Calendar

Purpose

The primary responsibility of the Washington Community and Technical Colleges American Indian Indigenous Studies Advisory Board (WCAAB) is to develop a statewide community and technical colleges strategic plan. Through sustainable Government to Government (G2G) relations and tribal consultation, this plan will expand space for Indigenous knowledges throughout the following educational pathways:

  • Academic transfer
  • Basic adult education
  • Career and technical education
  • Workforce development

To address American Indian disparities in higher education, our primary aim is to expand pathways for Tribal students, adults, and workforce development within Washington's higher education opportunities. This includes building institutional capacity to increase American Indian knowledge through curriculum development and the recruitment of American Indian faculty and staff. We work to create space for Tribal Community Scholars and Wisdom Keepers in traditional western academy so that all faculty, staff, students, and communities will learn local history, governance, and culture. To realize place-based knowledge is to learn the historical context from local Tribes and their connections to the land where we work, live, and play.

Recruitment Goal

In one year, we recruited 26 community educators from Washington's community and technical colleges, universities, Indigenous faculty, higher education advisory professionals, American Indian K-12 education organizations, Tribal business and health sectors, and Tribal leaders.

COLLECTIVELY, WCAAB has adopted advisory board bylaws and created a statewide comprehensive strategic plan. We look forward to reducing racial inequities, promoting social justice initiatives, and facilitating productive relationships between Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges and 29 Federally Recognized Tribes.

Board Role Name Title/Organization Email
Co-Chair Elect Robert Britten Executive Director, Diversity and Equity Officers Commission (DEOC), Lake Washington Institute of Technology robert.britten@lwtech.edu
Co-Chair Elect

Kris Peters
(Squaxin Island Tribe)

Chairman of Squaxin Island Tribe, Evergreen State College Board of Trustees kpeters@squaxin.us
Co-Member-At-Large Vik Bahl Tenured English Faculty, Green River College vbahl@greenriver.edu
Co-Member-At-Large Maya Esquivido-Strom (Nor Rel Muk & Hupa) Tribal Government Affairs Director; State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) mesquivido@sbctc.edu

 

Name Title Organization Email
Anna Armstrong
(Kalispel)
Board Member & Director

Washington State Indian Education Association (WSIEA)

Director of Education at Kalispel Tribe

aarmstrong@kalispeltribe.com
Chairman Leonard Forsman (Suquamish) Chairman of The Suquamish Tribe; President

Tribal Leaders Congress

lforsman@suquamish.nsn.us
Carli Schiffner President

Grays Harbor College

carli.schiffner@ghc.edu
John Sirois (Confederate Tribes of the Colville) Traditional Territories Confederated Tribes of the Colville john.sirois.adm@colvilletribes.com
Denise Bill
(Muckleshoot)
Director Muckleshoot Tribal College denise.bill@muckleshoot.nsn.us
Kady Titus (Koyukon Athabascan) State Board Member; Koyukon Athabascan State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) kadytitus@aol.com
Chris Bailey Interim Executive Director State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) cbailey@sbctc.edu
Yoshiko Harden President Renton Technical College yharden@rtc.edu
Kerry Levett Vice President of Instruction Instruction Commission (IC), Cascadia College klevett@cascadia.edu
Victor Begay (Navajo) American Indian & Indigenous Studies Faculty & Tribal Liason Cascadia Community College vbegay@cascadia.edu
Tanya Powers Associate Dean BAS and Workforce Pathways, Highline Community College tpowers@highline.edu
Monica Wilson Director Student Success Center and Strategic Initiatives, State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) mwilson@sbctc.edu
Irene Shaver Climate Solutions Program Manager Tribal Government Affairs Office, State Board of Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) Ishaver@sbctc.edu
Leander Yazzie (Navajo) Tribal Liaison University of Washington Tacoma yazzil@uw.edu
Naomi Bender (Quechua) Director of Tribal Relations Spokane College naomi.bender@ccs.spokane.edu

Contacts

Maya Esquivido-Strom
Interim Director, Tribal Government Affairs
mesquivido@sbctc.edu
360-704-3986


Courtnay Llacuna
Administrative Assistant
cllacuna@sbctc.edu
360-704-4317