The Sierra Fund is now doing business as: Indigenous Futures Society!

Our People

Board of Directors

Dr. Lisa Grayshield

Washo

Board Chair

Joseph Miller

Big Pine Paiute

Board Vice Chair

Pamela Cubbler

Colfax-Todd's Valley Consolidated Tribe

Board Secretary

Malissa Tayaba

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians

Board Treasurer

Kris Hohag

Bishop Paiute

Board Member

Brenden Mercer

Swampy Cree

Board Member

Nils Moe

Board Member

Timothy Seward

Board Member

Staff

Brian Wallace

Washoe/Nisenan

Indigenous Chief Executive Officer

Rebecca Allen, Ph.D., RPA

Program Executive

Matthew Moore

Washoe/Nisenan

Program Executive

Laura Carroll

Development & Communications Director

Dereck Goodwin

Nomlaki/Wailaki, Round Valley

TEKI Program Director

Advisory Committee

Cherilyn Ashmead

Technical Advisor

Martha Davis

Technical Advisor

Nina Fontana has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and stands in the Arboretum oak grove on April 26, 2017. Nina will be exploring traditional ecological knowledge of the Carpathian Hutsuls: How they manage edibles from the forest in that area of Ukraine.

Nina Fontana, Ph.D.

Technical Advisor

Krystal Moreno

Yaqui and Kumeyaay

Knowledge Bearer

Austin Stevenot, San Joaquin Valley Field Manager for River Partners.photographed in June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California.

Austin Stevenot

Northern Sierra Mewuk

Knowledge Bearer

Chuck Striplen, Ph.D.

Mutsun

Knowledge Bearer

Jun Sunseri, Ph.D.

Technical Expert

Dr. Lisa Grayshield
Washo
Board Chair

hunga meh’heši’- di’ gum di’yah Dr. Lisa Grayshield – leh’leh’ wel mel ti’ gum tah’nu’, di’goy Frank Grayshield, di’lah Clenta Grayshield; I am a member of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. I want to recognize all my relations, mi’lew di’yea’yeh’low.  Those that have gone before us-my ancestors; those that are with us today; my three beautiful daughters; the sons they brought into my life and; all the generations that are yet to come.

I took an early retirement from my (15 years) position as a university professor to serve my community. I currently serve as an external evaluator and researcher for Native health and wellness programs; I sit on the Washoe Health Center Board of Directors.  I also serve as the Executive Director of Washiw Zulshish Goom Tahn Nu, (Washoe Warrior Society), a grassroots organization of Washoe community people, mostly elders who formed in 2009 to further promote culture, language and a return to traditional cultural practices as a means to regain health and well-ness in Washoe communities, and on the lands that we stewarded since time immemorial.  As Washoe people we are intricately intertwined with the Sierra Bioregion with da aw (Lake Tahoe) as the spiritual and geographical center of the universe for Washiw. It is an honor to serve the Indigenous Futures Society as a member of the Board of Directors in further promoting traditional cultural practices of land stewardship and guardianship across the Sierra.   Di’ gum hi’ki’ungaw hu lew (We are all in this together).

Joseph Miller
Big Pine Paiute
Board Vice Chair

Joseph is a lifelong resident of Payahuunadü (Owens Valley) and a Tribal member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley. Joseph developed a love of environmental service through his early work with the Big Pine Tribe focusing on food sovereignty, permaculture practices, community gardening and health initiatives. Through the creation of the Big Pine Tribe Sustainable Food Program, Joseph was able to bring educational outreach to his community, create the first and longest running farmers market in Big Pine and helped to establish the Tribal Heirloom Exchange (T.H.E.) seed library.

His fondness for maintaining the connection to water and land was further realized through working in water quality monitoring and data collection with his home Tribe. For several years Joseph held this position as well as acting as the administrative assistant to the Tribal Caucus of the Region 9 Tribal Operations Committee. Most recently Joseph has served in management roles for both Tribal enterprise and in Tribal environmental department directorship. Joseph enjoys quality time with his family, caring for plants, gardening, environmental stewardship, serving Tribal communities and exploring the high deserts of California and Nevada. His current work is with Eastern Sierra nonprofit Friends of the Inyo as their Indigenous Community Relations Coordinator. In this role Joseph hopes to foster meaningful dialogue, cultivate lasting relationships and collaborations between the Friends of the Inyo organization and the indigenous communities of the Eastern Sierra.

