ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces readers to relationships between indigenous identities and leadership in diverse educational environments and institutions and will benefit policy makers in education, student affairs professionals, scholars, faculty and students. Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet was the first Native American woman president of Antioch University Seattle in 2007 and the first Navajo woman president ofDinéCollege in 2000. Through learning, collaborating, networking, and being mentored, she became connected in the higher education community. The majority of her career was spent in mainstream higher education working in minority student affairs programs at institutions in the states of Wyoming, New Mexico, Oregon, Montana, and Washington. She served as the first woman president of Dine College on the Navajo reservation in Arizona and New Mexico prior to earning her doctorate at the University of Oregon. She had unique opportunities open up for her with scholarships, academic resources, and financial support for her education when she most needed it.