditional crafts, and language revitalization
• Led campers in trail maintenance projects, traditional foods and medicine harvesting and processing, and discussion around land stewardship and caring for shared spaces in our community
• Created ArcGIS Story Maps to communicate the background, planning process, and successes of the Lingít Aaní Trail Works Camp and the 2023 Sitka Trail Plan

Culture, Environment, and Resource Management Intern | Sitka Conservation Society, First Alaskans Institute, USFS PNW Research Station

• Conducted interviews with a variety of stakeholders including carvers, weavers, culture bearers, and Forest Service personnel on the social, economic, and cultural value of cedar trees
• Transcribed and summarized data, created social media outputs

Publication: Wood Products for Cultural Use

Research Assistant | Western Washington University

• Assisted in collection of multiple field and laboratory data components associated with an international traditional foods research study, based in Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada
• Worked in an interdisciplinary manner with associated Tribal community members on traditional foods study of littleneck clam health in clam gardens vs natural beaches

Publication: Indigenous sea gardens within the Pacific Northwest generate partial trophic niche and dietary fatty acid shifts in littleneck clams (Leukoma staminea)

Alaska Youth and Future Intern | Sitka Conservation Society

• Visited Native villages across southeast Alaska documenting youth workforce development programs in the region
• Mentorships with SCS staff led to professional development and storytelling skills trainings
• Internship culminated in published article to convey importance of investing in youth programs

Publication: Workforce development programs: Investing in Southeast Alaska youth