Pamela Cubbler
Colfax-Todd's Valley Consolidated Tribe
Board Secretary

Pamela Cubbler is Vice Chair of Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe of the Colfax Rancheria (CTVCT). Her Miwok heritage is from her father, who taught her survival and traditional techniques that respected the importance of our non-human relatives. CTVCT is a California Tribe in the Colfax and Placer County area, comprised of the (Nisenan) Maidu & Miwok people of the area. As Cultural Preservation Officer, she strives for the protection of sacred sites, traditional practices, language preservation, and the overall betterment of our Tribal community.

Pam is also Chief Financial Officer of the Koy’o Land Conservancy, created in July of 2020 on behalf of CTVCT. The name Koy’o comes from one of the many villages in the area of Colfax, California. Koy’o’s focus is to restore traditional homelands to Tribal members and maintain its properties through cultural practices and traditions.

Malissa Tayaba
Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Board Treasurer

Malissa Tayaba is the Vice-Chairperson of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. She is also the Director of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Her work includes: sharing the ways aboriginal territory and its natural resources have historically been, and continue to be, utilized and tended to by Nisenan and Miwok people and bringing cultural activities back into the tribal community, such as basketry, traditional song and dance, ceremony, land stewardship, and language revitalization. Before becoming TEK Director, Malissa spent six years as a Cultural Researcher and ten years as Director of Social Services. She was a member of the Delta Conveyance Project Stakeholder Engagement Committee and a member of the Delta Protection Commission’s National Heritage Area Management Plan Advisory Committee.

Kris Hohag
Bishop Paiute
Board Member

Kris Hohag, M.Ed., is an educator, artist and native of Payahuunadu, “the place of flowing water” also known as Owens Valley, California.  Raised in Bishop as a citizen of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, he is also a descendant of the Kuzdadika’a, the people of Mono Lake. A product of local tribal and public education, Kris worked for many years as an educator/organizer in Bishop and has worked with nearly every tribal organization on the reservation serving Native people across such topics as education, economic development, language, culture, healthcare, and governance. He has served as a tribal delegate for Toiyabe Indian Health Clinic and on the Board of Directors for the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB), a healthcare and technical assistance organization serving rural tribal communities across California. He has also worked in local tribal government having been elected and serving a two-year term on the Bishop Paiute Tribal Council.

At the Sierra Club, Kris’ role includes working with Chapters in California, Nevada, and Hawaii to incorporate strategic long term capacity building and ensure intergenerational leadership.

Kris is most proud of helping start the Bishop Tribal Youth Council and acquiring the funding that started the Bishop Tribal Community Radio Station, KBPT 96.1 LPFM. Both continue to flourish due to community buy-in. KBPT allows listeners within a 20-mile radius of Bishop to hear about culture, issues and news from an indigenous perspective. Listeners can tune in anywhere in the world online at www.kbptradio.com

Brenden Mercer
Swampy Cree
Board Member

Brenden Mercer is a Doctoral candidate of Business Administration at Royal Roads University and is well known for his visionary work in First Nations community emergency preparedness and emergency management (EM). Formerly the Director of Governance for the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS), Mercer created the Decision Support (DS) department at FNESS and has gained international recognition for his work supporting Indigenous communities in British Columbia (BC).

He utilizes innovative new DS technology to support Indigenous communites across BC on various Emergency Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, Recovery and Climate Change initiatives.  Brenden has been a member of the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) since 2015.  Mercer was the 2021 First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC) student of the year.  Brenden has been asked to speak as an expert witness on Indigenous EM for First Nations Leadership, Canadian Senate, various organizations and academic groups.

Brenden is motivated by his experiences in EM and wants to ensure that the future of Indigenous lead EM fundamentally different than it is under the current EM paradigm.  Mercer’s doctoral research will investigate the best decision support framework to support Indigenous lead EM.  He will focus on measuring and reporting structures to support the various environmental, economic, and social opportunities created by Indigenous EM initiatives.

Brenden never technically finished high school but has since completed a Master of Science in Environmental Practice through Royal Roads (2021).  Bachelor of Natural Resource Management from Thompson Rivers University (2015), and a Forest Technology diploma from Selkirk College (2011).

