Head Lady and Henry Roe Cloud

Earlier this month, I returned to Yale for my third Henry Roe Cloud Conference--a meeting hosted every three years in honor of the first Native American graduate of Yale College. It was amazing to learn, in particular, about the indigenous language revitalization work spearheaded by Yale, and it was a delight to celebrate Jay Gitlin and Ashley Hemmers as the "Friend of the Community" and "Distinguished Alumni" awardees. 

I was also so honored to serve as Head Lady Dancer at the Yale University Powwow! When I was a student at Yale, we always dreamed of hosting a powwow. Now, years later, leading all the dancers into the circle for this momentous revitalization (this was the first Yale Powwow in more than a decade!) means so much. Thank you to Dean Kelly Fayard, Kapi'olani Laronal, the Yale Native American Cultural Center, and the Association of Native Americans at Yale for inviting me to serve in this position! 

Read coverage by the Yale Daily News and my interview here. 

Rule as Head Lady (right) with fellow Yale alum, Dinee Dorame (left). Photo credit: Julia Char Gilbert