American Indian Policy Institute seats 4 new advisory board members

The American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) is pleased to announce the addition of four top-tier Tribal and community leaders to the AIPI Advisory Board as the organization continues to evolve and expand. 

Sherry Treppa, Dallin Maybee, Angela Gonzales, and Denise E. Bates have joined the board, bringing with them extensive experience and innovative perspectives at a pivotal moment in AIPI’s history, particularly following the establishment of the new Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty in collaboration with the National Congress of American Indians. Notably, AIPI became a part of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University earlier this year.

“As AIPI enters into comprehensive new work with the Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty, I am excited by these stellar additions to the AIPI Advisory Board and extremely grateful for their interest in our work,” said Traci Morris, AIPI’s executive director. “Their experience is much needed as AIPI grows its commitment of service to Indian Country. It is also very exciting that AIPI will have two Tribal leaders on its board of advisors.” 

Treppa, Maybee, Gonzales and Bates join a board with members from esteemed organizations like the National Congress of American Indians, the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, Tribal Broadband Bootcamp and many more. 

Treppa is the chairperson for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation in Upper Lake, California. Treppa was elected to the Tribe’s seven-member executive council for the first time in 2004. Treppa’s work advocates for digital equity, data sovereignty and digital jurisdiction, “I think this is a really critical time for this organization because there is a lot happening that Tribal leaders and Tribes need to get ahead of, and I’m honored to be able to be a part of this.”

Dallin Maybee, who is Seneca and enrolled Northern Arapaho, brings a wealth of experience as an artist, public speaker, and performer and currently serves as the assistant director of development at the Native American Rights Fund. He earned his Juris Doctor from ASU Law with a certificate in Indian Law. 

Gonzales is an enrolled citizen of the Hopi Nation from the Village of Songoopavi (Spider clan) and is the Director of the American Indian Studies Program and the Center for Indian Education, as well as a professor in the School of Social Transformation at ASU. She joined the ASU faculty in 2016 after ten years on the faculty at Cornell University. Her research integrates sociology, American Indian and Indigenous studies, and public health. Dr. Gonzales has been leading AIPI research for several years, is an Indigenous Leadership Academy co-facilitator, and is an AIPI Thought Leader Fellow.

Bates, a history professor, joined Tufts University as the dean of University College in 2023. She leads a dedicated team of professionals to advance our mission of expanding access and catalyzing resources university-wide to produce high-quality programming for the workforce of the future and learners at every stage of life. She previously worked at ASU as the associate dean of student success and community engagement for the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. Bates wrote the Indigenous Leadership Academy’s curriculum and has been an AIPI Thought Leader Fellow for several years.

“We’re at the forefront of telecommunications policy and technology policy. We have some of the leading thought leaders here on this board. I think we have an incredible board here and we can really harness and move AIPI for the benefit of the twenty-two Tribes here in Arizona and across Indian country as well,” said Governor Stephen Roe Lewis (Gila River Indian Community), AIPI advisory board president.

These significant appointments underline AIPI’s commitment to advancing Indigenous causes through the expertise and leadership of Tribal and community members, further strengthening its position as a crucial advocate for Indian Country