Nils Moe
Board Member

Nils Moe is a highly collaborative leader with extensive experience in climate philanthropy and network development. He has worked with and across philanthropy, government, and the private sector – developing and leading organizations, networks, and campaigns to advance economic development, sustainability, and climate action in the U.S. and globally. He brings expertise to our Board around climate policy and network building.

Nils Moe is currently the Executive Director of Stichting Funder Forum. As Executive Director, Nils stewards a shared mission of cultivating a network capable of organizing and scaling funding for high-ambition strategies to advance the just and clean global energy transition. 

Most recently, Nils served as lead of The Climate Pledge at Global Optimism, where he oversaw a cross-sector global community of more than 500 companies and organizations, representing $4 trillion in annual revenue, working together to solve the challenges of decarbonizing our economy. Nils previously served as CEO of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, where he fostered a network of government sustainability practitioners from 250 communities across the U.S. and Canada, and led the Partners for Places Donor Collaborative Program. Prior to his role at The Climate Pledge, Nils led the preeminent international urban sustainability network that represented more than 100 million people in North America as the CEO of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN).

His expertise spans innovative financing and metrics, organizational leadership, social entrepreneurship, and environmental policymaking. Nils also brings many years of climate action implementation experience from his role as Climate Advisor to the Mayor at The City of Berkeley, California. He also has worked as a professor of Organizational Psychology at San Francisco State University, co–founded two values-driven non–profits, and worked in the private sector as a management consultant, specializing in program evaluation of non-profits and 360–degree feedback for Fortune 100 companies.

Nils is a committed father, husband and outdoor adventurer who can be found surfing, skiing, mountain biking, or playing tennis in his free time.

Timothy Seward
Board Member

Tim Seward is a partner with the law firm of Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP, in the firm’s Sacramento, California office.  Hobbs Straus is a national law firm founded to represent and advance the interests of Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and their people, with offices in: Washington, DC; Portland, OR; Oklahoma City, OK; Sacramento, CA and Anchorage, AL.

Prior to joining Hobbs Straus, Tim served as general counsel for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California for seven years.  He also worked in Washington, D.C. for several years, where he advocated on behalf of Indian Tribes on matters being considered by Congress, federal administrative agencies, and state governments.

Tim assists Indian Tribes in their efforts to enhance, preserve, and protect their nationhood and to provide for the health, safety, and well-being of Tribal citizens. He is devoted to developing strong Tribal government institutions and economies, and has assisted Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations in areas related to Tribal affairs, self-determination and Tribal sovereignty, programs and services, Indian housing, economic development, and natural and cultural resources.

In his work, Tim has assisted Tribal clients to protect their natural and cultural resources, including their ability to engage in traditional and customary practices, from threats such as those arising from abandoned mines located on state and federal property.  He has also worked with Tribal clients to develop and implement Tribal resource protection laws and policies.

Tim enjoys being out on the open land and water with his wife, Stephanie Hague, their two daughters, and their Newfoundland.

Brian Wallace
Washoe/Nisenan
Indigenous Chief Executive Officer

530.265.8454x4

[email protected]

Albert Brian Wallace is the visionary of the Indigenous Futures Society, inspiring our groundbreaking programs, and the heart of our annual Sierra Nevada Tribal Summit. Brian served as an elected official of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California from 1979-2006, which included four terms as Tribal Chairman and one four-year term as Vice Chairman. Wallace’s leadership during this period was instrumental in the growth and strength not only of the Washoe Tribe, but of indigenous people and communities more broadly. During his tenure, Wallace secured federal court protection of sacred sites in Lake Tahoe and throughout Washoe homelands, and negotiated international “Accords of Friendship and Cooperation” between the Republic of Buryatia (Siberia) and the Washoe Tribe to facilitate the bio-cultural restoration of the Lake Baikal and Lake Tahoe by their indigenous peoples.

As a founding member of the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee, Wallace’s leadership continues to be widely recognized as the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, and following appropriations acts continue to fund current and future, forest heath, transportation, stream, wetland water quality, and habitat restoration investments on local, state, and federal lands in and around the Lake Tahoe basin. Wallace often appeared before the U.S. Congress to advise on matters of federal/tribal relations and policy and was appointed by U.S. Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Bush to serve on executive office commissions and advisory bodies.

