Our People

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).

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 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 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 $3.1 million in private foundation funding and $7.1 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 $350,000 in event sponsorships. She earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2025, the leading global standard for ethical and professional fundraising.

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.

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.

Dereck Goodwin actively collaborates with Tribal partners on developing cultural ecologies and leads mapping and GIS-integration efforts. He is an accomplished environmental scientist and Indigenous cultural practitioner whose work bridges western ecological science with traditional ecological knowledge. Dereck specializes in ornithology, Western Pond Turtle conservation, and native plant restoration, with a focus on habitat resilience and cultural guardianship.

He is certified in Wetland Delineation, Tribal Monitoring, and the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) as both a General Practitioner and Vernal Pool Practitioner, and also holds a Wildland Fire Incident Qualifications Card (Red Card). These credentials support his applied work in ecological restoration, monitoring, and cultural fire stewardship, which he integrates with modern tools like drone mapping and GIS to monitor and restore ecocultural sites.

He is also engaged in long-term training toward a federal bird banding permit, reflecting his commitment to deepening his expertise in ornithology and advancing avian research. 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.

Louis Curson-Mayorga is a geospatial and cultural heritage professional dedicated to advancing Indigenous data sovereignty and restoring relationships between people and place. As TEK-GIS Integration Specialist for the Indigenous Futures Society, he collaborates with Tribal partners to design secure, culturally grounded mapping systems that bridge traditional ecological knowledge with modern geospatial tools.

Louis holds a master’s degree in archaeology from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied within the Bear Bones Lab. His graduate research centered on low-impact remote-sensing methods that strengthen Indigenous goals for ecological restoration and cultural continuity. A Chicano from Los Angeles with deep roots in California, he is guided by a lifelong connection to the landscapes and communities that have shaped his work.

Before joining IFS, he served as Cultural Regulatory and GIS Specialist for the United Auburn Indian Community, where he developed the current Tribal Historic Resource Information System (THRIS), a GIS integrating cultural, ecological, and regulatory data across the Sierra bioregion. In that role, Louis gained extensive experience navigating CEQA, Section 106, AB 52 consultation, and NAGPRA, working to align compliance processes with Indigenous values of stewardship, care, and confidentiality.

Louis’ practice is guided by the understanding that mapping is an ongoing conversation between people and the landscapes they inhabit. Within that dialogue lies a powerful capacity for action, where mapping supports community-accountable research, ecological stewardship, and the revitalization of forest health.

When he’s not immersed in mapping or data design, Louis can be found camping, hiking, playing team sports, or enjoying live music & comedy. He remains deeply grateful to the Native communities whose generosity and leadership have shaped his path and continues to dedicate his work to supporting Indigenous agency on the landscape.

Ariel is excited to join the IFS team as the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Associate. She is a member of the Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and was born and raised in the small town of North San Juan, Nevada County. Growing up in such an isolated area, some of her earliest memories are walking along creeks, swimming in rivers, collecting rocks, and navigating through valleys and ridges. Her love for the outdoors and her pride in her culture have been driving forces throughout her life.

In 2022, she completed her AA in Kumeyaay Studies from Kumeyaay Community College, during which she also participated in a month-long language immersion. In June 2025, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies at UC Davis, focusing on tribal sovereignty, historic preservation, and Federal Indian Law. Ariel chose to complete an undergraduate senior thesis while at UCD. The thesis was dedicated to the creation of a personal tribal monitoring guidebook titled Seen Through My Eyes: A Comprehensive Guide to Cultural Resource Guardianship of Nevada and Placer County. She feels strongly that tribes in the bioregion deserve more autonomy in environmental stewardship, water rights, the Land Back movement, and the protection of ancestors and artifacts. Ariel’s experiences will help her serve the tribal communities in the area to her fullest capabilities. 

In her free time, Ariel enjoys cultivating her artistic endeavors. She loves beading gifts for her friends and family. Ariel is an avid storyteller and has been performing since she was 12 years old. She has appeared in many productions from the foothills down to the Sacramento Valley and is a founding member of Sierra Theatre Company in Nevada County. In addition to it being a beloved hobby, Ariel holds an AA-T in Theatre Arts from Sierra College. She loves nothing more than lying next to the river with a good book, fresh fruit, and listening to the sound of birds talking.

Hayden Koch serves as Tek-Tech with the Indigenous Futures Society, supporting Tribal partners in building resilient, culturally grounded technology and mapping systems. A descendant of the California Yaqui people, Hayden grew up in the foothills of Northern California surrounded by rivers, oak woodlands, and the cultural teachings of his family. His connection to land stewardship began in 2010 when he joined a Native land restoration project with the Sierra Native Alliance—a formative experience that set the course for his career merging technology with Indigenous ecological knowledge.

Hayden’s work is shaped by the guidance of Nisenan language mentor Alan Wallace and his grandfather, Stan Padilla, an Indigenous artist and educator. These influences instilled in him the importance of cultural preservation, community self-determination, and protecting both knowledge and landscapes for future generations.

Primarily self-taught, Hayden brings over a decade of experience in marketing, IT infrastructure management, and full-stack development. He has built internal tools for large businesses and now applies those skills to projects that strengthen Tribal sovereignty, including GIS integration, self-hosted data platforms, and environmental monitoring systems. His work bridges traditional stewardship practices with modern mapping and digital tools, ensuring communities remain in control of their own data and narratives. Before coming on staff, he played a major role in our rebranding as Indigenous Futures Society by developing the new website.

Beyond his technical role, Hayden is actively involved in Nisenan language preservation and enjoys hands-on hardware and software projects. He experiments with self-hosted infrastructure, environmental sensors, and other tools that support community-led mapping and data collection. He also enjoys fishing and spending time in the rivers and foothills that shaped his childhood. Across all areas of his work, Hayden maintains a focus on supporting Tribal sovereignty, cultural preservation, and building tools that serve community needs.

In his spare time he is an avid backpacker and fisher.

My family is Nez Perce from the Wallowas, but I grew up in California. I am an intern with IFS working on tribal-forestry co-management. I have been working with members of the IFS for several years now on different cultural burn projects and archeological surveys/workshops. I am in my last year as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying Indigenous Land Management and Community Health as well as Forestry.