Jeri Brunoe is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon and now resides in Southern California. She has worked in Indian Country for 30 plus years and is the owner of Jeri Brunoe Training & Consulting (JBTC). Jeri’s experience includes being a Leadership Trainer, college faculty member, Prevention Coordinator Trainer, Program Developer, and GONA/GOAN Facilitator. She is a certified Core Team & Crisis Intervention/Prevention Specialist, a graduate of the Bill McGrane Self-Esteem Institute in Advanced Psycholinguistics/Neurolinguistics, and an Oregon State University alum. Jeri is a nationally known and highly respected public speaker and youth leadership expert, as well as a writer and an actor.
J. Carlos Rivera is the Behavioral Health Director at American Indian Health & Services and Co-Founder of Generation Red Road, Inc.. He is an enrolled tribal member with the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians from Northern California and is also of Mexican descent. J. Carlos studied Chemical Dependency and Human Services at American River College and served as a substance abuse treatment provider for 11 years for Indian Health Services in Sacramento. He is a national keynote speaker on the Red Road Approach to Healing and Master trainer for Red Road Recovery. J. Carlos has been an active committee member for California’s Juvenile Justice & Delinquency State Committee, appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, and is the former Executive Director at White Bison. Today, Carlos is proud to celebrate 16 years on the Red Road (sobriety long term recovery).
Daryl Jay, Project Manager, is Akimel O’odham and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community located in southern Arizona. Daryl has worked and represented her Community on the local, state and national level in various capacities including, serving as GRIC Youth Council President, NCAI Youth Commissioner, and Miss Indian Arizona to name a few. Daryl is the owner of Hu’u Consulting and finds great joy in learning and teaching O’odham nioki (language).
Meet the Artists
Ron (Kaboose) Wilson (Hip-Hop) is a hip-hop artist, youth mentor, basketball coach/trainer, and motivational speaker. He tours the country with a dynamic message, visiting school assemblies, colleges, and festivals. Kaboose engages and challenges listeners to believe in hope despite the toughest of circumstances! His positivity and relevant mix of music and storytelling make an authentic connection with his audiences, helping them to overcome hurdles in their lives, understand their value and potential, and be comfortable in their own skins. Kaboose is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe. He leads by example and challenges youth to leave their own positive imprint on this earth
Kenny Ramos (Theatre) is a Kumeyaay theatre artist from the Barona Band of Mission Indians. He grew up on the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County, and graduated from UCLA with a BA in American Indian Studies. Kenny has performed around the country in contemporary Native American theatre productions with Cornerstone Theater Company and Native Voices at the Autry, The Kennedy Center, Perseverance Theatre, Rose Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Dakota Shakespeare Festival, Passage Theatre, Denver Center, and Safe Harbors/New York Theatre Workshop. He is passionate about theatre that centers Native perspectives, and believes the stories we tell have the power to challenge, change, and heal our society.
Sage Andrew Romero is a Tovowahamatu Numu (Big Pine Paiute)/Tuah-Tahi (Taos Pueblo) tribal member and founder of the AkaMya Culture Group based in Tovowahamatu. Payahu Nadu (Big Pine, Owens Valley). His Company AkaMya is a culturally based group which focuses on Indigenous Dance, Song, Culture and Identity, while also utilizing multimedia (Film/Photography/Sound) mediums to raise awareness of indigenous people today. AkaMya and Sage also live a life of Sobriety to serve as positive role models for the youth. Sage is an accomplished Hoop Dancer in the style of his Taos ancestors, and has taught many World Class Dancers which are renown today. Having traveled internationally dancing in countries such as; Spain, Italy, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Panama, Ecuador, Canada, Israel, and more, the importance of raising awareness became evident in seeing the misconceptions people from other countries have of Indigenous people of Turtle Island. Thus his passion for media began. Being self taught, Sage began making videos about native peoples issues and storytelling. Eventually, his short films and music videos would be shown at Indigenous Film Festivals such as; LA Skinsfest in Los Angeles, NatiVisions Film Festival at the Colorado River Indian Tribe, Parker, AZ, the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, and multiple small tribal venues. It is his goal to continue making positive and strong Indigenous content from our own perspective to dispel any negative or typical stereotypes people may have of indigenous people. We are still here today and our voices and visions need to be heard, seen, felt and shared. We, the indigenous people are alive.
Rose Hammock- Her father’s people are Pomo and Wailacki from the Round Valley Indian Reservation and Pomo from the Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. Her mother’s people are Mexican and Nicaraguan from Mazatlan, Mexico – Managua, Nicaragua, – and Acoyapa Nicaragua. Hammock is an Indigenous college student, ready to graduate with an Associates of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and Associates of Science degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She serves many roles within her community, one role being a community representative for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) by providing various presentations and art workshops that help raise awareness of this epidemic going on in our Indigenous communities. Hammock has traveled to many schools within Sonoma and Mendocino County where she does brief presentations that highlight some of the traditional Pomo ways of life, such as their differing languages and what they do each season in the year ( i.e. when we pick certain medicines ). Hammock has had the honor of working with many organizations in both Native and Non-Native communites, helping organize events and trainings to help our community come together and share space in a good way. It has been humbling to work with the California Rural Indian Health Board, Big Picture Learning Native American Initiative, North Bay Organizing Project, and Sonoma County Indian Health Project just to highlight a few. Yah.w ii ’ (thank you)
Bobby Wilson, Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota, has painted dozens of murals, performed spoken word poetry at events across the country, and appeared on television and radio numerous times. In addition to numerous artistic accomplishments, Bobby has garnered international attention as a member of the comedy group The 1491s, appearing on major media outlets including Comedy Central, Al Jazeera, and MTV. Bobby’s work is heavily influenced by his Dakota heritage combined with a lifelong city upbringing. Much of his work strives to convey a social and political message, tackling issues of racism, homelessness, and imperialism while maintaining a sense of humor and hope. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota currently based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Amy Davila, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northern Arizona University and studies graduate level photography at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. She currently is a Museum Aide at the Huhugam Heritage Center in Gila River. Amy has contributed her photographic work to community art collections at the Gila River Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, Gila River Indian Community Toka Sticks Resort, the new Gila River Indian Community Utility Authority building, and Aji Spa of the Wild Horse Sheraton Grand Resort. Her photographs have also been published in the Gila River News, Arizona Republic Newspaper, Native Max, and a variety of online publications. As she works to develop as an artist, she plans to continue to create fine art photographs that explore her Gila River and Akimel O’otham heritage.
Christian Takes Gun Parrish, also known as Supaman, is a member of the Apsaalooke Nation and is a Native American dancer and hip hop artist who has dedicated his life to empowering youth and educating listeners with a message of hope through culture, humor, and music. Supaman has worked with numerous programs and tribes to help promote self worth, build moral character, and build a positive sense of native identity. Along with being a champion fancy dancer and traveling extensively on the powwow circuit throughout the U.S and Canada, Supaman is also a Native American flute player. He lives a drug and alcohol free life.