Courtney Little Axe
(Northern Cheyenne, Absentee Shawnee, and Seminole)
UM NAGPRA-Repatriation Coordinator, Collections Manager
Courtney Little Axe, a member of the Northern Cheyenne, Absentee Shawnee, and Seminole Nations, grew up on the Northern Cheyenne reservation and in Little Axe/Tecumseh, Oklahoma. She has an Associate of Science degree in Natural Sciences from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas and a Records and Information Management Certificate from the National Archives and Records Administration in Kansas City, Missouri. She also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Forensic Studies Certificate from the University of Montana. During her undergrad, Courtney worked as an intern in the UM Anthropological Curation Facility, where she became familiar with the collection of ancestral belongings housed there. Following her time at UM, she was selected as a Native American fellow for the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts and served as the Exhibitions Research and Publications Fellow. She also assisted with the NAGPRA inventories and research of tribal communities affiliated with cultural materials in their collections. After her fellowship, she worked at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California as the NAGPRA Assistant and then as the Repatriation Assistant. She came into UM’s new Repatriation Coordinator position with an existing skill set that helped develop methods and protocols to Indigenize the care of Ancestors and their belongings withheld in collections. She has also helped advocate for and establish processes for ethical and respectful tribal consultation in collaboration with various Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, tribal representatives, and elders across the country.
Kelly Dixon
UM NAGPRA Archaeology Prof. Repatriation Team Leader
Dr. Kelly J. Dixon has worked in the field of archaeology and heritage management for over 25 years. Since the fall of 2003, Dr. Dixon has worked as an Archaeologist and Professor at the University of Montana’s (UM) Department of Anthropology; she has been assisting with UM’s cultural heritage collections as part of her service duties. Living and working in the North American West for 20 years, Dixon’s body of work underscores the ways in which actions in the American West have connections with—and impacts on—the rest of the world as humans navigate extreme social and environmental changes. Whether drawing lessons from the past to make informed decisions about the present or whether working collaboratively with her colleagues, Dixon believes partnerships with Tribal, Federal, State, and local government agencies, as well as with private businesses, stakeholders, communities, and other universities can help responsibly and respectfully preserve and protect land, heritage, and humanity’s well-being in the 21st century and beyond.
F. "Lisa" Hunt
Amskapii Pikanni
(Blackfeet)
NAGPRA-Repatriation Leader; SHPO Fellow; Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) THPO Liaison, Collections and Repatriaion Specialist
Lisa Hunt is of Blackfeet descent and is currently a Ph.D. student in cultural anthropology at the University of Montana working on her dissertation titled "Dams, Displaced Tribes, Salvage Archaeology, and Cultural Resource Management in the Missouri River Basin." She has a master's degree in cultural anthropology and a bachelor's degree in Native American Studies. She has worked as a Repatriation Collections Assistant at the University of Montana Anthropological Collections Facility since 2021.
Mikalen Running Fisher
Amskapii Pikanni (Blackfeet)
Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Office Liaison, Collections and Repatriation Specialist
As an enrolled member of the Amskapii Pikanni (Blackfeet Nation), was born and raised on the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana. She has dedicated her academic and professional journey to cultural preservation, education, and revitalization of Indigenous knowledge. In 2022, Mikalen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies with a Minor in Communication Studies from the University of Montana. Mikalen’s doctoral research centers on increasing access to cultural resources for the Blackfoot people. A key aspect of this work is repatriation of Blackfoot belongings, project that grew from her involvement with UM’s Anthropological Collections Facility (UMACF). Her work is further supported by her position as an Archivist at the Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO), where she collaborates closely with THPO’s across Montana. These relationships have reinforced her belief in the urgency of repatriation efforts to preserve and strengthen cultural identity. Currently, Mikalen serves as the Collections and Repatriation Liaison and continues her work at the Blackfeet THPO. Her long-term goal is to return to her community as a Ph.D.-holding cultural professional, helping lead efforts in cultural preservation and repatriation while encouraging the pursuit of higher education. She strives to bridge the gap between academic institutions and Indigenous communities by creating culturally grounded and accessible educational resources.
