Leadership theories and practices are often rooted in Western perspectives. This training centers Indigenous core values of relationships, respect, reciprocity and responsibility as central to our understanding and practice of leadership to decolonize, deconstruct and inform how we work with others to be a good relative.
Born and raised on Tongva Territory (aka Los Angeles), Elena is Hopi, Cherokee, and Mexican whose family settled following forced boarding school experiences and the Indian Relocation era.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and am the first in my family to complete a master’s degree. Those experiences allowed her to recognize how important it is to see and support Native students, Native faculty and administration to help ensure others recognize we are here, advocate for equitable resources, and also increase access to the opportunities available through higher education.
For the last 16+ years, her work has spanned across K-12 education, Native CBOs, and higher education settings working with Native students, families and faculty. She currently serves as the Executive Director of So’oh-Shinálí Sister Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to Indigenizing education and wellness.
SJPLA’s Wellbeing Series is a free workshop every second Thursday of the month at 11 am. The workshops introduce a variety of healing modalities as part of our Racial Equity in Homelessness Initiative. These sessions promote personal rest, renewal, and connection creating space for discussion on how to sustain wellbeing practices.