Chairman Wallace worked for 20 years on the Leviathan Mine. His leadership established the Leviathan Mine Trustees Council, which mobilized state and federal agencies to protect the biological resources and human health of the region impacted by downstream acid mine drainage. Wallace created the Washoe Tribe Environmental Protection Department, Washoe Development Corporation, Washoe Cultural Foundation, Washoe Language School, and the Washoe Land Trust.

After leaving tribal service Wallace became an equity member of a consulting partnership serving First Nations needs in Corporate Governance, Business Management, and Development. Wallace continues to be committed to the cultural well-being of indigenous peoples and homelands and brings his wealth of experience to The Sierra Fund.

Today, Chairman Wallace resides in Auburn, California, and as a member of the Lizzie Enos Nisenan Family Foundation, dedicates his efforts to family Nisenan language literacy, and Nisenan mapping projects. In addition, Wallace currently works on the assertion of the “Rights of Nature” doctrine to advocate the legal status of kum mim sew’ (Bear River) and its legal guardianship by today’s Nisenan decedents to return Nisenan hands to Nisenan lands. Additionally, Wallace spends as much time as possible on a tennis court, most recently as a 2019 #4 in Nation at the USTA Men’s 40 plus League National Championships (Oklahoma City).

Rebecca Allen, Ph.D., RPA
Program Executive

530.265.8454x6

[email protected]

Dr. Rebecca Allen works with communities, non-profits, and agencies to share, preserve, and promote history, culture, and ecology. She is an experienced anthropologist and Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA), with a specialty in community-based projects and objectives incorporating studies of historic and ethnographic sites, landscape studies, and community heritage. She prioritizes integration of new technical innovations, collaborative research opportunities, as well as mentoring colleagues and students.

Dr. Allen is well known for her expertise and innovative approaches to compliance with regulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), integration with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and successful implementation of AB 52 consultation, from both the Tribal and agency perspective. Dr. Allen has served as project director on dozens of complex environmental, historical, and archaeological projects throughout the west, written hundreds of cultural resource management documents, and published books and articles on archaeology and history in professional and popular venues. Through this, she has gained a reputation for the ability to simultaneously navigate, collaborate, and coordinate with multiple federal, state, and local agencies, as well as considering public outreach efforts with interested parties, and integration of traditional knowledge of descendant communities. She is especially known for her collaboration with Tribal communities, research on Native American communities within the California Mission system, and Chinese urban and railroad-related sites.

In 2018, Dr, Allen was elected as the President for the Society for California Archaeology. She ran on a platform of promoting archaeology through collaborative research and publishing, public outreach venues, and advocating archaeology to state and federal legislators. As part of this role, Dr. Allen is promoting the role of anthropology (traditional knowledge) and archaeology in climate heritage mobilization efforts. Dr. Allen also served as Editor for the Society for Historical Archaeology from 2005-2007, and Associate Editor for more than 20 years. She is actively publishing with several research, academic, and community partners.

In her copious amounts of spare time, Rebecca lives in Garden Valley on unceded Nisenan territory. She is delighted to hang out with her husband, friends, siblings, and neighbors, and is the devoted servant of two dogs and one feisty cat. She is an active quilter and collects (if not hoards) fabric and pottery.

Matthew Moore
Washoe/Nisenan
Program Executive

530.265.8454x2

[email protected]

Matthew Moore is a respected member of the Nisenan and Washoe communities. Matthew brings decades of experience in cultural preservation, Indigenous guardianship, and wildfire response and emergency services.

Matthew previously served as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the United Auburn Indian Community, where he led efforts to protect sacred landscapes, integrate traditional ecological knowledge into land management, and ensure the ongoing protection of cultural heritage. He was also a firefighter and has over 30 years of experience conducting cultural burning (“Good Fire”) and leading emergency response and preparedness initiatives, Matthew is a recognized leader in Indigenous preservation. He is also a native plant traditionalist, working to revitalize and protect culturally significant plant knowledge and practices.

