SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Colleges has created its first-ever role of Director of Tribal Relations in the education establishment’s history.
The role is being filled by Dr. Naomi Bender, who has over 20 years of experience in Native Health sciences. Dr. Bender is an Indigenous Peruvian Quechua.
She previously served as Director of Native American Health Sciences and Director of the Center for Native American Health at Washington State University (WSU).
Dr. Bender co-developed the first Indigenous developed and instructed Indigenous Health Perspective Certificate in the nation, aimed at helping both native and non-native learners how to better serve Indigenous populations in the area of healthcare.
According to Spokane Colleges, Dr. Bender’s top priorities will be to create a Tribal Advisory Board that will advise native students and their education journeys, build long-lasting relationships between local tribal communities and Spokane Colleges and develop a goal-oriented working plan that provides metrics for success.
“As a tribal liaison between tribal governments, the Chancellor’s office, and Spokane Colleges, this office looks at executive level commitment in areas of developing trusting and sustainable relationships that center respect of tribal sovereignty, pathways of support and success in education for tribal youth through adults, policy, and culturally centering curriculum and initiatives across systems that advances the knowledge, workforce, and humble skillsets of our Non-Native allies and friends,” said Dr. Bender. “I look forward to seeing how tribal leaders and community can help inform this position and unit as well as what’s currently happening in our tribal communities where we may partner.”
Dr. Bender has a Doctorate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, as well as a Master of Arts in Communications and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
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