Valerie Jarrett of the White House, center, with Champions of Change. Ashley McCray can be seen in the back row, second from left. Amanda Tachine can be seen on the far right. Photo from Twitter
Two Native women who are making advances in the educational arena were recognized by the White House on Tuesday. Ashley McCray, a member of the Absentee Shawnee, and Amanda Tachine, a member of the Navajo Nation, were among 11 women selected as Champions of Change. They were chosen from a field of more than 1,000 nominees. "You're beacons of hope to people who wonder whether or not this country will give them the kind of opportunity we all know they deserve," said Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama. McCray, a Ph.D. student at the University of Oklahoma, was selected for her efforts to make her campus more inclusive. She has spoken out against harmful stereotypes and has helped organize events like Playing the Race Card to raise awareness.
YouTube: The White House Champions of Change: Young Women Empowering their Communities
During a panel discussion at the White House yesterday, McCray she wouldn't be able to succeed without the support of other Native women. She encouraged other young women to seek out mentors. "I could not survive if it weren't for my awesome Native sisters," said McCray, who is also Oglala Sioux and Rosebud Sioux. "All my sisters lift me up. they stand up for me," McCray added. "They fight for me and they empower me." Tachine, a postdoctoral scholar at Arizona State University, was honored for her campus improvement efforts as well. She founded Native SOAR (Student Outreach, Access, and Resiliency) at the University of Arizona, where she received her Ph.D. in Higher Education.
Amanda Tachine, center, with other participants of the Native SOAR program at the University of Arizona. Photo from Facebook
As part of the program, Native college students mentor Native high school students in Arizona. They participate in one-on-one meetings and the younger Native students and their families are encouraged to visit the UA campus. "This award is for all of us — for those of us across the nation who work tremendously hard to increase college access for Native peoples, for family and our Native elders who have prayed and continue to pray for our future generations, and for universities like the UA who do so much to support and advocate for increased representation of Native students," Tachine said in a press release. Biographical information provided by the White House about McCray and Tachine follows:
Ashley McCray, Norman, Oklahoma
Ashley McCray is a Ph.D. student in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine program at the University of Oklahoma, where she specializes in indigenous knowledge, environment and public health in minority communities, race, and science, and the native experience in the university. Ashley is from the Oglala and Sicangu Lakota nations and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, where she is currently an enrolled tribal member and where she serves her tribe as archivist. Ashley works to ensure her university incorporates inclusivity and diversity in its curriculum. Her work on her own campus has helped inspire a mandatory diversity course for incoming students, and a series of diversity and inclusivity workshops facilitated throughout the school year for faculty, students, and staff. Amanda Tachine, Tuscon, Arizona
Amanda Tachine is Navajo from Ganado, Arizona. She is Náneeshtézhí Táchiinii (Zuni Red Running into Water clan) born for Tl¹izilani (Many Goats clan). Her maternal grandfather¹s clan is Tábaahí (Water¹s Edge) and her paternal grandfather¹s clan is Ashiihi (Salt). Amanda has led efforts in a dynamic two-tiered college access mentoring program, Native SOAR (Student Outreach, Access, and Resiliency) where Native American graduate students and staff mentor underrepresented, mostly Native American college students who also in turn provide mentorship to Native American high school students. Amanda received a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Arizona. She is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Center for Indian Education at Arizona State University where she hopes to continue advancing ideas and strategies for Native student success.
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