Salena Beaumont Hill

Salena Beaumont Hill, Baawátbakala Xíasseesh (“Shining Crucifix”), is a member of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation and a descendent of the Blackfeet Nation. Salena recently earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision from the University of Montana (UM). Salena has spent her career working in student support services and academic advising with programs serving American Indian college students at UM and Little Big Horn College. Her work in student advocacy, promoting student access, and providing support in higher education has been very rewarding. In February 2021, Salena accepted a position with UM as Director of Inclusive Excellence, where she works closely with students to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism toward fostering inclusive campus environments.

Stephan Chase

Stephan Chase served on the Willow Social Science Research (SSR) team as a Research Specialist from 2018-2020 at University of Montana (UM). Stephan is a member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation. First and foremost, Stephan is a father to his 4 daughters and 3 sons. He has earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Native American Studies from UM. Stephan is a UM graduate student in Anthropology, Culture, and Heritage Studies. He is a member of the Parent Advisory Committee for the Missoula County Public Schools Indian Education Department and he serves on the Native American Student Advisory Council, because he believes firmly in the importance of students' voice in planning and evaluation in higher education. When he completes his PhD studies at UM, Stephan hopes to become a professor in higher education, and as a result, he feels he would also learn more about how the system works to prepare him for his future as an academic researcher, teacher, and mentor.

Shandin Pete

Shandin Pete served as Willow SKC PI from 2017-2020. Shandin was a faculty member and co-developer of the Salish Kootenai College (SKC) Hydrology program. He served as a co-PI on the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Integrative and Collaborative Education and Research (ICER) project (NSF# 1747709), a symposium bringing together Native and Native-serving hydrologists to address key questions regarding research and education needs from indigenous knowledge systems. Recently, as Co-PI, he completed an NSF-funded Human Resources Division (HRD) project (NSF#1249423) with the overarching objective of investigating the efficacy of culturally congruent instruction (CCI) for improving education for American Indian college students in the Tribal College and Universities (TCU) system. Pete is from Arlee, Montana, located on the Flathead Indian Reservation. His mother is Salish and his father is Diné from BeshBeToh Valley A, on the Navajo Reservation.

Maja Pederson

Maja Pedersen served Willow as a Research Specialist for the Indigenous Mentoring Program (IMP) component from 2017-2020. Maja contributed to the data collection materials and process for participant recruitment and implementation of interviews, conducted interviews, and participated in the qualitative data analysis process. In 2018, Maja presented this work at the AGEP National Research Conference at UC Berkley. Maja continues her involvement through collaborative manuscript development to disseminate findings from this important work.

D'Shane Barnett

D'Shane Barnett served Willow on the Social Science Research Team as a Research Specialist from 2017-2018 at University of Montana (UM). D'Shane worked on multiple tasks for different components of the project, including but not limited to, the literature review; collabortion on the Circle Methodology design and implementation; hosting of Circles; recruiting and organizing for the Institutional Climate Study (ICS); building Qualtrics for the ICS; preparing documents for the Institutional Review Board (IRB); conference preparation and presentation, and in various other duties.

Laurie Walker

Laurie Walker served Willow as University of Montana (UM) Co-PI and lead of the Social Science Research (SSR) component from 2017-2018. Walker was responsible for multiple tasks on the project, including but not limited to, research and implementation of Indigenous Research Methodologies (IRM); development of the 6 R’s: Respect, Relationship, Representation, Relevance, Responsibility, and Reciprocity; conference preparation and presentation; Institutional Review Board (IRB) application review for Circles and the Institutional Climate Study (ICS); and supervision of the SSR team.

Mason Niblack

Dr. Gyda Swaney [1951-2019]

Dr. Gyda Swaney served Willow as an Advisory Board member from 2017-2019. Gyda was an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation.

She served as faculty member in the Psychology Department at University of Montana, Director of the Indians Into Psychology (InPsych) program, and taught Multicultural Psychology at undergraduate and graduate levels and Applied Clinical Practicum at the graduate level. Dr. Swaney had 18 years experience recruiting, mentoring, and training American Indian students in Clinical Psychology. She had an active research lab with students and had examined: stressors and coping strategies in American Indian older adults and elderly, developing a culturally-based Grief Retreat to address grief and historical trauma, and had more recently become interested in health disparities, food sovereignty, and access to healthy food, including a summer garden project for children, in a Montana tribal community.

 Gyda was an active member of the Montana Psychological Association and was MPA’s representative to the APA’s Council of Representatives. She was also a member of the Society of Indian Psychologists and the American Psychological Association. Her presence among us will be greatly missed.