Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy

Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy (Hupa, Yurok, Karuk; enrolled in the Hoopa Valley Tribe) is an award-winning scholar, writer, and community leader whose work has reshaped the fields of Native American Studies, Indigenous environmental justice, and higher education. She is a Professor and former Chair of the Department of Native American Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she also serves as the Co-Director of the Rou Dalagurr: Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges (TEK) Institute—a nationally recognized center for Indigenous science, land stewardship, and cultural revitalization.

Her acclaimed book, We Are Dancing for You: Native Feminisms and the Revitalization of Women’s Coming-of-Age Ceremonies (University of Washington Press, 2018), received the 2019 “Best First Book” Award from the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association and has become a seminal text in Indigenous and feminist studies. The book centers the revitalization of ceremonial practices as a site of resistance, healing, and Indigenous feminist resurgence, challenging colonial narratives while uplifting community-led movements.

As Co-Director of the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab, she has helped raise over $2 million in grants and philanthropic funding, developed the lab’s strategic vision, and led projects that promote Indigenous food systems, climate resilience, and youth mental health. In 2025, she and Co-Director Dr. Kaitlin Reed were honored with the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, recognizing their collaborative, community-driven leadership and impact in advancing Indigenous science and land-based education. In 2026, Dr. Risling Baldy received Cal Poly Humboldt’s Outstanding Professor Award as part of the university’s Distinguished Faculty Awards, recognizing her excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.

Her commitment to education extends beyond the university. As Lead Scholar for the Humboldt County Office of Education’s Native American Studies Model Curriculum Project, she has been instrumental in developing California’s first K–12 Native American Studies curriculum. Her thought leadership helped guide the creation of culturally responsive, tribally grounded curriculum that is now shaping how Indigenous histories, knowledges, and futures are taught across the public education system. In 2025, she co-authored “California Native American Studies Model Curriculum: A Transformative Moment for California Education” (Leadership Magazine), further influencing statewide educational policy.

A passionate educator and mentor, Dr. Risling Baldy has trained and inspired a generation of Native students, scholars, and activists. She has organized and led high-impact community events such as the Northern California #LandBack Symposium, the Humboldt Indigenous Foods Festival, the Water Advocacy & Water Protectors Certificate Program, and multiple California Indian Conferences. Her teaching and public humanities work model what it means to engage the university in reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities.

She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Native Women’s Collective, a nonprofit organization supporting the revitalization of Native arts, cultural practices, and women’s leadership. Her commitment to cultural resurgence and sovereignty is deeply personal as well as professional. Dr. Risling Baldy holds a Ph.D. in Native American Studies with a Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory and Research from UC Davis, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from San Diego State University, and a B.A. in Psychology with a Specialization in Health & Human Development from Stanford University.