Matthew guides our Indigenous-led Land and Water Guardians and Emergency Preparedness programs. He collaborates with with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community leaders to ensure that programs reflect and respect traditional values while fostering long-term sustainability. His work includes integrating Indigenous practices into watershed protection, cultural mapping, cultural burning, and sacred site stewardship, as well as developing initiatives for intergenerational knowledge transfer and land-based education.

As Program Executive, Matthew guides The Sierra Fund’s work in Indigenous-led land guardianship, cultural preservation, and community resilience. He collaborates with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community leaders to ensure that programs reflect and respect traditional values while fostering long-term sustainability. His leadership strengthens our commitment to integrating Indigenous practices into watershed protection, cultural mapping, cultural burning, and sacred site stewardship, as well as developing initiatives for intergenerational knowledge transfer and land-based education.

Matthew has been a key participant in regional efforts such as the Sierra Nevada Tribal Summit and watershed restoration projects, consistently advocating for policies that honor Indigenous perspectives. His leadership strengthens The Sierra Fund’s commitment to deepening partnerships with Indigenous communities and advancing a future where cultural and ecological resilience go hand in hand.

Matthew is a devoted husband, father, and uncle. He is also the proud servant of his grandson Rune.

Laura Carroll
Development & Communications Director

530.265.8454x5

[email protected]

Laura leads fundraising efforts across private foundations, government grants, individual donors, businesses, and events. She also oversees external communications, using various visual and narrative mediums to elevate the organization’s voice and programs.

Laura has helped secure over $2.5 million in private foundation funding and $4.59 million in government grants. She has co-led the organization’s donor program since 2019, raising $880,000 in individual and corporate gifts and more than $200,000 in event sponsorships.

Laura has a passion for visual storytelling, including scientific illustration and graphic design. In 2025, Laura worked closely with the Indigenous CEO to lead the rebranding of The Sierra Fund into Indigenous Futures Society. As part of that process, she was honored to design the organization’s new logo and brand identity—a visual synthesis of the stories and cultural values envisioned by a rebranding committee of Tribal leaders.

Laura previously worked with the U.S. Forest Service as a plant specialist in Stanislaus National Forest. Here she conducted botany surveys, looking at successional changes in plant assemblages in the forest after major disturbance caused by the 2013 Rim Fire. She attended Humboldt State University (located on the unceded lands of the Wiyot people). While living behind the redwood curtain, she developed a love for botany, foraging, and ecology, and a deep understanding of the reciprocal role humans play in tending the land. She holds a B.S. in Ecological Restoration, with minors in Forestry, Watershed Management, and Studio Art. Her research included benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and identification as an indicator of ecosystem health in a restored tidal slough.

In her free time, Laura enjoys creating art using natural mediums, wood turning, staying active outdoors with her pup and partner, and cooking and fermenting creatively with local, seasonal foods. Laura lives in Nevada City on the unceded territory of the Nisenan and other Tribes.

Dereck Goodwin
Nomlaki/Wailaki, Round Valley
TEKI Program Director

530.265.8454x7

[email protected]

Dereck Goodwin actively collaborates with our Tribal partners on developing cultural ecologies and leads our mapping and GIS-integration efforts. Dereck is an accomplished environmental scientist and Indigenous cultural practitioner whose work bridges western ecological science with traditional ecological knowledge. He specializes in ornithology, Western Pond Turtle conservation, and native plant restoration, with a focus on habitat resilience and cultural guardianship. Certified in the California Rapid Assessment (CRAM) methods for assessing and monitoring wetlands, he integrates this knowledge and experience with documenting the positive effects of traditional cultural burning, Dereck applies both traditional practices and modern tools like drone mapping and GIS to monitor and restore ecocultural sites.

As a mentor and educator, Dereck leads workshops in ethnobotany and traditional skills, fostering the next generation of land guardianship. His work centers on reconnecting people, place and culture through ecological healing.

Cherilyn Ashmead
Technical Advisor

Cherilyn’s work is in the intersection of natural resource policy, community, and socioeconomics of rural communities, including Tribal communities. This work has led her to facilitate resources for Tribal governments and organizations around workforce development, funding, and land conservation and access. She leads this work through a set of tools ranging from GIS to project management to technical assistance for a range of state and federal grants.