Dr. Nikki Manning
Repatriation and Preservation Compliance Specialist
Dr. Nikki Manning is an anthropologist, archaeologist, and public historian whose work centers on cultural heritage law, community engagement, and advocacy through archaeology and historic preservation. She holds a PhD in Anthropology and Cultural Heritage from the University of Montana where she serves as the Repatriation and Preservation Compliance Specialist. In this rold, she advances ethical, legally compliant stewardship of Indigenous cultual heritage through Nagpra and Montana State Antiquities Act compliance, meaning tribal consultation, and collections management. She brings extensive experience developing cultural affiliation documentation, relationship-based repatriation processes. Her work is grounded in sustaining respectful relationships with Indigenous nations, facilitating transparent repatriation processes and guiding institutions hrough culturally responsive compliance practices.
Lucas Van Boyden
Intern Assisting with Fort Peck THPO and awarded NCPE Internship UM Repatriation Team w/Special Projects
Lucas Van Boyden is a Senior in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana, with a focus in Archaeology. Lucas has experience with the 2024 NAGPRA regulations' "Stepts to Repatriation," working alongside UM's NAGPRA Repatriation Coordinator and her team to prepare for the tribal consuitations, a NAGPRA Summit, and UM Heritage Collections Board meetings, as well as to contribute to the ocumentation required for repatriation processes. Lucas was selected to serve a a National Council on Preservation Education (NCPE) intern during Spring 2026 to assist with legacy archaeological collections inventories. he is passionate about collections care and collaborating with Indigenous nations to help properly steward their belonigngs. As one example, he is collaborating with an archaeologist to understand bison [faunal] analysis in collections such as those from buffalo/bison jumps to support Um;s ongoing consultation process with THPOs from the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions. Lucas also has experience with archaeological site cataloging, organizing site collections, and ethical heritage collections care and stewardship-and still finds time to help with educational outreach focused on presenting the story of 1904 Fort Saw Girls' World Champion basketball team and showcasing Emmas Sansaver's Dress. Lucas is also enrolling in Cultural Resource Development courses to add knowledgeabout the legal requirements to his historic preservation toolkit. During his time working with his team, he has witnessed the benefits of repatriation for Indigenous communities, hearing from THPOs and community members gow such actions help regain lost connections to ancestors and relatives and can also assist with healing processes.
Mikaylia Yellowrobe
Northern Cheyenne
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Historic Preservation Office Liaison, Collections, and Repatriation Specialist
Mikaylia has worked with the University of Montana’s (UM’s)heritage collections since she was in an Archaeology Kids Camp and since she was in high school when she volunteered to assist with photography projects. She has continued to help with UM heritage collections needs, working first as an intern via the National Councilor Preservation Education (NCPE) and now as the Northern Cheyenne THPO Liaison and Collections and Repatriation Specialist. She continued to help with NCPE needs by preparing training sessions for new NCPE interns working with archaeological records to assist with federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management. Examples of her recent work include planning,coordinating and implementing a Northern Cheyenne Gathering and repatriation event at UM, as well as helping with the annual UM Heritage Collections Board meeting. She continues to liaise with UMACF and NAGPRA Team to prepare consultation records and help with cultural affiliation research.
Elizabeth Matilda Abena Mantebeah
UM Graduate School Doctoral Fellow
(assists the UM NAGPRA-Repatriation Team when available)
Dr. Mantebeah earned a Doctorate in Anthropology (Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology) at the University of Montana (UM) and was the University of Montana's inaugural recipient of the Engstrom Prize in Spring 2026. Her dissertation, "The Long Road to Healing: Unsettling Heritage Narratives, Promoting Accountability, and Consultative Governance," presents paths for a future with museums actively engaged with the communities whose heritage they are stewarding. Delving deeper into the sequels of colonialism, her current research focus is geared towards the healing of communities from their past traumas in the light of cultural objects trafficking, museum collections and repatriation discourses.
Her doctorial research therefore reviewed and troubleshot cultural heritage trafficking problems, calling for new mechanism(s) to work meaningfully, cooperatively, with broader goals to enhance wellbeing through active repatriation of heritage collections. In this sense, she undertook a Summer 2026 Postdoctoral Fellowship at UM, working as the Heritage Outreach Coordinator and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Specialist to assist with UM Heritage Collections Stewardship activities, such as inventory and repatriation efforts as well as Emma's Legacy outreach and mobile "exhibits".
