How Mu! Hello, how are you? This is a greeting in my Native language Numu Yadooana [Northern Paiute language]. I am a Native American from the Great Basin located in Northern Nevada. I am from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation, home to the most beautiful desert lake in the world! I grew up on my reservation in Wadsworth, Nevada and I am an enrolled member of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. I am Northern Paiute, Western Shoshone, and Hopi. I am an Indigenous scholar, vocalist, dancer, cultural activist, language warrior, and my greatest role, being a mother.
I am currently attending the University of California, Davis as a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Native American Studies Department and earning a Designated Emphasis (DE) in Performance and Practice Studies. I attained my Master’s Degree in Native American Studies from UC Davis in 2021. In my undergraduate studies, I attended the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Minor in Biology in 2019. I was actually on my way to dental school to become an Orthodontist but my heart led me to where I am today. The work that I was passionate about was working with my community (especially Native youth and Elders) teaching language and culture.