While working for the United Auburn Indian Community’s Tribal Historic Preservation Department, Cherilyn grew interested in the nexus of policy, community, and land (access, policy, and approaches to management). This interest developed into a M.S. in Forestry from Humboldt State University (CalPoly Humboldt) and a research project on transitioning economies and communities following shifts in forest management policies. She currently serves as the Forest Business Alliance Tribal Liaison/Tribal Resources Coordinator and a Technical Assistance Provider for the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program.

Cherilyn is a mother of one feisty little gal, with whom she is grateful to spend much time “barefoot walking”, poking sap, finding bugs, observing sprouting seeds, and all the things that make life delightful.

Martha Davis
Technical Advisor

Martha Davis sat on the board of The Sierra Fund, now Indigenous Futures Society, from 2022-2024, and was a part of the landmark decision for the board to voluntarily step down to make way for Indigenous leadership. 

Martha retired in 2017 from her position as Assistant General Manager/Executive Manager for Policy Development at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency in Southern California. During her 17-year tenure, Ms. Davis led planning and green programs including initiatives promoting water efficiency, renewable energy, stormwater capture, green infrastructure, recycled water, and climate resiliency.

Previously, from 1983 – 1997, Martha served as Executive Director for the Mono Lake Committee and led the Mono Lake campaign which culminated in the landmark 1994 decision by the State Water Resources Control Board to protect Mono Lake. 

Since 2018, Martha has provided consulting services to various non-profits including the Water Foundation and Rescape California. She also serves on the boards of the Mono Lake Committee, the Community Water Center, the Rose Foundation California Grassroots Fund, and the steering committee for Localizing California’s Waters.

Martha graduated from Stanford University cum laude with a degree in human biology and received her master’s degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.  Ms. Davis received an honorary PhD in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy University.

Martha currently resides in west Marin County and returns frequently to the Sierra Nevada to hike, watch birds, and learn more about watershed practices for improving California’s landscapes.  Less frequently, she opens her weaving loom to start a new project!

Nina Fontana has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and stands in the Arboretum oak grove on April 26, 2017. Nina will be exploring traditional ecological knowledge of the Carpathian Hutsuls: How they manage edibles from the forest in that area of Ukraine.
Nina Fontana, Ph.D.
Technical Advisor

Nina Fontana, Ph.D. is a community-engaged ecologist and researcher at the University of California, Davis. Her work advances Indigenous-led climate resilience and land stewardship through interdisciplinary research that integrates geospatial science, stewardship practices, and Indigenous Knowledges to support community-driven, policy-relevant strategies.

Nina is a key collaborator on multiple grant-funded initiatives, including the a UC Davis Climate Action Seed Grant and the Venture Catalyst ACE Grant, which support the development of ecocultural refugia on California Indian Allotments and cross-border fire stewardship tools with First Nations in British Columbia. She is dedicated to building Indigenous technical capacity, supporting youth training, and co-creating pathways for equitable access to data, resources, and decision-making.

She has received research support from National Geographic and multiple Fulbright Study/Research Awards. Nina earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis. In her doctoral research, she collaborated with Hutsuls, a forest-dependent ethnic group in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains. Together they focused on how the stewardship of native plant species informs local land stewardship policies and conservation efforts, supporting food sovereignty. 

Born and raised in the Washington D.C. area and shaped by her Ukrainian and Italian heritage, Nina brings a personal understanding of diasporic and land-based cultural relationships. As a former high school science teacher, and lifelong learner, she is passionate about working alongside communities to support inclusive and effective environmental stewardship.

Krystal Moreno
Yaqui and Kumeyaay
Knowledge Bearer

Krystal Moreno is the Program Manager of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. Her role as TEK Program Manager includes assisting tribal leadership and the community on cultural revitalization efforts, native plant restoration, eco-cultural restoration, and water protection. She is passionate about advocating for tribal water rights, protecting the waterways and species connected to them, and honoring the responsibility of healing and protecting tribal eco-cultural landscapes.

Her work includes teaching and sharing the ways ancestral homelands and waterways have historically been and continue to be utilized and tended to by indigenous people. Krystal’s main priority has been engaging in tribal water advocacy & policy initiatives, including protection of the Sacramento Delta Estuary and Bay-Delta Watershed, conducting water quality analysis and native plant restoration efforts along the Sacramento, American, and Feather Rivers. She also works with government agencies to encourage robust inclusion, engagement, and consultation with tribes, incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into policy-making, and tribal consultation best practices.