Since 2022, she has been working with colleagues and Tribal Historic Preservations Officers (THPOs) of diverse background on cultural affiliation issues regarding heritage collections and their indigenization within the University of Montana Anthropological Collection Facility (UMACF). She has participated in and presented on historical and intergenerational trauma experiences resulting from colonialism and boarding schools and lead a co-authored chapter publication in combating oppression with new commemorations.
Dr. Mantebeah is also a Volunteer Expert (UNESCO Earth Network), Facilitator and Researcher (2003 UNESCO Convention) and Junior Expert (1972 World Heritage Convention). Her specialization and interest beyond Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding includes Heritage Tourism, Community Resource Development, World Heritage Issues and Convention Implementation, Illicit Trafficking, Repatriation Actions, Healing Mechanisms for Intergenerational Trauma, Cultural Sovereignty, and the Anthropology of Heritage.
She received her master’s degree in Heritage Management (University of Mauritius) and her bachelor's degree in French, Geography, and Resource Development (University of Ghana). Her past research evolved from the empowerment of communities with painful heritage past. Previously, a Commonwealth Scholar (2013-2015) and a two-time recipient of the Bertha Morton Award (2023-2024 and 2025-2026), Dr. Mantebeah loves to engage with communities on matters of heritage and to help them in the development of their cultural heritage resource. Outside of the academic setting, she spends time writing and working with kids.
Jacob Brien
Crow
Crow Tribal Historic Preservation Office Liaison, Collections, and Repatriation Specialist
Hello, my name is Jacob Brien. I am from Bachiihachke, MT. I am in my last year of graduate school in the Linguistics department at the University of Montana. I have an A.A. in Crow studies from Little Bighorn College, a B.S. in Sociology from Rocky Mountain College. In the past, I have had many jobs including editor on the Crow Dictionary, Adjunct instructor at the Little Big Horn College, NAGPRA Tech for the Crow Tribe, and currently I am the Crow Historic Preservation Office Liaison for the University of Montana.
Benjamin "Benji" Headswift
Northern Cheyenne
Little Shell Tribe Liaison, Collections, and Repatriation Specialist
Benjamin Headswift is a Northern Cheyenne citizen known for leadership, prayer, and spiritual practices. He earned a B.A. in Native American Studies at the UM and is in his first year as a graduate (MA Program) in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana (UM). Before coming to UM, he served in the US Army and on the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council. He also taught Northern Cheyenne singing to K-12th graders. He is currently working for the UM and helping with NAGPRA team's collaborative work. Learning more about NAGPRA legislation and processes are among the goals he intents to achieve while here at the UM, so he can continue to gain knowledge and skills that will preserve his [and other] tribe's land and heritage. For the AY 2025-2026, he has stepped in to assist the Little Shell Tribe with NAGPRA and related consultation processes.
Grace Denison
Collections and Repatriation Intern Assisting UM NAGPRA Coordinator w/ special Projects; awarded 2026 NCPE Internship
Grace Denison is currently a senior at the Universty of Montana studying Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology. Though her time at the University of Montana, Grace has gained experience in both field and lab settings, participating in survey projects and aiding in the completion of research both inside and outside of the field. With specific interests in migration patterns and the reconstruction. Grace was selected to serve as a National Council on Preservation Education (NCPE) Inturn during Spring 2026 to assist with legacy archaeological collection inventories of demographic data. Grace plans to continue her education with a PhD degree in Anthropology, Grace is focused on centering Indigenous knowledge, the implemation of NAGPRA, and successful as well as sensitve repatriation processes. In a field historically rampant with colonial violence, Grace intends to merge her passions for human history and cultural heritage in a meaningful manner to reunite communities with their belongings and supoprt efforts to Indgenize Anthropology.
Jennifer Wilkinson
Hidatsa
Rocky Boy's Tribal Historic Presservaion Office Liasion, Collections, and Repatriation Specialist, Graduate Research Assitant
Jennifer is working as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) to serve as the Rock Boy's THPO Liaison and Collections and Repatriation Specialist. She is also a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Montana, focusing on an MA (and then a PhD) in Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology. She earned an Associates Degree in General Education at the Montana State University Northern and a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from the University of Montana. As she is completing her current MA project, she has been learning about the new NAGPRA regulations; cases and consultation; and engaging with Rocky Boy's THPO to gain knowledge and skills required to assist with Rocky Boy's culture and heritage preservation projects.