Before becoming Program Manager of TEK, Krystal served as the Tribe’s Tribal Court Administrator, helping to create the Tribe’s first tribal justice system. She has also worked as a Legislative Advocate on various issues, including women’s health care, children’s health care, and on behalf of community clinics and health centers. She is of Yaqui and Kumeyaay decent, is a citizen of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians and is honored to be able to work within California tribal communities.

Austin Stevenot, San Joaquin Valley Field Manager for River Partners.photographed in June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California.
Austin Stevenot
Northern Sierra Mewuk
Knowledge Bearer

Director of Tribal Engagement, River Partners

Northern Sierra Mewuk | Cultural Artist | Conservation Leader

Austin Stevenot serves as the Director of Tribal Engagement for River Partners, where he leads efforts to connect Indigenous communities with large-scale ecological restoration projects across California. A proud Northern Sierra Mewuk tribal member, Austin brings a deep understanding of cultural values, tribal governance, and traditional ecological knowledge to the forefront of River Partners’ mission.

Through his work, Austin fosters meaningful partnerships between Tribes and conservation practitioners, ensuring that Indigenous voices help guide the restoration and stewardship of California’s rivers, floodplains, and native plant communities. His leadership has been central to groundbreaking collaborations that center cultural access, land healing, and tribal self-determination — from the development of Native Use Gardens to the integration of traditional knowledge into habitat restoration.

In addition to his role with River Partners, Austin is a multidisciplinary artist who creates cultural items and photography that celebrate and preserve Mewuk identity. His work reflects a commitment to healing — of the land, of community, and of cultural memory.

Austin’s presence on this project exemplifies the power of partnership rooted in respect, reciprocity, and a shared vision for restoration that uplifts both people and place.

Chuck Striplen, Ph.D.
Mutsun
Knowledge Bearer

[email protected]

Interdisciplinary Environmental Scientist
Tribal Relations Specialist
Program Officer in International Indigenous Conservation
Resources Legacy Fund, Sacramento, CA


Dr. Chuck Striplen is of Mutsun descent and serves as a Program Officer in International Indigenous Conservation at the Sacramento-based Resources Legacy Fund. He works from local to international contexts supporting indigenous rights to access and manage their ancestral lands and waters. He also serves on the California Coastal Commission, appointed by the California Assembly Speaker in June 2023 as alternate to current Commission Chair, Justin Cummings; and on the Planning Commission for the County of Sonoma. For the last decade Chuck worked in California State government, serving as the first Tribal Advisor and Liaison for the California Fish and Game Commission, and managing largescale watershed restoration projects and Tribal Relations for the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. He has conducted and published primary research in the areas of historical ecology, cultural landscapes, wetlands and watersheds, and fire history at the San Francisco Estuary Institute and UC Berkeley; served on the founding staff of California State University, Monterey Bay; served on the Board of the California Indian Basketweavers Association; and worked in and for Tribal governments throughout California and the Pacific Northwest.


Chuck is the founder of the Mutsun Tribal Land Trust and occupies one of the three Tribal seats on the Science Advisory Team for California’s Ocean Protection Council, dedicated to the study and protection of California’s coastal waters. He’s also engaged with a number of New Zealand and Australia-based indigenous communities focused on pursuits related to climate adaptation and indigenous sovereignty.
Chuck received his MS and PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, and a double bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Jun Sunseri, Ph.D.
Technical Expert

Jun is faculty at UC Berkeley and his research cluster in Community-accountable archaeological work focuses on how the past is a living part of processes that have translated into racialized or other inequalities in the present and subsequent struggles by his Community Mentors for self-determination. Through partnered and Community-mentored co-design and management of research process and products, reformulations of archaeological praxis inform his work, which is aligned to the priorities of community partners. With Community mandates from his mentors, this type of archaeological research is a commitment to decolonizing how stories about the past are created and shared. He is fortunate to be invited to work together on projects that matter in the here and now, beyond the academy and shoulder-to-shoulder with those who so generously mentor his team in their Ancestral Places and gift us with stories and meaning for our work.

Check out Jun’s work on Berkeley Bear Bones Lab: https://bearboneslab.org/

Our People